CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Strawberry Fields Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, May 2022
Requires Improvement; inspectors found infection control and management checks were not reliable, although staff were kind and caring.
This was an unannounced, focused inspection on 28 March 2022. One inspector reviewed records, checked the building, observed communal areas and spoke with people, relatives and staff.
The home was not always clean or well maintained. Some equipment was dirty, clinical waste was left unattended and fire checks and drills were overdue. Medicine records had missing signatures, although inspectors were given assurance that medicines were given as prescribed.
The home's checks had not found or fixed several problems. Inspectors found breaches of the rules on safe care and treatment and good governance. The provider must send an action plan, and CQC will continue to monitor progress.
The overall rating changed from Good at the previous inspection, published on 9 May 2019, to Requires Improvement. Only Safe and Well-led were inspected during this visit. The other ratings carried over from the previous inspection.
Kind relationships
People and relatives spoke positively about staff's kindness and compassion. Staff knew people well and understood their preferences.
“People and relatives were positive about the kind and caring nature of staff and had good relationships with them.” from the report
Care planning
People and their relatives were involved in care planning. Plans included religious and cultural preferences and protected characteristics.
“People's care plans were developed including people's relatives and family members and they captured people's religious and cultural preferences as well as considered people's protected characteristics.” from the report
Support from other professionals
The home referred people to health professionals when needed and held weekly meetings with the local GP practice about people's health.
“We saw the evidence showing people were referred to external healthcare professionals, such as physiotherapy, speech and language therapist or nutritionist when this was required.” from the report
Infection control
seriousHoists and other moving equipment were visibly dirty, cleaning equipment was unsuitable and clinical waste was left where people could reach it. These problems increased the risk of infection spreading.
“We were not assured that the provider was promoting safety through the layout and hygiene practices of the premises.” from the report
Fire safety checks
needs fixingWeekly fire system checks had not been completed for three weeks, and the last fire evacuation drill had taken place in May 2021.
“A regular fire safety checks and fire drills had not always been carried out in line with the recommended guidance.” from the report
Medicine records
needs fixingMany medicine administration records were missing signatures. The manager introduced extra checks after inspectors raised the issue.
“We looked at people's medicine administration record charts (MAR) and found many missing signatures to confirm people had been given their medicines.” from the report
Management checks
seriousThe provider's audits had not identified several problems, including cleanliness and missing medicine signatures. Actions from an earlier infection control audit were still outstanding.
“We found no evidence of harm. However, the provider had failed to ensure adequate systems and processes were effective to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the care provided.” from the report
Laundry and clothing
minorEvery relative spoken with raised concerns about laundry. Clothes were sometimes mixed up or went missing, and relatives said people were not always appropriately dressed.
“Relatives told us they often found items of clothing belonging to other people in their family member's wardrobes and drawers.” from the report
- 01What action has been completed to keep hoists, stand aids, cleaning equipment and furniture clean and in good repair?
- 02How are weekly fire checks and evacuation drills now recorded and monitored?
- 03What extra checks are being made to ensure medicine administration records have complete signatures?
- 04What was the provider's action plan after this inspection, and what evidence shows that the two breaches have been addressed?
- 05How will you prevent residents' clothes from being mixed up, lost or returned inappropriately?
This was an unannounced focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the other ratings carried over from the previous inspection and were used to calculate the overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 6 May 2022 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
What inspectors found, December 2020
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection prevention and control practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 9 December 2020. It was a targeted check of infection prevention and control because of coronavirus outbreaks in care homes.
Inspectors found systems to reduce the spread of infection. Staff and visitors had temperature checks and protective equipment, COVID-19 risks were reviewed, and staff understood the procedures.
The home was clean and hygienic. Inspectors were assured about visitor controls, social distancing, safe admissions, testing, protective equipment, cleaning and managing possible outbreaks.
This inspection was not given a rating. It does not provide an overall rating for the quality of care or a rated judgement about the other four questions.
Infection controls
The home had controls for visitors, staff and residents to reduce the risk of catching or spreading infection. Staff and visitors had temperature checks and were given protective equipment.
“Every staff member and visitor had their temperature taken at the door and were provided with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).” from the report
Clean environment
Inspectors saw a clean and hygienic home. Cleaning schedules included regular disinfection of frequently touched surfaces.
“There were enhanced cleaning schedules which included regular cleaning and disinfection of high touch points such as handrails and light switches.” from the report
Keeping people connected
The home used video and telephone calls to help residents stay in contact with friends and relatives when visitors were restricted.
“The service had used technology such as video calls and phone calls to support people to maintain social contact with friends and relatives.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What infection prevention and control arrangements are in place now, and how have they changed since the December 2020 inspection?
- 02How do you manage visits when relatives want to see residents, including visits for people receiving end of life care?
- 03How often are frequently touched areas such as handrails and light switches cleaned and disinfected?
- 04How do you test residents and staff for infections, and what happens if there is an outbreak?
- 05What are the home's current overall rating and ratings for caring, effective, responsive and well-led care?
This was an unannounced targeted inspection of infection prevention and control practices only; the service was inspected but not rated and the other areas were not assessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 December 2020 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of Strawberry Fields Care Home
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has held its Requires improvement rating throughout.
- May 2022Requires improvementcurrent ratingSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- December 2020Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- May 2019Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2018Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- September 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 19 September 2016.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
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