CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Sunningdale House Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, November 2018
Rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe and well-managed care, with a hot-water scalding risk and some care-record gaps addressed or being reviewed.
This was a comprehensive inspection on 8 and 10 October 2018. The first day was unannounced and the second was announced. Inspectors spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff and health professionals. They also checked care plans, medicines records, staff files, complaints, incidents and building safety records.
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 good links with health professionals. People were treated kindly, supported to make choices and offered activities suited to their interests.
There were some issues. Hot water from some basins was over 50 degrees centigrade and could have caused scalds, but the provider acted immediately and confirmed the work was completed on 26 October 2018. One person's epilepsy was recorded without a matching care plan, and some staff needed updates about safeguarding contacts or training.
Kind and respectful care
People and relatives consistently described staff as kind, gentle and respectful. Inspectors saw staff respond promptly and support privacy and dignity.
“Staff were friendly and polite in their interactions, and they responded promptly to people's needs.” from the report
Staffing and medicines
There were enough staff to respond to people in a timely way. Medicines were securely stored, monitored and administered by trained staff.
“There continued to be sufficient staff on duty to ensure people were safe and their needs were met in a timely way.” from the report
Activities and personal choice
Activities were varied and adapted to people's abilities and interests. People could choose whether to join in or spend time quietly.
“People had opportunities to take part in activities which they enjoyed and which met their abilities and interests.” from the report
Health support
The home worked with GPs, nurses and other professionals. Staff recognised changing health needs and followed professional advice.
“Feedback from health professionals confirmed they were informed of people's changing needs and staff acted on any recommendations made.” from the report
Management and improvement
The management team used audits, meetings and questionnaires to monitor the service and involve people in decisions about the home.
“Arrangements were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service.” from the report
Hot water risk
seriousWater from some hand basins was over 50 degrees centigrade, creating a risk of scalding. The provider acted during the inspection and later confirmed the work had been completed.
“water from hand basins was excessively hot, reaching over 50 degrees centigrade in some, which posed a risk of scalding.” from the report
Missing epilepsy care plan
needs fixingOne person's medical history recorded epilepsy, but there was no matching care plan. The manager said this would be discussed with the GP and reviewed.
“However, there was no corresponding care plan in place.” from the report
Safeguarding contact knowledge
minorTwo staff did not know about the local authority safeguarding team. The manager said they would speak with the trainer so staff understood external reporting routes.
“Two staff were not aware of the local authority safeguarding team but said if concerns were not acted on they would contact the Care Quality Commission (CQC).” from the report
- 01Can you show us that the hot-water temperatures have been checked since the work was completed on 26 October 2018?
- 02What care plan is now in place for anyone with epilepsy or a similar medical history?
- 03Have all staff been told how to contact the local authority safeguarding team?
- 04Which staff were due training updates, and have those updates now been completed?
- 05How do you check that activities continue to match each person's interests and abilities?
This was a comprehensive inspection covering all five rating areas, and the ratings remained Good from the previous inspection in March 2016. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 November 2018 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 Sunningdale House Care Home
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- November 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 19 January 2011.
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.