CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Bungalow
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, July 2019
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind, person-centred care, but staff training and management checks were not reliable enough.
The inspection took place on 29 May 2019 and was announced the day before. One inspector spoke with a resident, a relative, managers and a support worker. They also reviewed care records, staff records and other management records.
The home was rated Good for Safe, Caring and Responsive. People were supported by staff who knew them well, had choices and independence, joined activities, and received support with food, health care and communication.
The overall rating was Requires Improvement because some staff training was incomplete or out of date. Records about decisions made in people's best interests were also not always complete. Management checks had failed to identify these problems. This was a fall from Good at the previous inspection, published on 15 December 2016.
Warm staff relationships
Inspectors saw friendly, natural interactions. Staff knew what mattered to each person and supported them with genuine care.
“It was obvious that the people living in the home had a trusting and warm relationship with them.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were supported to make choices, take positive risks and develop everyday skills such as laundry, washing up and preparing meals.
“People were supported to take positive risks in support of their lifestyle choices and independence.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's backgrounds, preferences, communication methods and routines. People were helped to take part in activities they enjoyed.
“People's care and support needs were planned for in a personalised way.” from the report
Health and community links
People had support to attend health appointments and take part in social, educational and physical activities.
“People's health and well-being was supported by a range of health and social care professionals” from the report
Incomplete staff training
seriousSome staff training was missing or out of date, including training for safeguarding, first aid, medicines and managing physical aggression. The report says this created a risk that staff skills and knowledge were insufficient.
“Some staff had not completed training in safeguarding, first aid, medication administration, infection control or MAPA” from the report
Management checks
needs fixingThe provider's monitoring system did not identify gaps in staff training or unsigned financial risk assessments. The provider had also not fully complied with the Registering the Right Support guidance.
“The provider's electronic monitoring system failed to enable managers to be able to identify and address the gaps in the training of some staff members.” from the report
Damp and mould
needs fixingInspectors noticed a strong smell of damp and mould when they entered. Investigations were under way, and the manager was asked to resolve the issue without delay.
“On entry to the home, there was a strong smell of damp and mould.” from the report
Criminal record checks
needs fixingSome staff criminal conviction checks had not been renewed for over three years. Inspectors said this meant the information might be out of date.
“A criminal conviction check of some staff had not been renewed for over three years.” from the report
- 01What training has every staff member now completed, particularly in medicines, safeguarding, first aid and MAPA?
- 02How do you check that staff training stays up to date and that new gaps are found quickly?
- 03How do you record a person's involvement, and the involvement of family or professionals, when a best-interest decision is made?
- 04What action was taken about the damp and mould found at the entrance?
- 05What has changed to address the home's campus setting and signs, in light of the Registering the Right Support guidance?
This was a planned inspection that looked at the premises, care and the service's overall quality across all five CQC questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 13 July 2019 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 2016
The Bungalow was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care with well-kept records.
This was an announced comprehensive inspection in September 2016. Inspectors observed care, spoke with people and staff, checked care files, medicines, training and recruitment records, and looked at how the home was managed.
The inspectors found that all five areas were Good: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. People appeared happy and comfortable. Staff supported people with patience, respected their choices, and helped them keep in touch with family and friends.
Medicines were stored and given safely. Staffing levels were suitable, staff training was up to date, and care plans and risk assessments reflected people's needs. The Good rating means the service met the relevant standards at the time of this inspection.
Kind and respectful support
Inspectors saw friendly, patient and respectful relationships between staff and the people living in the home.
“We saw that staff interacted and supported people with care and patience.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans included people's backgrounds, needs, interests and choices. People and their families were involved in creating and reviewing them.
“The care files that we saw were clear, understandable and person centred.” from the report
Accessible information
Easy-read care information, notices and complaints material helped people understand information and how to raise concerns.
“Many of the documents in the care plans and the posters on the notice boards were in 'easy read' format.” from the report
Family involvement
The home supported people to maintain relationships with friends and family and included relatives in care decisions.
“We saw that the relationships which people had with friends and family were well maintained.” from the report
Good record keeping
Inspectors found that records about people, staff, safety and the running of the home were properly completed and stored.
“We saw that all the documentation relating to the people living at The Bungalow, the staff, the environment, health and safety and other records relating to the running of the home had been completed properly and in a timely manner.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are people's autism-related communication needs and personal routines recorded and kept up to date?
- 02How are families involved in care plan reviews and decisions about support?
- 03What activities are currently available, and how are they matched to each person's interests?
- 04How do you monitor people's weight and appetite when they are very active or have difficulty eating enough?
- 05How do you make sure staffing levels remain suitable when people attend day services or go out?
This was an announced comprehensive inspection covering the overall quality of the home and all five CQC questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 15 December 2016 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 The Bungalow
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has slipped, from Good to Requires improvement.
- July 2019Requires improvementcurrent ratingdown from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- December 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 24 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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40 live-in carers within about an hour of Wirral
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 £980 to £1,230 a week. 37 can care for a couple. 8 years' experience on average.
“It was clear that she genuinely cared and her warm approach really helped put our minds at ease.”
“He developed a close affinity with Terence, spending time talking with him before he retired to bed and looking after his needs during the night.”
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.