CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Upminster Nursing Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks, safeguarding, medicines, infection control, fire safety and accidents were managed safely. They did observe that some people did not receive prompt support during busy periods.
- Effective?
- Good
- People had assessments and care plans to guide their support. Staff had relevant training and supervision, and people were supported with food, healthcare and decisions about their care.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were kind and treated people with dignity and respect. People and relatives were involved in decisions about care, and staff supported independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans included people's needs, preferences and life histories. People could take part in activities, see visitors and complain if they were unhappy.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had quality checks, sought feedback and worked with other services. A change of manager was planned, with an induction intended to support continuity.
What inspectors found, December 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe care, but support could be slower at busy mealtimes.
This was an unannounced, planned inspection on 14 November 2019. Inspectors observed care, spoke with six people, six relatives and staff, and checked care records, medicines, recruitment, training and quality checks.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff overall, safe medicines management, clean surroundings, detailed care plans and kind staff.
There were some delays during busy breakfast and lunch periods. Some people also waited longer than others for meals. The manager said staffing at mealtimes and meal service would be reviewed.
Safe care
Inspectors found systems to assess and manage risks, protect people from abuse and learn from accidents. Medicines and safety equipment were also checked regularly.
“People felt safe in the service. There were systems in place to assess and manage risks to people.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
People were treated with kindness, privacy and respect. Staff involved people in everyday choices and encouraged them to remain as independent as possible.
“People were treated with dignity and their privacy was respected. One person said, "Yes, staff treat me with respect.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans covered people's needs, preferences and life histories. Staff could use an electronic device to access and update care information.
“Care plans were personalised and detailed the support people required in a range of areas” from the report
Good management checks
The manager used audits, feedback and staff meetings to monitor the service and identify improvements.
“There were systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service.” from the report
Delays at busy times
needs fixingInspectors saw that not everyone received prompt help during breakfast and lunch. The manager said staff deployment at mealtimes would be reviewed.
“However, we observed that during peak hours such as breakfast and lunch times, not everyone was getting prompt support when they needed.” from the report
- 01How many staff are deployed during breakfast and lunch, and what has changed to prevent delays?
- 02How do you check that people receive help promptly when they need it during busy periods?
- 03How do you make sure people do not have to wait longer than others for their meals?
- 04What was the outcome of the planned six-week induction for the new manager?
- 05How are people's food preferences and special dietary needs recorded and checked?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions, and the home was rated Good in each area. This explanation was written from the published report of 14 December 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.
What inspectors found, May 2017
Upminster Nursing Home was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind care and improvements since the previous inspection, with some records needing attention.
This was an unannounced inspection on 5 and 6 April 2017. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, relatives, staff and professionals. They observed care and checked care plans, medicine records, staffing records, complaints and quality checks.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines arrangements, suitable training, good support with food and healthcare, respectful care and activities that reflected people's choices.
The previous inspection had found areas needing improvement, including night-time refreshments, the dementia-friendly environment and responding promptly to people's needs. Inspectors found improvements in all these areas at this inspection. They also identified some issues with the detail in as-needed medicine instructions and errors that could be copied between electronic care plans.
Safe care and staffing
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs. Medicines, equipment, recruitment checks and emergency arrangements were also described as safe.
“From our observations and from looking at staff rotas we found that staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs and to support them with what they chose to do.” from the report
Kind and respectful support
Staff were patient and gentle. People were supported to make choices, keep their independence and have privacy.
“We observed that staff supported people in a kind and gentle manner and responded to them in a friendly and patient way.” from the report
Food and healthcare
People had choices of food and drink, with support for special diets and nutritional risks. Healthcare professionals were involved when needed.
“People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts to meet their needs.” from the report
End-of-life care
Staff worked with GPs and the local hospice to provide dignified, comfortable care at the end of life and support for families.
“People were supported to have a pain free and dignified experience towards the end of their life.” from the report
Improvements since the last inspection
The home had improved night-time refreshments, the environment for people living with dementia and the speed of responding to people's needs.
“At this inspection we found improvements in all these areas.” from the report
As-needed medicine instructions
needs fixingProtocols for some as-needed medicines did not contain enough information for staff to use them safely and consistently. Managers said they would update them.
“We saw that although protocols were in place for the administration of PRN medicines they needed to be more detailed with the necessary information for staff to follow to administer these safely, effectively and consistently.” from the report
Electronic care plan errors
needs fixingInspectors found examples where an error in the electronic system could appear in several related care plans. Managers agreed to review this and introduce safeguards.
“If there was an error then this was pulled through in all relevant care plans.” from the report
Concerns about specific staff
minorThree people had recently said they were less happy with how specific staff treated them. The registered manager and managing director were addressing this.
“Three people said that very recently they had not been as happy as usual with the way they were treated by specific staff.” from the report
- 01How are the more detailed instructions for as-needed medicines now checked and kept up to date?
- 02What safeguards are in place to stop an error in one electronic care plan appearing in other care plans?
- 03What action was taken after three people raised concerns about how specific staff treated them?
- 04How do you check that care plans are reviewed and updated when people's needs change?
- 05How are staffing levels reviewed when people's needs or risks change?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five questions and giving new ratings for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This explanation was written from the published report of 13 May 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 Upminster Nursing Home
4 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- December 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2017Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2016Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- May 2015Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- November 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 10 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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