CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Crossings
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough suitable staff, safe recruitment, good safeguarding and risk management, and safe medicines support. They were mostly assured about the premises' layout and hygiene checks and asked for more thorough checks inside and outside.
- Effective?
- Good
- This question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used to calculate the overall rating.
- Caring?
- Good
- This question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used to calculate the overall rating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used to calculate the overall rating.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found a positive, open culture, clear management arrangements and audits to monitor care. They recommended improving the detail recorded about people's daily activities, choices and decisions.
What inspectors found, November 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind care and strong leadership, with some record-keeping and property checks needing improvement.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 16 and 17 October 2023. Inspectors observed care, spoke with four people, five relatives, six staff members and healthcare professionals, and reviewed care, medicines and management records.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe and well-led were both rated Good. Inspectors found enough suitable staff, safe medicines support, good safeguarding and risk management, and a positive management culture.
People appeared relaxed and happy. Staff knew people well and supported their communication, choices, dignity and cultural needs. Relatives and healthcare professionals gave positive feedback.
Some records did not give enough detail about people's daily activities, choices and decisions. Inspectors also asked for more thorough checks inside and outside the property. The other three areas were not inspected during this visit, so their previous ratings were used for the overall rating.
Kind and respectful care
People appeared relaxed and happy. Staff supported people's privacy, dignity, communication and individual needs.
“People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people's privacy and dignity.” from the report
Safe staffing
The earlier staffing concern had been addressed. Inspectors found enough suitable staff and safe recruitment arrangements.
“The provider ensured there were sufficient numbers of suitable staff.” from the report
Good safeguarding
Staff knew people well, understood how to protect them from abuse and knew how to report concerns.
“People and those who matter to them had safeguarding information in a form they could use, and they knew how and when to raise a safeguarding concern.” from the report
Positive leadership
The home had a clear management structure and systems for checking the quality of care and making improvements.
“The provider had a clear management structure that monitored the quality of care to drive improvements in service delivery.” from the report
Safe medicines support
Staff supported people with medicines safely and reviewed their effects on health and wellbeing.
“People were supported to receive their medicines safely.” from the report
Daily records need more detail
needs fixingSome records did not fully show people's individuality, choices and decisions during the day. Inspectors recommended support for staff to improve this recording.
“We recommend the provider ensures staff receive support to improve the recording of people's daily activities, choices and decisions.” from the report
Property checks
needs fixingInspectors were only mostly assured about the safety of the premises' layout and hygiene practices. They asked the provider to make more thorough checks inside and outside the property.
“We have asked the provider to ensure thorough checks are made both inside and outside of the property.” from the report
- 01What changes have you made to record people's daily activities, choices and decisions?
- 02How do you now carry out and record thorough checks inside and outside the property?
- 03How will staff support my relative's individual communication system and show that their choices are being followed?
- 04How do you review medicines and check that they continue to be appropriate for each person?
- 05What were the ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive at the previous comprehensive inspection?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive were carried over from the last inspection when calculating the overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 November 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, September 2017
The Crossings was rated Good; inspectors found kind, personalised care, but staffing systems still needed improvement.
Inspectors visited on 7 and 8 August 2017, after an unannounced visit the day before to check concerns about staffing. They spoke with a person living in the home, relatives and staff. They observed care and checked care plans, medicines, recruitment records and management checks.
The home was supporting three adults with learning disabilities. Inspectors found enough staff during their visits, safe medicines practice, detailed care plans and suitable risk assessments. Staff were trained and supported, and people were helped to make choices, stay healthy and take part in activities they enjoyed.
Staff were described as kind, respectful and responsive. Relatives and people were involved in care decisions, and the manager listened to feedback. All five areas were rated Good. However, the report recommended that staffing systems should be made more reliable, and noted some areas needing more thorough cleaning.
Medicines managed safely
Medicine records matched the stock held, and staff had training and competency checks before administering medicines.
“We checked the records of medicines against the stock held in the home and found these to be correct.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Staff were attentive and gentle. They asked permission, protected privacy and supported people to keep their independence.
“We observed staff to be attentive and caring towards the people living in the home.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans recorded individual needs, preferences and communication methods. Activities were reviewed when they no longer seemed enjoyable for someone.
“The care plans detailed individual needs and preferences and how staff were to support people.” from the report
Open management
People, relatives and staff could give feedback, and the home used audits and meetings to identify and follow up improvements.
“A number of quality assurance checks were undertaken to ensure the safety and quality of the service being provided.” from the report
Staffing shortages
seriousMany staff had left, causing difficulties with continuity and a high use of agency, bank and overtime staff. Inspectors found enough staff during their visits but wanted more reliable systems for covering unexpected shortages.
“We recommend the provider ensures effective systems are in place to ensure sufficient staff are provided to safeguard people's safety.” from the report
Some cleaning needed
minorThe home was generally clean and tidy, but inspectors found some areas that needed more thorough cleaning.
“We noted some areas that required more thorough cleaning and informed the registered manager.” from the report
Complaints information
minorRelatives said they did not know how to make a formal complaint, although they felt able to speak directly to the manager about concerns.
“Relatives told us they didn't know how to make a formal complaint, but this did not worry them” from the report
- 01How have you improved the systems for covering staff sickness, resignations and unexpected absences?
- 02How many permanent, agency and bank staff currently work here, and how much continuity can residents expect?
- 03What action was taken after inspectors found some areas needing more thorough cleaning?
- 04How are residents and relatives told how to make a formal complaint?
- 05How are activities reviewed when staff think someone may no longer be enjoying them?
This was an inspection of all five key questions, with an unannounced staffing check on 6 August 2017; it was the first inspection since the provider changed in 2016. This explanation was written from the published report of 2 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 The Crossings
2 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- November 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2017GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 14 October 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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