CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Rectory Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Risks were assessed, staffing was sufficient, medicines were safely managed and infection control arrangements were effective.
- Effective?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
- Caring?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found effective management, regular quality checks and good communication with people, relatives and professionals. The rating remained Good from the previous inspection.
What inspectors found, March 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, caring support and strong management, with a minor medicines-recording issue addressed during the inspection.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 31 January and 10 February 2023. One inspector visited, spoke with people, relatives, staff and professionals, and checked care, medicines, recruitment and management records.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe and Well-led were both rated Good. Inspectors found enough trained staff, safe medicines management, suitable risk assessments, good infection control and effective checks on the building.
People were described as safe and treated with dignity and respect. Staff knew people well and supported their routines, activities and choices. The home also worked closely with families, health professionals and the local community.
The inspection did not review Effective, Caring or Responsive. Their ratings were carried forward from the previous inspection, so this report does not give a fresh assessment of those areas.
People felt safe
People, relatives and professionals gave consistently positive feedback. Inspectors found that staff understood risks and knew how to respond to concerns.
“Everyone we spoke with told us they felt safe at The Rectory.” from the report
Enough skilled staff
Inspectors found enough suitably trained staff. Staff were available promptly and had time to support people without rushing them.
“People were supported by enough suitably trained staff.” from the report
Person-centred support
Staff knew people's routines and provided reassurance, activities and individual support. People could take part in interests or receive activities in their rooms.
“Staff knew people well and provided person-centred care.” from the report
Strong management checks
The management team used audits, incident reviews and feedback to identify improvements. Families and professionals were positive about communication and leadership.
“The registered manager and provider had effective oversight of the safety and quality of care provision in the service.” from the report
Good community links
The home had established links with health and social care professionals and the local community. It also ran a weekly Dementia Café for local people and families.
“The registered manager and staff team had established and maintained good relationships and links with health and social care professionals as well as the local community around them.” from the report
Patch records needed more detail
minorRecording for transdermal patches did not always include enough information to confirm that application sites were rotated. The home acted during the inspection to bring records in line with manufacturer guidance.
“The recording of transdermal patches would benefit from additional information to confirm the rotation of the site of application each time a patch is applied.” from the report
Fire assessment actions ongoing
needs fixingThe home was still working through recommendations from its latest fire risk assessment. Inspectors noted that practical training had been arranged with the local fire service.
“The provider was working to meet the recommendations from the latest fire risk assessment.” from the report
- 01What additional information do you now record for transdermal patches, and how do you check that application sites are rotated?
- 02Which recommendations from the latest fire risk assessment are still outstanding, and when will they be completed?
- 03How do you make sure there are enough trained staff on duty for the needs of people living with dementia?
- 04How will you involve my relative and our family in care decisions, activities and changes to their care?
- 05What were the previous ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive, and when were those areas last fully inspected?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive were carried forward from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 7 March 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, February 2018
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, but some handwritten medicines entries were not fully checked.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 23 January 2018. Inspectors spoke with people living at the home, visitors and staff. They observed care, activities and lunch, and checked care plans, medicines records, staff files and safety checks.
The home supports up to 25 people living with dementia and does not provide nursing care. Inspectors found enough staff, suitable training, good healthcare support and meals that met people's needs and preferences.
People were treated with patience, kindness and respect. Care plans contained detailed information about people's lives and preferences. The home provided many activities, including music, outings and links with local groups.
The overall rating and all five areas were Good. Some handwritten medicines entries had not been signed and checked by a second staff member. The building also needed further refurbishment, although an improvement plan was in place.
Personalised dementia care
Care plans included detailed life histories, preferences and routines. Staff used this information to understand people's behaviour and provide individual support.
“The quality of information about people ensured everyone was treated as an individual and their values and beliefs were respected by staff.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw staff support people with patience, warmth and understanding. People's privacy and dignity were respected.
“People were cared for by staff who were kind and caring.” from the report
Activities and community links
People were offered varied activities based on their interests, as well as outings and opportunities to meet local groups.
“There was a high emphasis on supporting people to occupy their time and enjoy life.” from the report
Supportive leadership
The manager was involved in daily life at the home and staff said they felt supported. Quality checks and improvement plans were in place.
“The home was well led by a registered manager who was passionate about providing a homely environment and good person centred care.” from the report
Medicines records
needs fixingSome handwritten entries on medicines administration records were not signed and checked by a second staff member. This could make errors harder to identify.
“These records were generally well completed but we found when handwritten entries had been added to the medication administration records these had not always been signed and witnessed by a second member of staff in line with good practice guidelines.” from the report
Further refurbishment needed
minorThe older building needed more refurbishment and redecoration. Work had started, with an action plan in place, but it was not complete at the time of inspection.
“People lived in an older style house that was in need of some refurbishment and redecoration.” from the report
- 01How do you now make sure handwritten medicines entries are signed and checked by a second staff member?
- 02Which refurbishment and redecoration work has been completed since the inspection, and what remains?
- 03How are activities and outings matched to my relative's interests, history and abilities?
- 04How will you support my relative's health needs if they need care from outside healthcare professionals?
- 05How are relatives involved in reviewing care plans and making decisions when a person cannot make decisions for themselves?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions, and it was the first inspection since the current provider was registered. This explanation was written from the published report of 7 February 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 Rectory Care Home
2 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- March 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2018GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2017
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 24 February 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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76 live-in carers within about two hours of Somerset
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Most charge £1,020 to £1,370 a week. 62 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
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