CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Whorlton Grange Residential Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured about infection prevention and control, including visitors, admissions, testing, protective equipment, hygiene and outbreak management. They said further improvements could be made to social distancing.
- 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, March 2021
Whorlton Grange Residential Home was inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong infection control, with some further work needed on social distancing.
This was an unannounced, targeted inspection on 23 February 2021. It looked at infection prevention and control because of coronavirus outbreaks and concerns about infection control measures.
Inspectors found good arrangements for visitors, testing, shielding, personal protective equipment and cleaning. Staff had supplies of protective equipment and hand sanitiser, and had received infection control training.
The home was clean and hygienic, with communal areas deep cleaned twice a day. Inspectors said some further improvements could be made to social distancing and signposted the provider to resources.
The service was inspected but not rated. This means the visit checked infection control practices only and did not give an overall quality rating.
Visitor safety
The home used temperature checks, protective equipment and track and trace records to reduce the risk of infection for visitors and residents.
“Measures were in place to minimise the risk of visitors catching and spreading Covid-19.” from the report
Staff training and supplies
Staff understood how to use protective equipment, and there were plentiful supplies of protective equipment and hand sanitiser.
“Staff had been trained in infection prevention and control.” from the report
Clean environment
Inspectors found the home clean and hygienic. Cleaning schedules and audits were completed, with communal areas deep cleaned twice daily.
“The home looked clean and hygienic. Cleaning schedules and audits were completed.” from the report
Testing and outbreak planning
Testing for residents and staff followed government guidance, and inspectors were assured that outbreaks could be prevented or managed effectively.
“Testing for both people and staff was completed in line with Government guidance.” from the report
Social distancing
minorSome people found social distancing difficult. Inspectors said the home needed to make further improvements and signposted the provider to resources.
“We found some further improvements could be made regarding social distancing, so we have signposted the provider to resources to develop their approach.” from the report
- 01What changes have you made to improve social distancing since the inspection?
- 02How do you support people who find social distancing difficult?
- 03How often are communal areas cleaned now, and how are cleaning checks recorded?
- 04How do you manage visits and reduce the risk of infection for residents and visitors?
- 05How do you test residents and staff, and manage a suspected outbreak?
This was an unannounced targeted inspection of infection prevention and control only; it was inspected but not rated and did not provide ratings for the other areas of care. This explanation was written from the published report of 6 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.
What inspectors found, March 2020
Whorlton Grange Residential Home was rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe care and improvements since the previous inspection.
This was an unannounced planned inspection on 28 January and 06 February 2020. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, relatives, staff and health and social care professionals. They also observed care and checked care, medicines, recruitment and management records.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People said they felt safe and were treated kindly. Inspectors found medicines were given safely and on time, staffing was sufficient, care was personalised and the home was clean.
There were some minor gaps. Visitors did not always sign in and out. A small number of care, incident and complaints records were incomplete, although some information was corrected during the inspection. The home was recruiting a manager, with day-to-day cover from the deputy operations manager.
The previous rating was Requires Improvement, published in February 2019. The provider had completed an action plan, and inspectors found the earlier breaches had been addressed. The home was no longer in breach of regulations and was rated Good.
Kind and respectful staff
People and relatives praised the staff. Inspectors saw staff being caring, patient and respectful, while supporting people's dignity and independence.
“People felt safe and were cared for by kind and compassionate staff.” from the report
Safe medicines
Medicines were given on time and in the way people preferred. Storage was secure and staff had received relevant training.
“People received their medicines on time and they were administered how they wished” from the report
Good food and healthcare support
People received suitable food and fluids, including specialist diets. The home involved healthcare professionals when concerns arose.
“People were supported with plenty suitable food and fluids to maintain a healthy diet” from the report
Activities and communication
People could take part in activities inside and outside the home. Staff understood different communication styles and supported people's choices.
“Activities took place both within the service and outside in the community.” from the report
Visitor sign-in records
needs fixingSome visitors had not signed in or out. Inspectors recommended reviewing the procedure in line with best practice.
“Some visitors to the service had not signed in or out.” from the report
Incomplete records
needs fixingA small number of incidents did not have a full outcome recorded. The management team said this would be included in future records.
“A small number of incidents had not included a full outcome.” from the report
Management cover
minorThe registered manager no longer had daily oversight, and a new manager was being recruited. Day-to-day cover was being provided by the deputy operations manager.
“A new manager was being recruited and a temporary application and cover arrangements were in place.” from the report
- 01How do you now make sure every visitor signs in and out?
- 02How do you check that incident records include a full outcome?
- 03Who is currently responsible for the home's day-to-day management, and what is the progress on recruiting a manager?
- 04How do you monitor staffing levels when staff say the home is busy?
- 05What is the current plan for recruiting an additional activity coordinator?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five key questions, with the previous Requires Improvement rating used as the reason for inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 3 March 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.
Every inspection of Whorlton Grange Residential Home
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- March 2021Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at Whorlton Grange Residential Home →
- March 2020Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Whorlton Grange Residential Home →
- February 2019Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- June 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 28 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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