Skip to content
The Care Home DirectoryEvery care home in England

CQC report explained · a residential care home

What the CQC found at Warren Farm Lodge

Goodpublished 19 July 2019, 7 years ago

Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Good
Inspectors were assured that infection prevention and control arrangements were in place, including PPE, testing, social distancing, ventilation and plans for outbreaks.
Effective?
Good
This area was not assessed in this targeted inspection.
Caring?
Good
This area was not assessed in this targeted inspection.
Responsive?
Good
This area was not assessed in this targeted inspection.
Well-led?
Good
This area was not assessed in this targeted inspection.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, March 2021

Warren Farm Lodge: targeted inspection found strong infection controls, but the service was inspected and not rated.

Inspectors visited on 9 February 2021. This was an announced, targeted inspection during the coronavirus pandemic. It looked only at infection prevention and control in the home.

Inspectors were assured that the home had suitable procedures to prevent infections spreading. They found safe arrangements for visitors, testing, personal protective equipment, social distancing, ventilation and possible new admissions.

The home was inspected but not rated. This means the report does not give an overall rating or ratings for most areas of care.

What inspectors praised
  • Visitor safety

    Visitors used a separate entrance and a screen was used during visits with relatives to reduce infection risks.

    “Visitors accessed the home via a back door to minimise the risk of infection.” from the report
  • Testing and protective equipment

    Testing was available and staff had access to suitable protective equipment. Staff were seen using the required equipment.

    “Adequate stocks of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) were available within the home.” from the report
  • Staff training

    Staff had infection prevention and control training, and management checked that safe practices were followed.

    “Staff had received(Infection Prevention and Control) IPC training including hand washing and PPE donning and doffing.” from the report
  • Admission planning

    The manager understood the steps needed to admit someone safely, including testing and self-isolation.

    “The registered manager was fully aware of the actions that must be taken if a new person was to be admitted to the home.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.

Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How are visitors currently kept safe from infection, and are screens or separate entrances still used?
  2. 02How often are staff and residents tested, and what happens if someone tests positive?
  3. 03How do you check that staff are using PPE and following hand-washing procedures?
  4. 04What are the current arrangements for admitting a new resident, including testing and self-isolation?
  5. 05How would the home manage an infection outbreak, and when was this plan last reviewed?

This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic; it was not a full assessment of the other areas of care. This explanation was written from the published report of 5 March 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.

An earlier report, explained

What inspectors found, July 2019

Warren Farm Lodge was rated Good overall; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some concerns about staffing levels and meals.

This was an unannounced planned inspection on 4 June 2019. The inspectors spoke with nine people, three relatives, five care staff and other staff and professionals. They also reviewed care, medicines, recruitment, training and management records.

The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People said they felt safe and were comfortable. Inspectors found that staff knew people's needs, care plans were up to date, medicines were managed safely and people were treated with kindness and dignity.

There had recently been a reduction in staffing because fewer people were using the home. Inspectors found enough staff on the day, but people, relatives and staff said the lower level could sometimes feel rushed. Feedback about food was mixed, and one meal option was prepared to a different standard from the other.

The overall Good rating means inspectors found the home was meeting the relevant standards at the time of this inspection. The rating was unchanged from the previous inspection, published on 23 December 2016.

What inspectors praised
  • Safe care

    Inspectors found that risks were assessed and that staff had clear guidance to protect people while supporting their independence.

    “Risks were identified and assessed. Care plans included guidance for staff on how to protect people from known risks while maintaining their independence.” from the report
  • Personalised support

    Care plans reflected people's current needs and included useful information about their backgrounds, interests and preferences.

    “Each person's care plan included a life history information which had been gathered from the person and their relatives.” from the report
  • Kind and respectful staff

    People said staff were caring and approachable. Inspectors saw staff spending time talking with people and responding to requests for help.

    “The carers are friendly and caring; I can't fault them. I am treated with respect” from the report
  • Strong management

    The management team was described as supportive and approachable. The home used audits, surveys and meetings to identify and address improvements.

    “There were appropriate quality assurance and auditing systems in place designed to drive improvements in the service's performance.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Reduced staffing

    needs fixing

    Staffing had recently been reduced. Although inspectors found enough staff on the day, people, relatives and staff said the lower level could sometimes leave staff rushed.

    “However, staff, people and relatives all reported there had been a recent reduction in staffing levels.” from the report
  • Mixed feedback about meals

    minor

    People gave mixed views about the food, and inspectors found that the two meal options were prepared to different standards on the inspection day.

    “We received some mixed feedback from people about the quality of meals at Warren Farm Lodge and noted on the day of our inspection the two meal options were prepared to different standards.” from the report
  • Some complaints took time to resolve

    minor

    People and relatives knew how to complain and trusted the home to respond, but said that problems were not always dealt with straight away.

    “People and relatives were confident any complaints they made would be addressed but reported that issues were not always immediately resolved.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01What is the current staffing level on each shift, and how do you respond when staff are off sick or on leave?
  2. 02What changes have been made to improve the quality and consistency of meals?
  3. 03How quickly are complaints usually resolved, and how are families told about the outcome?
  4. 04Was the planned extension to the lounge completed, and how much communal space is now available?
  5. 05How are care plans reviewed when a person's needs change?

This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions, and the home was also inspected as a care home including its premises and care. This explanation was written from the published report of 19 July 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.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Warren Farm Lodge

2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.

  1. March 2021Inspected but not ratedcurrent rating
    Safe: Inspected but not rated

    Read what inspectors found at Warren Farm Lodge →

  2. July 2019Goodstayed Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Warren Farm Lodge →

  3. December 2016Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. May 2014

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. May 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  6. September 2012

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  7. June 2012

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  8. April 2011

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  9. November 2010

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 25 November 2010.

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.

Next steps

Weigh the report against the rest

Care at home

At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Birmingham

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 £950 to £1,230 a week. 79 can care for a couple. 9 years' experience on average.

“God doesn't make people like her anymore!”
Orkadi L., about Fernanda L.
“I have never met a person who is so kind and thinks about others before himself to such an extent as Chris Malagala.”
Brian G., about Chris M.
See live-in carers near BirminghamProfiles, rates and reviews are free to look at.

Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.