CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Swallows
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, February 2021
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found infection-control measures in place during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This was a targeted, announced inspection on 25 January 2021. It looked only at infection prevention and control, especially measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
Inspectors were assured that visitors were given clear instructions, staff used personal protective equipment and social distancing, and people were supported to see family safely or stay in contact by phone and video calls.
The home used isolation rooms for people with Covid-19 or new admissions, and grouped people into small bubbles. Staff at higher risk from Covid-19 had risk assessments, with furlough used where working was not considered safe.
The home was inspected but not rated. This report does not provide an overall rating or ratings for the other care questions.
Visitor safety
Visitors received clear information and instructions, and staff followed personal protective equipment and social distancing guidance.
“Information and instructions for visitors were clearly displayed and explained in person by the receptionist.” from the report
Safe admissions and isolation
The home used isolation rooms for people with Covid-19 and for people newly admitted from hospital or the community. Movement in this area was restricted.
“The provider implemented isolation rooms for people infected with Covid19 or for people admitted to the home from the hospital or the community.” from the report
Family contact
People were supported to meet visitors in the garden when possible, or to keep in touch by telephone and video calls.
“People were supported to see their visitors in the garden, or when this was not possible people were supported to speak to their families on the phone or via video call.” from the report
Staff risk management
Staff who were more vulnerable to Covid-19 had risk assessments. Furlough was used when it was not safe for some staff to work.
“The provider had ensured staff who were more vulnerable to Covid-19 had a risk assessment in place” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are visitors currently given instructions about infection prevention and control?
- 02How are people admitted to the home from hospital or the community isolated and monitored?
- 03How are residents currently supported to keep in touch with their families?
- 04How are staff who are more vulnerable to Covid-19 risk-assessed and supported?
- 05What are the home's current arrangements for testing, personal protective equipment and managing any infection outbreak?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control under the Safe question only; the service was inspected but not rated and the other questions were not assessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 18 February 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.
What inspectors found, September 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and well-managed care, but dementia activities and cleanliness needed attention.
This was an unannounced planned inspection on 30 May 2019. One inspector and one Expert by Experience visited. They spoke with nine people, the manager and staff, and checked care records, medicines records, staff files and how the home was run.
The home provided personal care for 16 people aged 65 and over, with space for up to 19. Inspectors found people were safe, had enough staff, received their medicines and meals properly, and could access health care when needed. People described staff as kind, respectful and caring.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors recommended that the home improve specialist activities for people living with dementia. They also found an odour of urine and stained or unemptied commodes during the visit, which the management addressed at the time.
People felt safe
People told inspectors they felt safe, and staff knew how to recognise and report possible abuse.
“People told us that they felt safe living at the service.” from the report
Safe medicines management
Inspectors found that medicines were given safely and records had no unexplained gaps.
“The medicine administration records (MARs) were reviewed for accuracy and each MARs we looked had no unexplained gaps in them.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People said staff were caring and gentle. Inspectors found that staff respected privacy, dignity and independence.
“Staff understood the importance of maintaining people's dignity when supporting them.” from the report
Good management oversight
The home used audits, meetings and action plans to check quality and respond to issues.
“Where issues were found these were shared with staff. An action plan was also developed to address any areas of concern found.” from the report
Limited dementia activities
needs fixingPeople had activities, but inspectors found that these did not sufficiently meet the needs of people living with dementia. The report includes a recommendation to improve specialist dementia-friendly activities.
“However we found that there was a lack of activities offered to meet the needs of people with dementia.” from the report
Cleanliness during the visit
needs fixingInspectors noticed an odour of urine and found two commodes that were stained or had not been emptied during the visit. Management took action at the time.
“On arrival at the home we smelt an odour of urine.” from the report
- 01What specialist activities do you now provide for people living with dementia?
- 02How do you check that commodes are emptied and cleaned promptly?
- 03What action did you take after inspectors found an odour of urine and stained commodes?
- 04How many staff are usually available during the day and at night for the needs of residents?
- 05How are residents and relatives involved in reviewing care plans and choosing activities?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, and the previous Good ratings from 2016 remained unchanged. This explanation was written from the published report of 3 September 2019 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 Swallows
4 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has improved, from Inadequate to Good.
- February 2021Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- September 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2016Goodup from InadequateSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- August 2016Inadequatestayed InadequateSafe: Requires improvement
- July 2016InadequateSafe: InadequateEffective: InadequateCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Inadequate
- June 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 September 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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At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Lewisham
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Most charge £950 to £1,260 a week. 82 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
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