CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at The Polegate Care Home
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found safe recruitment, safeguarding, medicines and infection control arrangements. People had risk assessments and told inspectors they felt safe.
- Effective?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was carried forward when calculating the overall rating.
- Caring?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was carried forward when calculating the overall rating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was carried forward when calculating the overall rating.
- Well-led?
- Requires improvement
- Staffing changes, gaps in staff knowledge and incomplete daily records meant care was not consistently well organised or documented. The provider was asked to improve its governance and records.
What inspectors found, January 2023
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found people were safe, but staffing, care records and management needed improvement.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 13 December 2022. Inspectors looked at Safe and Well-led because of concerns about staffing, person-centred care and documentation. They spoke with people, visitors and staff, observed care, and checked care records, medicines, recruitment files and management records.
The home was rated Good for Safe. Inspectors found suitable safeguarding, recruitment, medicines and infection control arrangements. People had risk assessments, and staff understood how to report abuse. However, there were many vacancies and a high use of agency staff, which affected consistency and people's experience.
The home was rated Requires Improvement for Well-led. Daily records did not always show that personal care, mouthcare, repositioning and checks had been completed. New staff could not always read care plans or work with experienced staff. The home had no registered manager at the inspection, although a new manager was due to start in January 2023. The overall rating changed from Good to Requires Improvement because of these findings.
People felt safe
People told inspectors they felt safe. Safeguarding procedures were in place and staff understood how to report concerns.
“People told us that they felt safe living at The Polegate Care Home.” from the report
Safe medicines practice
Inspectors saw medicines being given in line with prescriptions. Staff had medicine training and competency checks.
“There were safe medicine practices and people told us they received their medicines at the right time.” from the report
Infection control
The home was clean and tidy, and inspectors were assured that infection risks and possible outbreaks were being managed.
“We were assured that the provider was responding effectively to risks and signs of infection.” from the report
Positive interactions
Staff were seen engaging positively with people, offering choices and respecting religious beliefs.
“Staff were observed engaging with people in a positive manner.” from the report
Incomplete care records
seriousRecords did not consistently show that mouthcare, personal hygiene, repositioning, food and fluid monitoring, and regular checks had been completed. This was a breach of Regulation 17.
“The provider had not ensured accurate, complete and contemporaneous records in respect of each service user, including a record of the care and treatment provided had been maintained.” from the report
High staff turnover
needs fixingThere were vacancies, sickness and a high use of agency staff. People and relatives said this reduced consistency and meant staff did not always know people's needs.
“There is no consistency, it's tiring having to keep telling staff what you need because they don't know you.” from the report
New staff support
needs fixingNew staff had not always been able to read care plans and were not always working with experienced staff. Inspectors saw staff unsure about people's needs and where equipment was kept.
“New staff working at the home had not been able to read people's care plans.” from the report
No registered manager
needs fixingThere was no registered manager at the time of inspection. A new manager was due to start in January 2023, while an interim turnaround manager was running the home.
“The service did not currently have a registered manager; however, a new manager was due to start at the home in January 2023.” from the report
- 01How have you reduced your use of agency staff and improved consistency since the inspection?
- 02How do new staff now access care plans and learn about each person's needs before providing care?
- 03What checks now ensure that mouthcare, repositioning, personal hygiene and regular observations are recorded at the time they happen?
- 04Did the new manager start in January 2023, and who is currently responsible for running the home?
- 05What action has been completed in response to the Regulation 17 breach, and how is this being checked?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the other key-question ratings were carried forward from the previous inspection when calculating the overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 6 January 2023 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, April 2021
The Polegate Care Home was inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong infection control, with some uncertainty about managing outbreaks.
This was an announced, targeted inspection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspectors checked infection prevention and control measures rather than the full range of care provided.
Inspectors found the home was clean and hygienic. Visiting arrangements, testing, personal protective equipment, social distancing and infection control training were in place. People were supported to keep in touch with relatives, including through video calls and carefully managed visits.
Inspectors were assured about most infection control arrangements. They were only somewhat assured that outbreaks could be effectively prevented or managed because some staff also worked in other health care settings. The service was inspected but not rated, so this report does not provide an overall quality rating.
Clean surroundings
The home had a dedicated housekeeping team and regular cleaning of high-touch areas.
“The home was clean and hygienic. There was a designated housekeeping team and cleaning schedules reflected that high touch areas were being cleaned regularly throughout the day.” from the report
Managed visits
Visits were booked and staggered. The home used a visitor pod, testing, temperature checks and PPE to reduce infection risks.
“Visitors took a lateral flow test before entering the building, signed a COVID-19 declaration form and had their temperatures taken.” from the report
PPE and training
PPE stations were available, including outside rooms where people were isolating. Staff had infection control training and checks on safe use of PPE.
“Staff had received training in putting on and taking off PPE safely and the infection control lead completed regular competency checks to ensure staff were following correct procedures.” from the report
Contact with relatives
People were supported to keep in touch through video calls. Visits for people receiving end of life care continued with fewer restrictions.
“People were also supported by staff to use video calling technology to keep in touch with their loved ones.” from the report
Staff working in other settings
needs fixingSome staff did not work exclusively at the home and also worked in other health care settings. Inspectors were therefore only somewhat assured that infection outbreaks could be prevented or managed effectively.
“Not all staff working at the home, worked exclusively at the home. Some members of staff worked in other health care settings.” from the report
- 01Which staff currently work in other health care settings, and how do you reduce the infection risk this creates?
- 02What is your current plan for preventing and managing an infection outbreak?
- 03How often are high-touch areas cleaned, and how is this checked?
- 04What testing and PPE requirements apply to visitors and staff now?
- 05How are visits arranged for people receiving end of life care?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the COVID-19 pandemic; it was not a full inspection of all five quality areas and the service was not rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 22 April 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.
Every inspection of The Polegate Care Home
3 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has slipped, from Good to Requires improvement.
- January 2023Requires improvementcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- April 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- January 2020Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2017GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2017
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 31 January 2017.
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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19 live-in carers within about an hour of East Sussex
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 £1,000 to £1,400 a week. 13 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“When he point blank refused to go into hospital for a life saving blood transfusion she talked him through the situation and agreed to go in the ambulance with him and stayed until he was settled.”
“Una felt safe, secure and loved in her time with Debbie which is a gift that I am eternally grateful for.”
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