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CQC report explained · a residential care home, run by Healthcare Homes

Home Meadow

Comberton Road, Toft, CB23 2RY

Goodpublished 14 September 2023, 2 years ago

Rated Good: inspectors found the service performing well and meeting their expectations.

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Requires improvement
Inspectors found gaps in infection control monitoring, fluid monitoring and diabetes care plans. They found no evidence that anyone had been harmed, and the provider acted on the concerns during the inspection.
Effective?
Good
This key question was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was carried forward when calculating the overall rating.
Caring?
Good
This key question was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was carried forward when calculating the overall rating.
Responsive?
Good
This key question was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was carried forward when calculating the overall rating.
Well-led?
Good
Managers and staff were generally clear about their roles, people and relatives could raise concerns, and audits and incidents were reviewed. CQC still asked the provider to strengthen its infection control monitoring.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, September 2023

Rated Good overall, but inspectors found that some safety checks and care plans needed improvement.

Inspectors visited on three dates in July and August 2023. The inspection was unannounced and followed concerns about infection control and safeguarding. They spoke with people, relatives, staff and a healthcare professional, and reviewed care, medicines, staffing and management records.

People said they felt safe and relatives said their family members were safe and well cared for. Staffing, recruitment, medicines, incident reporting and safeguarding arrangements were found to be suitable. Staff also received training about falls, severe infections and health deterioration.

There were important gaps in safety monitoring. Fluid charts were not always reviewed properly, which meant people could be at risk of dehydration. Some diabetes care plans did not give staff enough accurate guidance. Infection control checks had also failed to identify some risks before a local authority visit.

The overall rating was Good. Safe was rated Requires Improvement, while Well-led was rated Good. The provider acted on the findings during the inspection, but CQC said further monitoring was needed.

What inspectors praised
  • People felt safe

    People and relatives told inspectors they felt safe and well cared for. Staff said they knew how to report concerns.

    People told us they felt safe and well cared for by staff.from the report
  • Medicines were managed safely

    Medicines were given as prescribed by trained staff whose competence had been checked. Audits were carried out and people were satisfied with the process.

    Medicines were managed and administered safely by appropriately trained staff.from the report
  • Enough staff

    Staffing levels were assessed against people's needs. Recruitment checks, including DBS checks, were completed.

    Staff rotas evidenced the required staffing levels were planned for each shift.from the report
  • Approachable management

    People, relatives and staff said they could approach the manager with concerns. Suggestions and preferences were recorded and acted on.

    Staff and relatives told us they felt able to approach the registered manager with any concerns or questions.from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Infection control checks

    needs fixing

    The provider's own monitoring had not identified some infection control risks before a local authority visit. CQC recommended better ongoing checks and quicker action.

    The provider needed to improve their review and response to risks and signs of infection.from the report
  • Fluid monitoring

    serious

    Fluid charts were not always completed at the end of each day. This could mean missed opportunities to support people whose fluid intake had fallen.

    People were at risk of dehydration due to insufficient monitoring.from the report
  • Diabetes care plans

    serious

    Some diabetes care plans were inaccurate or lacked guidance about low or high blood glucose levels. This created a risk that people could receive unsuitable support.

    People with diabetes did not always have clear care plans in place.from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How are fluid charts now reviewed each day, and what happens if someone is not drinking enough?
  2. 02What changes have been made to diabetes care plans and staff training?
  3. 03How often are infection control audits completed, and who checks that identified problems are fixed promptly?
  4. 04What were the ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive at the last comprehensive inspection?
  5. 05How will you show families that the improvements identified during this inspection have been sustained?

This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led; the other key question ratings were not inspected and were carried forward from the previous comprehensive inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 14 September 2023 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.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Home Meadow

4 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.

  1. September 2023Goodcurrent rating
    Safe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Home Meadow

  2. February 2021Inspected but not rated
    Safe: Inspected but not rated

    We are reading this report · the original is on cqc.org.uk

  3. September 2018Goodstayed Good
    Safe: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. April 2016Goodup from Requires improvement
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. June 2015Requires improvement
    Safe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  6. October 2014

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  7. July 2014

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  8. June 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  9. May 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  10. September 2012

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  11. April 2012

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  12. June 2011

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  13. April 2011

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  14. December 2010

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 23 December 2010.

Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission. A service can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections, not every contact the CQC has had with the service.

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