CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Swindon Family Breaks Service
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from avoidable harm, with updated risk assessments, emergency plans and safety checks. Inspectors found improvements in safeguarding, medicines and infection control, although they identified a shortfall in recruitment checks.
- Effective?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was carried forward to calculate the overall rating.
- Caring?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was carried forward to calculate the overall rating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was carried forward to calculate the overall rating.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The registered manager had clear oversight of the service, and audits and feedback were used to support improvement. Staff meetings, supervision and partnership working were taking place.
What inspectors found, February 2023
Swindon Family Breaks Service is rated Good; inspectors found safe, well-led care, with a recruitment checking shortfall addressed during the inspection.
This was an announced focused inspection. Inspectors visited on 2 February 2023, spoke with people, relatives and staff, and checked care records, policies and quality records.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Well-led. People were supported in a clean, safe environment. Staff understood people's communication needs, medicines were managed in line with individual preferences, and safeguarding arrangements had improved.
Inspectors found that management oversight and quality checks had strengthened. The home had also improved after its previous Requires Improvement rating and was no longer in breach of Regulation 12.
The inspection only looked at Safe and Well-led. The overall Good rating used the existing ratings for the other areas because they were not inspected this time.
Improved safety systems
Risk assessments, fire plans, health and safety checks and safeguarding procedures had been strengthened since the previous inspection.
“Enough improvement had been made at this inspection and the provider was no longer in breach of regulation 12.” from the report
Safe environment
The home was clean, well maintained and suited to people's sensory and physical needs. Refurbishment work did not affect safe running.
“People's care and support was provided in a safe, clean and well-maintained environment which met their sensory and physical needs.” from the report
Medicines handled safely
The home had improved its process for checking medicines before respite stays. Staff had training and regular competency checks.
“People were supported to take their medicines in accordance with their individual needs and preferences.” from the report
Good management oversight
Quality checks had been strengthened. The registered manager used feedback, audits and staff discussions to identify improvements.
“The systems had now been strengthened and we saw the registered manager had a clear oversight of the service and how to sustain and develop ongoing improvement.” from the report
Activities and communication
People took part in activities such as swimming, cycling and tennis. Staff supported people with individual communication needs.
“People who had individual ways of communicating were able to interact comfortably with staff and others involved in their care and support.” from the report
Recruitment checks
needs fixingInspectors found that recruitment records and references were not being scrutinised as fully as they should be. The provider responded during and after the inspection by improving auditing and oversight.
“During our inspection we identified a shortfall within the recruitment process which limited the providers oversight and opportunity for staff recruitment histories and references to be adequately scrutinised.” from the report
Wider activity choices
minorThe registered manager recognised that the range of activities and community links could be widened, especially for people using respite care.
“we have now increased in house activities with our sensory room and magic tables… and next we want to maximise community links.” from the report
- 01What recruitment checks and reference checks have been completed since the shortfall identified by inspectors?
- 02How will you assess and meet my relative's individual communication needs during a respite stay?
- 03What medicines information must we provide before the stay, and how will you check it with us?
- 04Which activities and community links are currently available, and how will you widen the choice?
- 05How will you review my relative's risk assessment and care plan when their needs change?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the other ratings were carried forward from the previous inspection to calculate the overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 21 February 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, August 2022
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found caring support and enough staff, but safety checks, care records and management systems were not reliable.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 7 and 15 July 2022. Three inspectors and an expert by experience spoke with people, relatives, staff and the registered manager. They reviewed care records, medicines records, staff recruitment files and management records.
The home was rated Requires Improvement for Safe and Well-led. Some care records were out of date or inconsistent, including records about epilepsy monitoring. Required fire drills and other safety checks had not always been completed. The system for escalating safeguarding concerns was also not clear for all staff.
There were positive findings. People were treated with dignity, had enough staff to support them, and were helped to communicate, take part in activities and make choices. Medicines and infection prevention were managed safely.
The previous overall rating was Good, published in March 2018. The overall rating changed to Requires Improvement because of this inspection's findings. The inspection covered Safe and Well-led only, so the other ratings were carried over from the previous inspection.
Enough skilled staff
Inspectors found enough staff with the right skills to meet people's needs and keep them safe. Staff included agency workers who were already familiar to people.
“The numbers and skills of staff matched the needs of people using the service.” from the report
Respect and independence
People were treated with dignity and privacy. Staff supported people to make choices, be as independent as possible and take part in activities and local community life.
“People were treated with dignity; their privacy was respected and they were supported to be as independent in their care as possible.” from the report
Infection prevention
The home had effective infection prevention measures. Inspectors found that staff used protective equipment safely and that the premises were kept clean and hygienic.
“The service used effective infection, prevention and control measures to keep people safe, and staff supported people to follow them.” from the report
Out-of-date and conflicting care records
seriousSome care plans and risk assessments did not reflect people's current needs or agreed monitoring. Inspectors found records showing checks every 30 minutes when staff said checks should happen every 15 minutes, creating a risk that a seizure could be missed.
“This posed a risk that a potential seizure could be missed and not recorded by staff.” from the report
Fire safety checks
seriousThe required fire drills had not taken place regularly. This meant the home could not be sure that people and staff could be evacuated safely in a fire.
“This placed people at risk as the provider could not ensure people and staff would be evacuated safely in case of fire.” from the report
Safeguarding escalation
needs fixingThere was no effective system to tell new or agency staff how to escalate safeguarding concerns. Inspectors recommended that the provider introduce clearer internal and external escalation procedures.
“The provider had no effective system in place that could provide staff with information about their responsibilities and where to escalate their safeguarding concerns.” from the report
Weak quality monitoring
needs fixingThe home's governance and audit systems had not identified or corrected the problems found during the inspection. Some staff had also not read and understood care plans and risk assessments before providing support.
“The quality assurance systems and processes in place had failed to identify and correct the issues we found at the inspection.” from the report
- 01Have all people's care plans and risk assessments been reviewed and brought up to date, especially where epilepsy monitoring is involved?
- 02How are staff now checked to make sure they have read and understood each person's care plan before providing support?
- 03Have fire drills and all required environmental and health and safety checks been completed at the planned frequency?
- 04How are new and agency staff told how to report and escalate safeguarding concerns?
- 05What evidence can you show that the action plan requested by CQC has been completed and is being checked by management?
This was an unannounced focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the other ratings were carried over from the previous inspection published in 2018. This explanation was written from the published report of 31 August 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.
Every inspection of Swindon Family Breaks Service
4 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- February 2023Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Swindon Family Breaks Service →
- August 2022Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
Read what inspectors found at Swindon Family Breaks Service →
- March 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- March 2018Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2017Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- June 2015
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 23 June 2015.
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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44 live-in carers within about an hour of Swindon
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 £990 to £1,280 a week. 34 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“Linet became her carer and all changed, my daughter started eating, taking her medications and more important her happiness came back.”
“She was very caring, kind and patient to all his needs, she built up a wondetful rapport with him, she was dedicated and was there for him through good times as well as through the tough times”
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.