CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Summer Cottage
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough staff, careful recruitment, suitable risk assessments and safe premises. Staff were trained to recognise and report abuse, and medicines records were well maintained.
- Effective?
- Good
- People had detailed support plans and staff received relevant training, including medication and epilepsy training. People were supported with food, healthcare and daily choices.
- Caring?
- Good
- People, relatives and staff said people were treated well. Inspectors saw staff respecting privacy, dignity and independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Support plans were detailed, easy to read and regularly updated. People were supported with communication, relationships, activities and complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The service had clear management systems and a culture of listening and improvement. People, relatives and staff were asked for their views.
What inspectors found, March 2020
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, with oral health guidance still being developed.
This was a planned inspection on 15 January 2020. One inspector reviewed care and medicine records, staff files, rotas and management systems. They spoke with the two people living in the home, staff, relatives and managers.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe recruitment, well-maintained premises, suitable risk assessments and medicines records that were well maintained.
People were supported to choose their meals, activities and daily routines. They had detailed support plans, communication in formats they could understand, and opportunities to build independence and stay involved in the local community.
The home had also been rated Good at the previous inspection, published on 22 September 2017. Inspectors noted that oral health guidance was not yet included in support plans, although the provider said plans would be drawn up soon.
Active lives
People were supported to follow their interests, join activities and take part in community life.
“If a resident has an interest it is actively encouraged” from the report
Staff know people well
The stable staff team understood people's preferences, needs and signs of distress.
“Staff know her well. They can recognise the signs of any upset” from the report
Personalised support
Support plans were detailed and used pictures and photographs to help people understand and take part in their care.
“They contained photographs and pictures as well as text to help each person understand the content of the files.” from the report
Choice and independence
People chose meals, helped with cooking and were encouraged to do tasks for themselves.
“People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives” from the report
Open management
The provider sought views from people, relatives and staff, and had systems for reviewing quality and learning from incidents.
“There was an ethos of learning and improving care.” from the report
Oral health records
minorSupport plans did not yet include guidance about oral health. The provider said oral health plans would be prepared soon.
“Support plans did not contain guidance on oral health, but the provider and staff told us oral health plans would be drawn up very soon.” from the report
- 01Have the oral health plans mentioned in the report now been completed and added to each person's support plan?
- 02How will you make sure a new resident's support plan reflects their communication needs and preferences?
- 03How are residents involved in choosing activities, meals and new staff?
- 04How do you maintain staffing levels when staff work across the other homes?
- 05How would you support someone with epilepsy during swimming, travel or other community activities?
This was a planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the premises and care; management systems shared across four services were also reviewed, although one of those services was not inspected at that time. This explanation was written from the published report of 7 March 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.
What inspectors found, September 2017
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care with strong staff support and oversight.
This was an unannounced inspection on 20 June 2017. One inspector looked at both people's support plans, risk assessments, medicines records, policies, staffing files and the building. They spoke with people, staff, managers, an external care consultant and an advocacy service.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines systems, suitable training and support, and good attention to people's health, rights, choices and relationships.
Care plans were detailed and regularly updated. People had one-to-one staff support during the day and were helped to take part in activities they chose. The home had systems for complaints, feedback, audits and keeping records securely.
Kind and respectful care
Staff knew people well and treated them as individuals. They respected privacy, personal choices and people's wish to have either company or quiet time.
“People were treated with dignity and respect. Privacy was maintained and staff understood when people wanted to engage with them and when they wanted quiet time to themselves.” from the report
Personalised support
Support plans included people's needs, preferences, routines, strengths, aspirations and anxiety triggers. Inspectors saw staff following these plans in practice.
“Plans were 'person centred', and included assessments of risk and of any support the individual person needed at times of increased anxiety or distress.” from the report
Good staffing and training
People had one-to-one support during the day. Staff received training for autism, epilepsy, positive behaviour support, medicines and other relevant needs.
“There were enough staff to support people. Each person at Summer Cottage had one to one staffing during the day until 10pm.” from the report
Choice and active lives
People chose activities, meals and daily routines. They took part in community activities and hobbies such as swimming, badminton, shopping, animal care and carriage riding.
“People were supported to have an active life and follow activities of their choice.” from the report
Strong oversight
Managers used audits, feedback, staff meetings and external advice to monitor and improve the service. Records and policies were kept up to date.
“People received high quality care because the provider had put in place systems to monitor, assess and improve the quality of services provided.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01Does each person still receive one-to-one staff support during the day, and what staffing is provided after 10pm?
- 02How are staff working across the linked services managed so that people have familiar and consistent support?
- 03How are health conditions, anxiety around healthcare and emergency needs currently recorded and supported?
- 04What activities and community opportunities are available now, and how are people helped to choose them?
- 05How are people and their families currently supported to raise concerns, use advocacy and give feedback?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions, but inspectors could not always ask people directly about their experiences because of their complex needs. This explanation was written from the published report of 22 September 2017 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 Summer Cottage
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- March 2020Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2017GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 25 April 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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17 live-in carers within about an hour of Devon
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £1,020 to £1,270 a week. 15 can care for a couple. 13 years' experience on average.
“She is such a warm and gentle person while being professional and competent at the same time.”
“She looked after my mum, who can be incredibly challenging, so well and so gently, and we always felt confident that my mum was getting the best care available.”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.