CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Sundridge Court Nursing Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found safe safeguarding, recruitment, risk assessment, medicines and infection control systems. There were mixed views about staffing levels, especially at weekends, but the home said staffing had been adjusted after the inspection.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had relevant training and people received support with nutrition, healthcare and changing needs. Inspectors noted that the home lacked a dementia-friendly aesthetic and that the lift was very small.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Care plans included people's choices, and people and relatives were involved in decisions about care.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was personalised and people could choose activities, social contact and how they communicated. Complaints were recorded, investigated and discussed so lessons could be learned.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had an open culture, regular meetings and checks on care quality. This rating improved from Requires improvement at the previous inspection.
What inspectors found, August 2023
Sundridge Court Nursing Home is rated Good; inspectors found kind, personalised care, but noted staffing pressures and some building improvements still needed.
Inspectors visited without notice on 5 July 2023. They spoke with people, relatives and staff, observed care, and reviewed care plans, medicine records, recruitment, training, accidents, complaints and management checks. They looked at both the building and the care provided.
The home supported 27 people at the time, with capacity for 30. Inspectors found people were treated kindly, involved in decisions and supported with their health, food, medicines, communication and activities. The home was clean, and infection control arrangements were in place.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The overall rating was Good. The overall rating was also Good at the previous inspection in December 2018, while the Well-led rating improved from Requires improvement to Good.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors observed compassionate care that protected people's privacy and dignity. People were treated as individuals.
“People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people's privacy and dignity, and they understood and responded to their individual needs.” from the report
Choice and involvement
People were supported to make choices about their care, medicines, meals and daily life. Relatives and healthcare professionals also contributed to care planning.
“People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests” from the report
Training and healthcare
Staff received induction, supervision and refresher training. The home worked with healthcare professionals and other services to meet people's needs.
“Staff had the training and experience to provide safe and effective care for people.” from the report
Activities and relationships
People could join activities and maintain relationships with relatives, friends and the wider community. Activities included gardening, arts and crafts, fitness and a music project with a local school.
“People were supported to avoid isolation and take part in activities they enjoyed.” from the report
Staffing pressures
needs fixingSome people and a care worker said staffing was sometimes insufficient, particularly at weekends. The home later told inspectors that staffing levels had been adjusted.
“There used to be 6 carers, now there are 5 and it is challenging.” from the report
Dementia-friendly design
minorInspectors found the home did not have enough dementia-friendly features. The home said it would add brighter signs and pictures and seek feedback.
“We noted that there was a lack of dementia friendly aesthetic in the home.” from the report
Small lift
minorThe lift was very small. Staff knew how to move people safely without using it, and managers planned to discuss possible changes during refurbishment.
“We noted that the lift in the building was very small.” from the report
- 01What staffing levels are now in place, particularly at weekends, and how do you check they are enough for people's needs?
- 02What changes have been made to provide a more dementia-friendly environment, including brighter signs and pictures?
- 03What is the current plan for the small lift and the planned refurbishment?
- 04How are each person's communication needs recorded and supported, including use of electronic tablets where needed?
- 05How are people and relatives involved in reviewing care plans, risk assessments and choices about daily life?
This was an unannounced inspection covering the building and care, with all five CQC key questions rated Good. This explanation was written from the published report of 17 August 2023 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, March 2021
Inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured that infection control and COVID-19 safety measures were in place.
The inspection took place on 12 February 2021 and was announced. It was a targeted inspection during the coronavirus pandemic, focused on infection prevention and control.
Inspectors found suitable personal protective equipment, visitor screening, safe admission procedures and regular COVID-19 testing. Staff had infection prevention and control training and understood how to use it.
Inspectors were assured that the home followed shielding, social distancing and hygiene measures. They were also assured that the home had arrangements to prevent and manage infection outbreaks.
The service was inspected but not rated. This means the report does not give a full overall rating or ratings for the other areas of care.
Protective equipment
The home had suitable PPE available, and staff followed national guidance when using it.
“The provider maintained a stock of suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff to use whilst working at the home.” from the report
Visitor safety
Visitors were screened for COVID-19, given suitable PPE and expected to follow infection control procedures.
“These included screening visitors for COVID-19, providing them with appropriate PPE, and following safe infection control practices.” from the report
Testing and outbreak planning
People and staff were regularly tested. The registered manager understood what action to take if there was a possible outbreak.
“People and staff were regularly tested for COVID-19. The registered manager understood the action to take to effectively manage a potential COVID-19 outbreak.” from the report
Up-to-date policies
The home's infection prevention and control policies reflected current national guidance.
“The provider had infection prevention and control policies in place which reflected current national guidelines.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What are the current arrangements for PPE, visitor screening and infection control?
- 02How often are people living in the home and staff tested for infections?
- 03What would happen if there were an infection outbreak in the home?
- 04How does the home manage admissions and visits when infection risks are present?
- 05Can you provide information about the areas that were not covered by this targeted inspection, including care quality, staffing and medicines?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic; the service was inspected but not rated, and the other care areas were not assessed in this report. This explanation was written from the published report of 19 March 2021 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 Sundridge Court Nursing Home
3 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- August 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Sundridge Court Nursing Home →
- March 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at Sundridge Court Nursing Home →
- December 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- May 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2013
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 2 September 2013.
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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