CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Valley Lodge Care Home with Nursing
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People said they felt safe and inspectors found safe recruitment, suitable training and support with medicines. Some people and staff said the home was sometimes short staffed.
- Effective?
- Good
- People received assessments before admission, support with food and fluids, and referrals to health professionals when needed. Some fluid records did not show whether variances had been identified or addressed, although the provider took action.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were described as kind and respectful. People were involved in decisions about their care and were supported with privacy, dignity and independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans included people's preferences and were reviewed with people and relatives. People were offered activities, support to maintain relationships and help to raise complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- People, relatives and staff gave positive feedback about the management. Audits and feedback systems were in place, but some records did not accurately capture actions taken and one care plan was not up to date.
What inspectors found, August 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe care, but some staffing and care records needed attention.
This was an unannounced inspection on 4 July 2023. One inspector visited the home and an Expert by Experience spoke to relatives. Inspectors also spoke with people and staff, and checked care, medicine, recruitment and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People and relatives generally described kind care, good communication and support with choices, medicines, activities and health needs.
The inspection was partly prompted by concerns about keeping people safe. Inspectors found no evidence that people were at risk of harm from this concern. They did find that some records did not always show what action staff had taken, and that one care plan was not fully up to date.
The overall rating remained Good, the same as at the previous inspection published in April 2018. The home took action after the inspection to improve recording and update care plan information.
Kind and respectful care
People and relatives gave consistently positive feedback about staff. Inspectors observed friendly and respectful interactions.
“People were well treated and supported by staff who respected people's individuality and differences.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans recorded individual preferences, and people were involved in reviewing their care. Staff supported people to make choices and remain as independent as they wished.
“People were involved in regular meetings where they had the opportunity to give feedback and share their ideas with the provider.” from the report
Good health support
The home assessed people's needs before admission and referred people to specialist professionals when needed. People could access healthcare services.
“People were involved in a thorough assessment of their care and support needs prior to admission to the home.” from the report
Activities and relationships
People were offered activities inside and outside the home. Volunteers and local groups also provided opportunities for social contact and interests.
“People were offered the opportunity to join in with a variety of planned activities both in and out of the home.” from the report
Accessible management
People, relatives and staff said the manager was approachable and listened to feedback. The provider acted on feedback from professionals and the inspection.
“Responses were reviewed by the registered manager and acted on to make improvements to the service.” from the report
Occasional short staffing
needs fixingSome people and staff said there were times when more staff would have helped provide consistent person-centred care. Inspectors found enough staff on the inspection day and the provider said staffing levels were regularly reviewed.
“Some staff told us more staff available on shift would be of benefit to ensure consistent person-centred care.” from the report
Incomplete recording of actions
needs fixingSome records did not show what action had been taken when fluid intake or repositioning varied from the expected level. The provider took action after the inspection to improve recording.
“Records did not accurately capture some actions taken in response to variances in care records, for example, fluid intake and repositioning.” from the report
One care plan was not up to date
needs fixingOne care plan did not contain the latest information about repositioning needs. The provider took immediate action and introduced a process for updating information after readmission.
“It was noticed one care plan did not contain the most up to date support in relation to a person's repositioning needs.” from the report
- 01How do you make sure there are enough staff on each shift, particularly at times when staff have reported short staffing?
- 02How do you check that staff record actions taken when a person's fluid intake or repositioning is below or different from the planned level?
- 03How quickly are care plans updated after someone returns to the home, and how is this checked?
- 04What dementia training has been introduced, and which staff have completed it?
- 05How are people and relatives involved in the three-monthly care plan reviews?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions; all five ratings remained Good from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 25 August 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 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured about infection control, visiting and COVID-19 safety measures.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 27 January 2022. The inspectors looked at infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and staffing pressures linked to COVID-19.
Inspectors were assured that the home was using personal protective equipment safely, supporting testing, managing visiting and admissions safely, and keeping its infection control policy up to date.
The home was meeting the requirement for non-exempt staff and visiting professionals to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This inspection did not give a quality rating.
Safe visiting
The home was facilitating visits in line with the guidance in force at the time.
“We were assured the provider was facilitating visits for people living in the home in accordance with the current guidance.” from the report
Vaccination arrangements
The home was meeting the requirement for non-exempt staff and visiting professionals to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
“The service was meeting the requirement to ensure non-exempt staff and visiting professionals were vaccinated against COVID-19.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are you managing any COVID-19-related staffing pressures now?
- 02How do you currently facilitate visits if infection risks change?
- 03How do you make sure PPE is used safely by staff and visitors?
- 04How are new residents admitted safely during an infection outbreak?
- 05How do you check that non-exempt staff and visiting professionals meet the COVID-19 vaccination requirement?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and COVID-19 staffing pressures; it was inspected but not rated and did not assess the other quality questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 February 2022 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 Valley Lodge Care Home with Nursing
2 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- August 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Valley Lodge Care Home with Nursing →
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at Valley Lodge Care Home with Nursing →
- April 2018GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 22 December 2016.
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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