CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Drive
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, November 2017
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some concerns about activities and communication.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 24 October 2017. Inspectors observed care, spoke with people, relatives, staff and a healthcare professional, and checked care records, medicines records, recruitment files, training records, audits and policies.
The home supported 11 people with learning and physical disabilities and could accommodate up to 12 people. Inspectors found that medicines were managed safely, staffing levels met people's needs, risks were assessed, and staff understood safeguarding procedures.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This means the inspectors found the service met the requirements they checked and provided a good standard of care at that inspection.
Safe medicines
Inspectors found that medicines were securely stored and given and recorded correctly. This was an improvement from the medicines problem found at the previous comprehensive inspection.
“Medicines were stored securely, and administered and recorded appropriately.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
People and relatives described staff as kind and considerate. Inspectors also observed calm, friendly and respectful interactions.
“People and relatives told us staff treated them with kindness and consideration.” from the report
Personalised support
Support plans covered people's individual needs, preferences and risks. People and relatives were involved in planning care.
“People had been involved in developing their support plans which reflected their individual needs and preferences.” from the report
Activities and relationships
People were supported to keep in touch with important people and to take part in activities such as college, shopping, swimming and social events.
“People were supported to maintain the relationships that were important to them, and to take part in a range of activities.” from the report
Activities may not suit everyone
minorMost people were happy with activities, but one person said there was not always enough to do and that activities within the home were limited. The manager said they would discuss other options with that person.
“one person told us they felt the activities available within the service were limited and that they didn't always feel they had enough to do.” from the report
Communication with relatives
minorOne relative raised concerns about communication in the annual survey. The manager said action had been taken, but inspectors could not confirm this with that relative.
“one relative had raised some issues regarding communication.” from the report
Meal preferences
minorOne person said their food preferences were never catered for. Inspectors found that their preferences had been included on the menu for the current week.
“one person told us they felt their preferences were never catered for.” from the report
- 01How do you make sure activities are varied and reflect each person's interests, including people who feel there is not enough to do?
- 02How do you record and follow up communication concerns raised by relatives?
- 03How are each person's food preferences recorded and checked in the weekly menu?
- 04How do you review mental capacity assessments and best interests decisions when people's circumstances change?
- 05How do your audits identify and correct problems in medicines, care plans and safety checks?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering the overall quality of the home and all five CQC questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 November 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.
What inspectors found, March 2017
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found medicines were now managed safely, but the safe rating had not yet improved.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 27 February 2017. Inspectors checked whether improvements had been made after a September 2016 inspection found medicines were not managed safely.
Inspectors looked at medicines records for six people and spoke with the provider, the home manager and two staff members. They found trained staff administered medicines safely, records were accurate and medicines were stored securely.
The earlier legal breach about medicines was addressed. However, the overall rating and the safe rating remained Requires Improvement because the CQC needs to see consistent good practice over time.
Safer medicines practice
Only trained staff administered medicines, and they had completed competency assessments. Inspectors observed medicines being given safely and without rushing.
“Medicines were administered safely. The manager told us and records confirmed that only trained staff administered medicines to people using the service.” from the report
Accurate medicines records
Inspectors checked records and medicine balances for six people. They found the records were up to date and showed people were receiving medicines as prescribed.
“We checked the balances of medicines stored in the medicines trolley for six people against the MAR and found these records were up to date and accurate.” from the report
Improvement after the earlier inspection
The provider had put new processes in place for temperature checks, reporting errors and auditing medicines. The earlier legal breach was addressed.
“We found that the provider had addressed the breach of Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities Regulations 2014).” from the report
Rating not yet improved
minorAlthough inspectors found medicines were managed safely during this visit, the safe rating stayed at Requires Improvement. The CQC wanted to see consistent good practice over time.
“We could not improve the rating for 'safe' from requires improvement because to do so requires consistent good practice over time.” from the report
- 01How do you check and record medicine storage temperatures each day?
- 02What happens if a medicine error or a temperature problem is found?
- 03How often are medicines counted and audited, and who checks the results?
- 04How do you make sure staff remain competent to administer medicines?
- 05When will the next comprehensive inspection check whether the safe rating can improve?
This was a focused inspection of Safe, limited to medicines management; the other four questions were not inspected in this report. This explanation was written from the published report of 21 March 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 Drive
4 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- November 2017Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2017Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvement
- November 2016Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- November 2015Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- August 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 21 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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At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Bexley
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 £1,250 a week. 85 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
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