CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Whitwell Park
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, December 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, with more detailed end-of-life wishes still being developed.
This was an unannounced inspection on 5 November 2019. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, relatives and staff. They also reviewed care plans, medicines records, staff files and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found people were protected from abuse, supported by enough trained staff, and given safe medicines and suitable food.
People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. They had choices about their care, activities and daily lives, and were supported to stay independent and involved in the community.
The home had a positive culture and clear leadership. The overall rating was unchanged from the previous Good rating published in June 2017. Inspectors noted that the home was still developing more detailed records of people's end-of-life wishes.
Safe care and medicines
The home had systems to protect people from abuse and harm. Medicines were administered, recorded and checked safely.
“Medicines were managed, stored, administered and disposed of safely.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
People and relatives gave very positive feedback about staff. Inspectors saw staff protecting privacy, dignity and independence.
“Throughout the inspection we observed, kind, considerate and professional interactions between staff and people.” from the report
Activities and community life
People had access to activities, trips and community events. Staffing levels allowed people to take part in activities of their choice.
“People had visits to Skegness, Blackpool, and activity holidays with a external disability trust.” from the report
End-of-life wishes
minorThe home was working on making people's end-of-life wishes more detailed. No one was receiving end-of-life care during the inspection, so this area was not tested in practice.
“The registered manager was aware of where improvements needed to be made; for example, exploring and implementing more detailed end of life wishes for people.” from the report
- 01How are my relative's end-of-life wishes discussed, recorded and reviewed?
- 02How would you support my relative's particular communication needs, including any signs, expressions or communication aids?
- 03How do you make sure there are enough staff to support one-to-one care, appointments, outings and activities?
- 04How are risks such as choking, falls and medicines reviewed as my relative's needs change?
- 05How are relatives involved in care reviews and kept informed about health issues and activities?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions, and the previous Good ratings remained unchanged. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 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.
What inspectors found, June 2017
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with staff supervision needing more regular checks.
The inspection took place on 3 and 4 May 2017. The first day was unannounced. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, relatives, staff and health and social care professionals. They also observed care and reviewed care plans, staff files, training records, medicines records and safety audits.
The home provided nursing and personal care for up to 34 people with learning disabilities, autism or other complex needs. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines systems and suitable recruitment checks. People’s health, nutrition, communication needs and legal rights were supported.
People were treated with kindness and respect. They were involved in choices about their care and activities, and relatives were included. The manager and staff were described as open and committed, with systems to monitor quality. All five areas were rated Good.
Safe staffing
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people’s needs safely and saw extra staff provided where particular people needed them.
“We saw there were enough staff available to support people in a safe manner and at a time when it was needed.” from the report
Personalised activities
People were supported to choose activities that suited their interests and needs. Complex health needs were not treated as a reason to restrict opportunities.
“Staff had developed a problem solving approach so people with complex health needs, were not restricted in their opportunities and choices of activities.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff communicating well with people and responding quickly when someone became distressed. Privacy and dignity were also protected.
“We saw kind and caring interactions and people were given the time and opportunity to express themselves.” from the report
Strong quality monitoring
The home used audits and reviews to identify actions and check the quality and safety of care.
“We saw a collection of audits had been carried out; they showed any identified action points along with the date actions were completed.” from the report
Supervision was not always regular
minorStaff supervision was taking place, but the manager acknowledged that it was not as regular as it could be. Ask how this is monitored now.
“The registered manager acknowledged this was an area to be improved upon.” from the report
- 01How often do staff now receive formal supervision, and how do you check that it happens regularly?
- 02How would you support my relative’s particular communication needs, including if they cannot easily express how they feel?
- 03How would my relative be supported to choose activities and continue family and community relationships?
- 04How are medicines, care plans and risk assessments checked and reviewed for each person?
- 05How would you involve our family in care plan reviews and respond to any complaint or concern?
This was a planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, with the first day unannounced; inspectors spoke with 15 people, five relatives and staff, observed care and reviewed records. This explanation was written from the published report of 16 June 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 Whitwell Park
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2017GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2015
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 14 May 2015.
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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62 live-in carers within about an hour of Derbyshire
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 £1,010 to £1,260 a week. 51 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“Ernest is an amazing professional carer who delivers care from the heart.”
“We particularly appreciate the companionship Dawn gives in the evenings when she plays cards and Scrabble with my mother.”
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.