CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Waterbeach Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found improved infection prevention and control, enough suitably trained staff, appropriate risk assessments and safe medicines management. Staff understood how to report safeguarding concerns.
- Effective?
- Good
- Does the care work? Training, consent, food and drink, working with GPs and nurses.
- Caring?
- Good
- Are people treated with kindness and dignity?
- Responsive?
- Good
- Is care built around the person? Care plans, activities, complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Management oversight had improved. Audits, unannounced provider monitoring visits, staff handovers and feedback systems were being used to monitor and improve the service.
What inspectors found, January 2022
Rated Good; inspectors found improved infection control and management oversight, with the previous legal breaches resolved.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 18 January 2022. Two inspectors spoke with three people and seven staff. They reviewed care and medicine records, recruitment checks, staff rotas, feedback, incidents and management records.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Well-led. Inspectors found enough trained staff, safe medicines management, suitable risk assessments and improved infection control. Staff understood safeguarding and knew people’s needs.
Management oversight had improved since the last inspection. Audits, unannounced provider checks, staff handovers and feedback systems were in place. The overall rating changed from Requires Improvement to Good.
The inspection only assessed Safe and Well-led. The ratings for the other three areas were carried forward from the previous inspection.
Infection control
The home had improved its infection prevention and control practices. Inspectors were assured that measures were in place to prevent and manage infections.
“We were assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
Staffing and recruitment
There were enough suitably trained staff to support people safely and in a timely way. Recruitment checks were completed for potential new staff.
“There were enough suitably trained staff to keep people safe.” from the report
Medicines
Staff were trained and checked as competent to give medicines. Medicines were administered, stored and disposed of safely, with audits used to check practice.
“Staff administered, stored and disposed of people's medicines safely.” from the report
Improved oversight
The provider had strengthened its monitoring since the previous inspection. Audits and unannounced checks helped the organisation oversee the quality of care.
“A representative from the provider organisation completed unannounced monitoring visits as part of the providers governance systems.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you make sure the improved infection control practices, including cleaning high-touch areas, continue every day?
- 02How often does the provider carry out unannounced monitoring visits, and what happens when an audit identifies a problem?
- 03How do you make sure there are enough trained staff if someone is absent or has to self-isolate?
- 04How will you assess and support the specific needs of a person living with dementia on the specialist floor?
- 05What improvements have resulted from recent feedback from people and relatives?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the ratings for Caring, Effective and Responsive were carried forward from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 28 January 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.
What inspectors found, March 2021
Requires Improvement; inspectors found serious infection-control and oversight problems during a COVID-19 outbreak.
Inspectors made unannounced visits on three dates in January and February 2021. They spoke with relatives and staff, reviewed care and medicine records, and checked infection-control arrangements. People living at the home were self-isolating and could not speak with inspectors.
The home was having a COVID-19 outbreak. Inspectors found that staff did not always follow government guidance, use protective equipment safely, complete visitor checks, or manage clinical waste securely. Staff also did not recognise a safeguarding concern, and medicine records did not always use the agreed symbols.
The home had action plans and made some immediate changes, but inspectors did not yet know whether these improvements would last. The overall rating fell from Good to Requires Improvement. Safe and Well-led were both rated Requires Improvement. The other three areas were not inspected at this visit, so their previous ratings were used.
COVID-19 testing
Staff and residents were being tested for COVID-19 during the outbreak.
“Staff and service users were being tested for COVID-19.” from the report
Learning from accidents
Records showed that accidents and incidents, including falls, were reviewed and sometimes led to action or referrals to health professionals.
“We saw documented evidence of analysis undertaken on accidents and incidents such as falls.” from the report
Updates for relatives
Relatives said managers regularly shared information about COVID-19 restrictions and updates.
“Relatives told us they received regular information from the managers of the service about COVID-19 restrictions and updates.” from the report
Links with health professionals
Staff continued to work with the local GP practice and district nurses during the outbreak.
“District nurses continued to visit the service to support staff and we saw a visiting district nurse during our first visit.” from the report
Infection control
seriousInspectors found unsafe infection-control practices during a COVID-19 outbreak. These included incorrect use of masks, jewellery that affected hand hygiene, unsecured clinical waste and incomplete visitor checks.
“People were not protected from the risk of infection.” from the report
Safeguarding awareness
seriousStaff had safeguarding training but did not recognise a concern seen by inspectors. The inspection team asked staff to deal with it immediately and reported it to the local authority.
“Staff were unaware of an incident witnessed during this inspection was a safeguarding concern.” from the report
Management oversight
seriousThe home's checks and audits did not identify the infection-control problems found by inspectors. The provider had made an urgent action plan, but there was not yet evidence that improvements would continue.
“There was a lack of organisational oversight at the time.” from the report
Medicine records
needs fixingStaff did not always use the agreed symbols in medicine administration records. This could lead to records being misunderstood.
“Staff did not always record in medicine administration charts using the agreed key symbols.” from the report
Communication delays
needs fixingRelatives generally described communication as good, but some updates were delayed during the outbreak. One relative said they were not told when their family member tested positive for COVID-19.
“Although the impact of COVID-19 had meant there were some delays in communication from staff at the service.” from the report
- 01What changes from the urgent infection-control action plan are now in place, and how are they checked?
- 02How do you make sure staff use masks, visors, jewellery rules and other protective equipment correctly?
- 03How do you make sure staff recognise, record and report safeguarding concerns?
- 04How are medicine administration records checked to ensure the correct symbols are used?
- 05How will relatives be told promptly if a resident tests positive for COVID-19 or has another serious illness?
This began as a targeted infection-control inspection and was widened to a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led; the other ratings were carried over from the previous comprehensive inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 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.
Every inspection of Waterbeach Lodge
6 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- January 2022Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2021Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- May 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2016Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2015Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- April 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- October 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2013
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 15 March 2013.
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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17 live-in carers within about an hour of Cambridgeshire
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 £1,020 to £1,200 a week. 14 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
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