CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at The Old Downs Care Centre
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, September 2017
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with improvements since the previous medicines and nutrition concerns.
This was an unannounced inspection on 8 August 2017. Inspectors spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff and health professionals. They observed care, checked records and looked around the home and its outside areas.
The home supported up to 41 people living with dementia, with 35 people living there at the time. Inspectors found enough trained staff, safe medicines procedures, suitable risk assessments and good support with food, drink and health needs.
People were treated with kindness and respect. Their choices, independence, personal routines and activities were supported. Care plans were reviewed and updated when needs changed, and people and relatives were involved.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. A previous breach about medicines and nutrition records had been met by this inspection.
Safer medicines and nutrition checks
The home had corrected the medicines and nutrition record problems found at the previous inspection. Records checked during this visit were complete and medicines were safely managed.
“Medicines were stored and administered safely. Clear and accurate medicines records were maintained.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff offering reassurance, explaining what they were doing and respecting people's dignity, privacy and choices.
“Staff were seen to be kind and caring throughout our visit.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's life histories, likes, dislikes and preferences. Staff supported different routines, diets, activities and levels of independence.
“Care plans were developed and maintained about every aspect of people's care and were centred on individual needs and requirements.” from the report
Good oversight
The manager and operations manager used regular audits to identify improvements. Action plans recorded what needed to be done and when it had been completed.
“There were effective systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided.” from the report
Activities and choice
People could take part in varied activities, including gardening, music, dancing, reminiscence and one-to-one sessions. Staff respected people who preferred not to join in.
“Activities were person-centred. People were able to express their wishes, choices and interests.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are medicines, including any covert medicines, currently assessed, recorded and audited?
- 02How do you monitor people's weight, nutrition and risk of malnutrition now?
- 03What staffing levels are in place at busy times such as lunch, and how do you cover staff sickness?
- 04How are care plans reviewed with residents and relatives when needs or medicines change?
- 05What activities and one-to-one support are available for someone who does not enjoy group activities?
This was an unannounced inspection that assessed all five CQC questions and gave an overall rating; it also checked whether the previous breach about medicines and nutrition records had been resolved. This explanation was written from the published report of 16 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 Old Downs Care Centre
2 rated inspections over a year: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- September 2017Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2016Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- March 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 18 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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39 live-in carers within about an hour of Kent
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 £1,260 a week. 33 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“Always on time and with a lovely smile for my mum. Theresa is kind and sensitive to my mum's needs.”
“Irene was a very kind and empathetic carer who knew just the right words to say to put a smile on my face.”
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.