CQC report explained · a residential care home, run by Westmorland and Furness Council

Riverside House

Wattsfield Road, Kendal, LA9 5JL

Goodpublished 23 December 2023, 2 years ago

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

The five questions inspectors ask

Safe?: Good; People were protected from abuse and risks were assessed and managed. Inspectors found enough staff, safe recruitment, safe medicines support and suitable infection control practices.
Effective?: Good; People's needs were assessed and care plans gave staff relevant guidance. Staff were trained, people received support with food and drink and healthcare, and the home followed the Mental Capacity Act.
Caring?: Good; Staff were kind, respectful and caring. They supported people's dignity, independence and involvement in decisions about their care.
Responsive?: Good; People received personalised care based on their needs and preferences. They could take part in activities, see visitors and maintain important relationships.
Well-led?: Good; The home had an open, person-centred culture. Management sought feedback, acted on suggestions, monitored quality and worked with other services.

The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, December 2023

Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with the building needing refurbishment.

This was the first inspection since the home was newly registered. Inspectors visited without warning on 6 December 2023 and reviewed information, care records, medicines records, staff files and management records. They spoke with people, relatives, staff and a healthcare professional, and observed care.

The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines support, suitable training, good healthcare support and care that respected people's choices, dignity and independence.

People received personalised care and could enjoy activities, visitors and relationships that mattered to them. The home had an open culture and used feedback to make changes. Inspectors noted that the premises were old and outdated, and that most bedrooms were small without ensuite facilities.

What inspectors praised

People felt safe
Inspectors found that people were protected from abuse and that risks to their safety were identified and managed. People said staff responded quickly when they needed help.
“People were safe and protected from abuse. Risks to people's safety had been identified and managed.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff knew people well and supported their privacy, dignity, independence and choices. People were included in planning and reviewing their care.
“People were supported by kind and caring staff who knew them well.” from the report
Personalised support and activities
Care plans were detailed and kept up to date. People could follow their interests, enjoy activities and receive visitors as they wished.
“People received person-centred care which met their needs and took account of their preferences.” from the report
Open management
The manager sought views from people and staff and used feedback to change menus and plan activities. Staff said their suggestions were listened to.
“The registered manager asked people for their views and used their feedback to improve the service.” from the report

What inspectors were concerned about

Older building and small bedrooms
minor
The premises were old and outdated. Most bedrooms were small and did not have ensuite toileting or bathing facilities, although refurbishment was planned.
“The premises were old and outdated. Most bedrooms were small and did not have ensuite toileting or bathing facilities.” from the report

Questions to ask them, based on this report

01What is the timetable for the planned refurbishment of the home?
02Which bedrooms are small or do not have ensuite toileting or bathing facilities?
03How will my relative's individual care plan be reviewed and updated if their needs change?
04What activities would be available for my relative, based on their interests and abilities?
05How would you support my relative to make choices if they had difficulty communicating or lacked capacity for a particular decision?

This was the first inspection of the newly registered service and covered all five CQC questions, including the premises and care provided. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 December 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 Riverside House

3 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.

December 2023Goodcurrent rating
Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Riverside House →
December 2020Inspected but not rated
Safe: Inspected but not rated
November 2018Goodstayed Good
Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
April 2016Good
Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
April 2023
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 April 2023.

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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What inspectors found, December 2023

People felt safe

Kind and respectful care

Personalised support and activities

Open management

Older building and small bedrooms

Every inspection of Riverside House

Or stay at home with a private carer

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