CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Firs Residential Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that infection risks were being managed through visitor controls, social distancing, safe admissions, PPE, testing, cleaning and an up-to-date policy.
- Effective?
- Good
- Does the care work? Training, consent, food and drink, working with GPs and nurses.
- Caring?
- Good
- Are people treated with kindness and dignity?
- Responsive?
- Good
- Is care built around the person? Care plans, activities, complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Is the home run well? The manager, the culture, how problems get found and fixed.
What inspectors found, March 2021
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control arrangements during a targeted visit to The Firs Residential Home.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 17 February 2021. It looked at infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic, rather than carrying out a full service inspection.
Inspectors were assured that the home was managing visitors, social distancing, admissions, personal protective equipment, testing, cleaning and possible outbreaks. They also found that the infection prevention and control policy was up to date.
The service was inspected but not rated. This report therefore gives no overall rating and does not rate the other areas of care.
Safer family visits
A visiting pod allowed relatives to visit from outside the home, reducing the risk of infection entering the building.
“A visiting pod was used for relatives to visit their family members.” from the report
Testing and PPE
The home had plentiful PPE and adequate COVID-19 test kits. Staff were tested three times a week and residents every 28 days.
“Staff were tested three times a week and people every 28 days.” from the report
Cleaning and layout
The layout supported distancing and self-isolation. Touch points were cleaned frequently during the day.
“Staff frequently maintained touch point (for example, grab rails and door handles) cleaning throughout the day” from the report
Current infection policy
Staff had infection prevention and control training, and inspectors found the policy was current and regularly reviewed.
“Staff had received Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) training and the provider's IPC policy was current and regularly reviewed.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are visits currently arranged, and is the visiting pod still being used?
- 02How often are staff and residents tested now, and what happens after a positive result?
- 03How do you manage communal areas for people who find social distancing difficult?
- 04How much PPE is currently available, and when is it used?
- 05When was the infection prevention and control policy last reviewed?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control measures only; the service was inspected but not rated and the other care areas were not assessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 5 March 2021 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, January 2019
The Firs Residential Home was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with no breaches reported.
This was an unannounced inspection on 13 December 2018. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, relatives, staff and visiting professionals. They observed care and checked care records, medicines, staff training and quality audits.
The inspectors found that people were safe, treated kindly and supported to make choices. Care plans were personalised and reviewed each month. There were enough trained staff, medicines were given as prescribed, and people had access to food, activities and healthcare.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was the same overall rating as the previous inspection, published on 13 July 2016.
Kind and respectful care
People said they were cared for kindly. Inspectors saw staff speaking calmly, reassuring people and taking time to ask how they were feeling.
“We observed positive interactions between people and staff.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans reflected individual needs and wishes. People were offered choices, and activities were adapted to personal interests.
“People's care plans were individualised and the consensus from people was that staff knew people very well.” from the report
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough staff to respond to people promptly. Medicine records were completed as required and staff competence was checked.
“We observed staff responding to people in a timely way so people did not have to wait for support.” from the report
Good management oversight
The management team was described as approachable and used regular audits to identify and address problems.
“Monthly audits were completed and where errors or shortfalls were identified, actions were taken to address the issue” from the report
Activities and choice
People had access to meaningful activities, including activities arranged around individual interests. The home evaluated activities to help improve its programme.
“People had access to meaningful activities that were personalised to meet individual needs and wishes.” from the report
Family meeting times
minorThe manager said it was difficult to find a time when all relatives could attend meetings. The home was considering how to improve family involvement.
“The registered manager acknowledged that it was difficult to find a mutually convenient time for everyone to participate” from the report
- 01How will you involve relatives who cannot attend meetings at the same time as other families?
- 02How do you support people with dementia to communicate their choices and move around the home safely?
- 03How are care plans and risk assessments reviewed when a person's needs change?
- 04What activities would be available for my relative based on their interests and abilities?
- 05How would you support my relative with end of life wishes if their needs changed?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, with additional detailed attention to oral health support as part of a national review. This explanation was written from the published report of 25 January 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.
Every inspection of The Firs Residential Home
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- March 2021Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- January 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 June 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 Staffordshire
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. 85 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“We particularly appreciate the companionship Dawn gives in the evenings when she plays cards and Scrabble with my mother.”
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