CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Wey Valley House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough staff, suitable risk assessments, safe medicines arrangements and appropriate infection control. Staff recruitment checks and safeguarding training were also in place.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff supported people to maintain their health, eat and drink well, and access healthcare. Staff had induction, training, supervision and guidance about people's needs.
- Caring?
- Good
- People and relatives described staff as kind and compassionate. Inspectors saw staff offering choices, respecting decisions and maintaining people's dignity and independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and reviewed regularly. People had access to activities, outings, community involvement and communication support suited to their needs.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The management team was described as approachable and kept oversight through audits, meetings, surveys and spot checks. Complaints were investigated and monitored.
What inspectors found, April 2020
Wey Valley House was rated Good in all five areas; inspectors found kind, safe and well-organised care.
Inspectors visited the care home without warning on 6 February 2020. They visited the home care service on 13 February 2020 with notice. They spoke with people, relatives, staff and visiting professionals, and checked care records, medicines, recruitment files and quality checks.
The care home and home care service were rated Good for being safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines systems, suitable risk assessments and good support from trained staff. People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect.
People had personalised care plans, a choice of activities and outings, and support to stay connected with their community. The management team checked the quality of care and acted on feedback. The previous inspection, published in September 2017, also rated the service Good.
Kind and familiar staff
People received care from staff who knew them well. Relatives and professionals described a friendly and positive atmosphere.
“People received their care from kind and compassionate staff who knew them well.” from the report
Safe staffing
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs. Staff said they had time to talk with people and provide unhurried support.
“There were enough staff available to keep people safe and meet their needs.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans covered people's health, mobility, personal care, nutrition and other individual needs. People and relatives were involved in creating them.
“People's care plans were person-centred and reflected their individual needs.” from the report
Activities and community links
People could take part in activities, outings and community events, with volunteers helping people who needed extra support.
“People told us they enjoyed the range of activities and outings available at the home.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you assess my relative's needs before they move in or start receiving care?
- 02How will you support my relative to maintain their independence and make day-to-day choices?
- 03Which activities and outings would be suitable for my relative, and how would they be supported to take part?
- 04How will you keep me informed about changes in my relative's health and care needs?
- 05How do you manage medicines if my relative wants to administer some of them independently?
This was a planned inspection covering both the care home and the home care service, and all five key questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 April 2020 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, September 2017
Wey Valley House was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some records and monitoring needing improvement.
The inspection was unannounced and looked at both the residential home and the domiciliary care agency. Inspectors spoke with people using the services, relatives, staff and health professionals. They also checked care plans, staff files, training, medicines records and quality checks.
The overall rating was Good. All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that people felt safe, staff knew them well, care was personalised, medicines were managed safely and people could influence their care and activities.
There were some improvements needed. Care plans were not always updated after accidents or incidents. Best-interest decisions were not always clearly recorded. Inspectors also asked for stronger ongoing monitoring of nutrition and fluids for some people. The managers agreed to put changes in place.
Safe medicines support
Inspectors found that medicines were stored securely, given safely and on time, and checked through regular audits.
“Medicines were stored and administered safely and on time.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff knew people well and treated them with kindness, respect and compassion. Inspectors saw positive conversations and support for people's privacy and independence.
“People were treated with kindness and compassion in their day-to-day care.” from the report
Personalised care plans
Care plans recorded detailed information about people's routines, preferences, communication and personal care. Staff were familiar with this information.
“Care plans were detailed and contained information on people's lifestyles and preferences.” from the report
Activities and choice
People could choose from varied activities, including games, outings, exercises and gardening. Their views were also used in residents' meetings.
“People had access to a range of activities and were able to choose what activities they took part in.” from the report
Active quality checks
The home carried out regular checks on areas including falls, medicines, infection control and health and safety. These checks were used to make changes.
“Audits were completed frequently, were thorough, and were used to make improvements to the service people received.” from the report
Care plans after incidents
needs fixingCare plans were not always updated after accidents and incidents. The manager put procedures in place to address this.
“However, care plans were not always updated following accidents and incidents.” from the report
Recording best-interest decisions
needs fixingPeople's capacity was assessed, but records did not always clearly show best-interest decisions. The manager agreed to introduce specific paperwork.
“However, best interest decisions were not always clearly recorded.” from the report
Nutrition and fluid monitoring
needs fixingPeople at risk of malnutrition or dehydration were monitored, but inspectors felt four days of food and fluid recording might not be enough for some people. The manager agreed to introduce ongoing monitoring and fluid targets where needed.
“We spoke to the registered manager about this as this may not be sufficient for some people.” from the report
Staff cover during sickness
needs fixingStaff said some afternoons could be short-staffed during sickness or holidays. A team leader helped, and people’s needs were met on the inspection day.
“Staff members in the residential home told us that some afternoons they were short due to staff sickness and on these occasions the team leader would help.” from the report
Earlier infection control shortfall
minorA May 2017 audit found cleaning and handwashing problems. Inspectors said the manager had dealt with these by the time of the inspection.
“An infection control audit in May 2017 identified that toilets and the sluice room were not clean and that staff were not washing their hands when they should.” from the report
- 01How do you now make sure care plans are updated after every accident or incident?
- 02How are best-interest decisions recorded and checked for completeness?
- 03What ongoing food, drink and fluid monitoring is used for people at risk of malnutrition or dehydration?
- 04What arrangements are in place to cover afternoon staffing when someone is off sick?
- 05What checks now show that toilets, the sluice room and staff handwashing meet the required standard?
This was an unannounced inspection of the overall service, covering the residential home and domiciliary care agency and all five CQC questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 2 September 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 Wey Valley House
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- April 2020Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2017GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 22 September 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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