CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Welcome House - Leeza Court
Rated Inadequate: inspectors found the home performing badly and the CQC has taken enforcement action.
What inspectors found, March 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control and visiting arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was an unannounced, targeted inspection on 15 February 2022. Inspectors looked mainly at infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements, and whether COVID-19 staffing pressures affected people.
Inspectors were assured that the home used PPE safely, arranged testing, kept the building clean, and had plans to isolate people with COVID-19. Visitors could attend in line with government guidance, including testing before entry.
The home was inspected but not rated. This means the inspection did not give an overall quality rating or assess all five areas of care.
Infection control
The home had infection control measures in place, including PPE, testing, cleaning and plans to manage outbreaks.
“We were assured that the provider was making sure infection outbreaks can be effectively prevented or managed.” from the report
Visitor safety
Visitors could attend in line with government guidance. The home used a separate visiting room and additional cleaning measures.
“Visitors would phone to arrange a time and were asked to complete a Covid-19 test before entering the service.” from the report
Staff training and supplies
Staff had infection control training and could quickly access PPE throughout the home.
“The service had supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) throughout the service that staff could access quickly.” from the report
Activities
The home continued to support people to take part in activities safely during the pandemic.
“Staff supported people to participate in activities in a safe way throughout the pandemic.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are you managing staffing pressures now, and what effect do they have on people's care and activities?
- 02What are the current arrangements for visits, including testing, infection control and visiting spaces?
- 03How would you isolate a person with COVID-19, and how would you support their wellbeing during isolation?
- 04How often do staff receive infection control training, and how do you check that PPE is being used correctly?
- 05What infection prevention and control arrangements have changed since the inspection on 15 February 2022?
This was an unannounced targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and COVID-19-related staffing pressures; the service was inspected but not rated in the other areas. This explanation was written from the published report of 3 March 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, December 2019
Welcome House - Leeza Court was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with one care plan needing an update after a choking incident.
This was an unannounced inspection on 9 December 2019. One inspector spoke with five people and four staff members. Records on care, medicines, recruitment, training and how the home was managed were also checked.
The home was supporting 12 people with mental health needs, out of a possible 16 places. Inspectors found that people felt safe, staff knew them well and people were treated with dignity and kindness.
People received support with medicines, food, healthcare and daily choices. Staff helped people maintain relationships and take part in activities. The home had suitable checks, trained staff and systems for listening to feedback.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The overall rating remained Good, the same as at the previous inspection published in May 2017.
People felt safe
Staff created a calm environment and knew how to respond to safeguarding concerns and risks to people's wellbeing.
“People continued to feel safe and staff knew how to identify, report and respond to safeguarding concerns.” from the report
Kind relationships
Staff knew people well, offered reassurance and treated them with dignity and respect.
“Trusting relationships had been developed so that staff treated people with dignity and kindness.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans reflected people's routines, history, culture and preferences. Staff understood signs that someone's mental health might be worsening.
“Staff knew people well including their likes and dislikes, so they could give personalised care.” from the report
Good leadership
The manager and senior staff understood their roles, checked the quality of care and listened to feedback from people and staff.
“The service continued to be well-led and the registered manager provided good leadership.” from the report
Choking records
needs fixingAfter a person choked while eating, staff were given new guidance and followed it. However, the person's care plan and risk assessment had not initially been updated, although the manager acted immediately to correct this.
“However, the person's care plan and associated risk assessments had not been updated accordingly.” from the report
End of life wishes
minorThe manager had discussed funeral arrangements with people. The report says further conversations about end of life wishes were intended, but needed to be handled sensitively because they could affect some people's mental health.
“The registered manager intended to extend this conversation in a sensitive way to any particular wishes or choices people had at the end of their lives.” from the report
- 01How quickly are care plans and risk assessments updated after an incident such as choking?
- 02What guidance is in place for cutting food into small pieces and supervising eating?
- 03How will you discuss and record each person's end of life wishes in a way that is suitable for their mental health?
- 04How do you identify changes in a person's mental health or signs of a relapse?
- 05How are people's views and complaints used to make changes in the home?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, including care, medicines, staffing, records and how the home was managed. This explanation was written from the published report of 31 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.
Every inspection of Welcome House - Leeza Court
4 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- March 2022Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- December 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2015Goodup from Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2015Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: InadequateResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- December 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 24 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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91 live-in carers within about an hour of Medway
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Most charge £980 to £1,250 a week. 78 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
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