CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Wellington Vale Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Requires improvement
- Inspectors were assured that infection risks were being managed through testing, protective equipment, hygiene, social distancing, visiting checks and an up-to-date policy. They were also told that measures were in place to reduce the risks from COVID-19-related staffing pressures.
- 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
- Is the home run well? The manager, the culture, how problems get found and fixed.
What inspectors found, February 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong infection control and visiting arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was a targeted inspection on 1 February 2022. Inspectors looked at infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and whether COVID-19 staffing pressures affected care. They gave the home one day's notice.
Inspectors were assured that the home was using protective equipment safely, managing testing, following social distancing and shielding rules, and keeping its infection control policy up to date. They also found arrangements to prevent and manage outbreaks.
The home offered window, garden and room visits. People who were isolating could use video and telephone calls. The service was also meeting the requirement for non-exempt staff and visiting professionals to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The service was inspected but not rated. This report does not give an overall quality rating or ratings for most of the five areas.
Infection control
The home had systems to reduce the spread of infection. Visitors were screened, tested and, where required, checked for vaccination.
“We were assured that the provider was preventing visitors from catching and spreading infections.” from the report
Support for wellbeing
Inspectors saw staff working positively with people and supporting their wellbeing during the pandemic.
“Staff had worked as a team to help promote people's wellbeing throughout the pandemic. We observed positive interactions between staff and people.” from the report
Flexible visiting
Family and friends could use window, garden and room visits. People isolating could keep in touch through video and telephone calls.
“There was a number of visiting options available to family and friends these included, window, garden, room visits.” from the report
COVID-19 safety measures
The home had measures covering protective equipment, testing, hygiene, social distancing, admissions and outbreak management.
“We were assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What infection prevention and control measures are in place now, and how are they checked?
- 02How do you manage visits if someone is isolating or there is an infection outbreak?
- 03How do you identify and support essential care givers and other visitors?
- 04How do you manage COVID-19-related staffing pressures, and could these affect care?
- 05What testing and vaccination checks are currently required for staff and visiting professionals?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and COVID-19-related staffing pressures; the service was inspected but not rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 15 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.
What inspectors found, October 2017
Rated Good overall, but inspectors found staffing levels were not always safe and rated Safe as Requires Improvement.
This was an unannounced inspection on 30 and 31 August 2017. Inspectors spoke with people, relatives, staff and healthcare professionals. They observed care and checked records, medicines, staffing, recruitment, training and quality checks.
The home was rated Good overall. Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led were all rated Good. Inspectors found kind care, good training, personalised care plans, suitable activities and strong management systems.
Safe was rated Requires Improvement. There were not always enough suitably skilled staff on duty to keep people safe. Inspectors saw one person fall in an area where no staff were present. The provider said it had recruited more staff and was using regular bank staff while recruitment continued.
Kind and respectful care
People were treated with compassion and dignity. Staff knew people's needs and encouraged them to make choices and do what they could for themselves.
“Staff were kind, compassionate and treated people with dignity and respect.” from the report
Staff training
Staff had an induction, ongoing training and regular supervision. Training included dementia awareness and other areas linked to their roles.
“Staff had received robust training and on-going development to support them in their role.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's histories, interests, health needs and preferences. Plans were reviewed with people or their representatives and updated when needs changed.
“People's individual assessments and care plans were reviewed with their participation or their representatives' involvement.” from the report
Activities and community links
People were offered activities such as games, music and dancing. The home also ran a dementia film club and worked with health professionals on a leg ulcer clinic.
“People were encouraged to partake in activities. During our inspection we observed people playing bingo.” from the report
Management and improvement
Inspectors found an open culture and regular audits covering areas such as medicines, care plans, risks and health and safety.
“The provider had robust quality assurance systems in place to support and drive improvement.” from the report
Staffing levels
seriousThere were not enough staff deployed at all times to keep people safe. Inspectors saw one person fall in a lounge when no staff were present in the communal areas they checked.
“The provider did not have sufficient staff deployed at all times to keep people safe.” from the report
- 01What are the current staffing levels on each floor and on each shift?
- 02How do you make sure staff are always available in communal areas, particularly for people at risk of falling?
- 03Did the additional care staff due to start on 4 September 2017 join the home, and are regular bank staff still being used?
- 04How do you ensure two staff are available when a person needs a hoist?
- 05How do you check that the actions taken after the inspection have improved safety?
This was the home's first, unannounced inspection and it assessed the overall service across all five questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 October 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 Wellington Vale Care Home
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- October 2017GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 7 November 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.
Weigh the report against the rest
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26 live-in carers within about an hour of Hampshire
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 £1,260 a week. 23 can care for a couple. 14 years' experience on average.
“I cannot recommend Prisca highly enough, she is one in a million.”
“He stayed with her throughout the pandemic, refusing to visit his own family, who lived nearby, to reduce the risk of infection.”
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.