CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Old Vicarage [Blakeney]
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People said they felt safe. Inspectors found risk assessments, enough staff, safe recruitment and generally safe medicines management, although four medicine charts had not been signed.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff were supported with supervision and training, and people received support with food, drink and healthcare. Training records did not show when some staff had last completed training.
- Caring?
- Good
- People and relatives described staff as kind and caring. Inspectors saw staff respecting people's privacy, dignity and choices.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's preferences, communication needs, goals and changing needs. People were supported with activities, relationships, work and independence.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had audits, improvement plans, staff meetings and feedback systems. There was a manager in post, but they had not yet become the registered manager.
What inspectors found, December 2018
The Old Vicarage [Blakeney] was rated Good; inspectors found kind, person-centred care, with some records needing improvement.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 30 October 2018. The inspector spoke with six people, staff, the manager, relatives and a health and social care professional. They also checked care records, staff files, medicines records, complaints and quality checks.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People said they felt safe and that staff were kind. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines systems, detailed care plans, good support with food and healthcare, and activities based on people's wishes.
There were some smaller problems. Four medicine charts had gaps where staff had not signed them. People's medicine preferences were not recorded, and training records did not show when some training had last been completed. These issues were discussed with the manager.
The manager had applied to become registered, but there was no registered manager in post at the inspection. The previous inspection was also rated Good, and inspectors found no serious risks or concerns that changed the overall rating.
Personalised support
Care plans included people's likes, dislikes, communication needs and future goals. Staff supported people to become more independent.
“Care and support plans were person centred and detailed people's personal goals.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
People and relatives spoke positively about staff. Inspectors observed staff offering reassurance and protecting people's privacy.
“People using the service said staff were kind and caring and we saw that staff respected their privacy and dignity.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were supported to make choices, take part in everyday tasks and access the local community in a safe way.
“People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.” from the report
Good activities and community links
People took part in activities such as arts, music, drama, swimming, work and local clubs, according to their preferences.
“People had a wide and varied social life based on their preferences.” from the report
Medicine records
needs fixingFour medicine administration charts had gaps where staff had not signed them. The manager addressed these immediately, but families should ask how this is checked now.
“Although we saw four gaps where staff had not signed the charts, these were immediately addressed by the manager.” from the report
Medicine preferences not recorded
needs fixingThe home had not recorded how people preferred to take their medicines. The manager said this would be addressed.
“People's preferences for how they liked to take their medicines had not been recorded.” from the report
Incomplete training information
needs fixingThe training plan showed overdue training but did not record when some training had last been completed. This meant the manager could not confirm the training position for some staff.
“Because of this the manager was unable to tell us if and when staff had completed some of their training.” from the report
No registered manager at inspection
minorA manager was in post and had applied to register, but the previous registered manager had left six months earlier.
“There was no registered manager in post at the time of the inspection, although the manager had applied to register to ensure the provider met their registration requirements.” from the report
- 01How do you now make sure every medicine administration chart is signed correctly?
- 02How are each person's preferences for taking medicines recorded and kept up to date?
- 03Can you show me the current training records and confirm when all required training was last completed?
- 04Is there now a registered manager in post, and if not, what is the current management arrangement?
- 05What changes have been made since the October 2018 inspection?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions, and the overall rating remained Good. This explanation was written from the published report of 8 December 2018 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 Vicarage [Blakeney]
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 20 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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38 live-in carers within about an hour of Gloucestershire
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 £1,030 to £1,360 a week. 31 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“She was very caring, kind and patient to all his needs, she built up a wondetful rapport with him, she was dedicated and was there for him through good times as well as through the tough times”
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.