CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Whitegates Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks were well managed, staffing levels were sufficient and recruitment checks were completed. Medicines, infection control, the environment and visits from family and friends were also managed safely.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs and preferences were assessed and reviewed. Staff were trained, people were supported with food, drink and healthcare, and mental capacity and best-interest processes were used when needed.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were kind and spent time with people. Inspectors saw that people's choices, privacy, dignity and independence were respected.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was personalised and included people's life histories, interests and communication needs. There was a varied activity programme, and concerns and feedback were recorded and acted on.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had a calm, friendly culture. Managers used audits, observations, meetings, surveys and a service improvement plan to monitor quality and make changes.
What inspectors found, June 2022
Whitegates Retirement Home rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care with effective management oversight.
This was an unannounced first inspection of the newly registered service. One inspector visited on 12 and 13 May 2022. The inspectors spoke with people, relatives, staff and a health professional, and reviewed care and medicines records.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, well-managed risks, safe medicines systems, good infection control and support for people to receive visitors.
People were supported by kind staff who knew them well. Care plans reflected people's preferences, meals and activities were shaped by people's choices, and staff supported people's privacy, independence and access to healthcare.
The home had a calm and friendly culture. Managers carried out regular checks, acted on feedback and used incidents and complaints to make improvements. The report says the previous provider's last rating was Good, published on 20 October 2017.
Staff know people well
Staff understood people's individual needs and provided consistent support. People said seeing familiar staff helped staff understand how they liked things done.
“You see the same faces and staff really get to know you and how you like things done.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff spending time with people, listening to them and helping them feel better. People's privacy, dignity and personal choices were respected.
“Staff treated people with kindness and understanding.” from the report
Personalised activities and communication
People helped shape the activity programme, and information could be provided in different formats. Staff adapted their communication to people's needs.
“There was a varied range of activities on every day for people to get involved in if they chose to.” from the report
Strong quality checks
Managers regularly checked care, medicines, the environment and health and safety. Issues found through checks were added to an improvement plan with actions and timescales.
“Any issues identified through these audit processes were added to the service improvement plan with a time scale and responsible staff member to action.” from the report
Past medication errors
minorThe report says there had been medication errors in the past. Management reduced the number of staff giving medicines and said this had minimised errors, but families may want to ask how this is monitored now.
“The registered manager told us that in the past there had been medication errors.” from the report
- 01How are medicines checked now, and how do you monitor that past medication errors have not happened again?
- 02How would you personalise care and activities for my relative's interests, communication needs and daily preferences?
- 03How do you involve residents and relatives when reviewing care plans and making changes?
- 04What support is available if my relative is at risk of losing weight or becoming dehydrated?
- 05How would you keep my relative's family involved and support visits if their circumstances changed?
This was an unannounced first inspection covering all five CQC questions, the care provided and the premises, with additional checks of infection prevention and control. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 June 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
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong infection-control arrangements, but individual COVID-19 risk assessments were not yet in place.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 1 March 2021. It looked at infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic.
Inspectors were assured that the home was using PPE safely, supporting testing, managing visitors, maintaining cleanliness and preparing for possible outbreaks. Staff had also received PPE and infection-control training.
The home supported end-of-life visits and kept people involved in activities. However, people and staff did not have individual risk assessments for factors that might increase their risk from COVID-19. The manager said these would be put in place immediately after the inspection.
The service was inspected but not rated. This means the inspection did not give a new Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate rating.
Visitor safety
The home had a clear visitor policy and plans for visits to resume safely. End-of-life visits continued throughout the pandemic.
“The registered manager had a clear visitor policy in place and clear infection prevention and control plans in place for when visits could resume.” from the report
PPE and training
Staff were using PPE in line with government guidance and had training in using PPE and infection prevention and control.
“Staff had received training in how to safely put on and take off PPE as well as infection prevention and control (IPC) training.” from the report
Clean environment
The home was clean and hygienic. Cleaning routines had been changed to include frequently touched surfaces.
“The home was clean and hygienic. Cleaning schedules had been adapted to include the cleaning of frequently touched surfaces.” from the report
Activities and contact
Staff continued activities during the pandemic, including small groups and virtual activities, and shared photographs for relatives to see.
“Staff had focused on activities for people throughout the pandemic and had tried to keep people as engaged as possible.” from the report
Missing individual risk assessments
needs fixingPeople and staff did not have individual assessments covering factors that could increase their risk from COVID-19. The manager said these would be put in place immediately after the inspection.
“People and staff did not have individual risk assessments to assess for factors that may increase the risk from COVID-19.” from the report
- 01Were individual COVID-19 risk assessments completed for every person and member of staff after the inspection?
- 02How are visitors currently tested, checked and guided through the home?
- 03What is the current plan if there is an infection outbreak, including support for people in their bedrooms?
- 04How does the home make sure PPE is available and staff continue to use it safely?
- 05What activities and opportunities for contact with relatives are currently available?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic; it did not provide a full rating of the service or assess the other four questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 16 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 Whitegates Care Home
3 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- June 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- October 2017Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- August 2016Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- August 2019
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 23 August 2019.
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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19 live-in carers within about an hour of East Sussex
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 £1,000 to £1,400 a week. 13 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“When he point blank refused to go into hospital for a life saving blood transfusion she talked him through the situation and agreed to go in the ambulance with him and stayed until he was settled.”
“Una felt safe, secure and loved in her time with Debbie which is a gift that I am eternally grateful for.”
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.