CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at 33 Abbotswood
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
What inspectors found, February 2020
The Four Seasons Trust Limited - 33 Abbotswood is rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind, effective care but outdated records and weaknesses in oversight.
Inspectors visited on 13 December 2019. They spoke with all three people living there, five staff members, relatives and professionals. They also checked care records, medicines, staff files, accidents, complaints and management checks.
The home was caring and effective. People were treated kindly, involved in decisions and supported to be independent, active and healthy. Staff understood people's needs and there were enough staff to provide support.
However, some care plans and risk assessments were out of date or inaccurate. One Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards authorisation had expired without being renewed. Medicines were stored where temperature and humidity could affect them, although no evidence was found that people had been harmed.
The overall rating Requires Improvement means the home was not consistently meeting the expected standard. The ratings for Safe, Responsive and Well-led fell from Good at the previous inspection. Effective and Caring remained Good.
Kind and respectful care
People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff knew people well and supported their dignity, choices and independence.
“People and their relatives spoke highly of the care and support.” from the report
Good support with health
Staff helped people attend health appointments and followed advice from health professionals. People were supported to live healthy and active lives.
“People were supported to lead healthy active lives and access healthcare when needed.” from the report
Skilled staff and staffing levels
Staff had relevant training and understood how to support people safely. Inspectors found enough staff to meet personal and social needs.
“There were enough staff to support people with their personal and social needs and protect them from risks.” from the report
Outdated care plans and risk information
seriousSome care plans and risk assessments did not reflect people's current needs or risks. This could mislead new or agency staff about how to provide safe support.
“This meant staff did not have accurate information about how to support people with specific needs.” from the report
Medicine storage
seriousMedicines were kept in a kitchen cupboard where temperatures could rise above recommended levels. The thermometer did not record the highest temperature reached.
“This put people at risk of receiving medicines which could be less effective.” from the report
Expired legal authorisation
seriousOne person's Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards authorisation expired in June 2019 and had not been renewed by the inspection.
“The service was not fully acting within the principles of the MCA.” from the report
Activities did not always match choices
needs fixingA relative said the weekly activity planner did not always reflect what had happened. They felt people were not always supported to do activities they chose.
“People were still not being fully supported to do activities of their choice.” from the report
Checks did not find all problems
needs fixingManagement audits were in place but did not identify all the outdated records or expired authorisation. Trustees also lacked professional care expertise to advise the manager.
“However, checks had not always identified some issues, for example care plan audits had not identified that some information in care records was out of date.” from the report
- 01Have all care plans and risk assessments now been updated, including information about epilepsy and other long-term conditions?
- 02Where are medicines stored now, and how is the temperature checked and recorded?
- 03How do you ensure Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards applications are renewed before they expire?
- 04How do you check that planned activities match each person's choices and what they actually do?
- 05What professional care advice is now available to the manager, and how are audits checked for accuracy?
This was a planned inspection of the whole care home, covering all five CQC questions and the accommodation as well as the care provided. This explanation was written from the published report of 14 February 2020 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, June 2017
The Four Seasons Trust Limited - 33 Abbotswood was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with improvements since the previous inspection.
Inspectors visited on 20 April 2017. The visit was announced. They observed care, medicines and lunchtime support, spoke with people, staff and the provider, and reviewed care records, recruitment, training and management checks.
All five areas were rated Good: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. People were supported by staff who knew them well, respected their choices and helped them build independence. Medicines, risks, staffing, nutrition and access to healthcare were managed appropriately.
The previous inspection found concerns about water temperature checks and quality assurance. The provider had made improvements, including daily water checks and quarterly audits. The report also noted that the registered manager had recently left and the replacement manager was unwell on the inspection day.
Improved safety checks
The provider had acted on the previous concern about water temperatures. Daily checks were taking place and staff knew how to manage the risk.
“During this inspection we found that the provider had implemented daily checks of water temperature on all taps and facilities.” from the report
Safe medicines support
Staff had medicines training and competency checks. Records showed prescribed medicines were signed as given, and people were supported to become more independent.
“People received their medicines in a safe way while increase their independence.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw staff taking time to listen, communicate calmly and support people's dignity, privacy and choices.
“People were treated with dignity and respect. One person said, "There is no bad thing about living here. It's nice.” from the report
Personalised activities
Activities reflected people's interests and preferences. People were also supported with everyday tasks and goals that encouraged independence.
“People were supported with a wide range of stimulating activities that met their interests and preferences.” from the report
Staff knew people well
Staff understood people's communication needs, personal histories, interests and health guidance. They used this knowledge when providing support.
“People's choices and preferences were documented and staff were able to tell us about them without referring to the care plans.” from the report
Feedback was not clearly driving improvement
minorThe provider collected positive feedback from people and relatives, but inspectors said it was hard to judge whether this feedback had been used to improve the service.
“All feedback from audits and questionnaires was positive so it was hard to judge if this had been used to improve the service provided to people.” from the report
- 01Who is currently managing the home, following the recent departure of the registered manager?
- 02What is the current position of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards applications mentioned in the report?
- 03How are water temperature checks recorded and reviewed now?
- 04How are feedback from people and relatives and the quarterly audits used to make improvements?
- 05How will staff support a person's goal of becoming more independent with medicines?
This was an announced planned inspection covering all five CQC questions and the overall quality of the service. This explanation was written from the published report of 17 June 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 33 Abbotswood
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has held its Requires improvement rating throughout.
- February 2020Requires improvementcurrent ratingdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- June 2017Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2016Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- January 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 10 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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