Whiteheather
Weeley, CO16 · 5.3 km
Residential
Rated 4 years agocare home
CQC report explained · a residential care home, run by Archangel Healthcare
Tendring Meadows
The Heath, Tendring, Clacton-on-Sea, CO16 0BZ
Goodpublished 5 October 2023, 2 years ago
Rated Good: inspectors found the service performing well and meeting their expectations.
The five questions inspectors ask
- Safe?
- Good
- People received medicines safely and as prescribed. Risks such as choking, falls and pressure ulcers were managed, although one person's fluid and catheter records did not match and some as-needed medicines instructions lacked person-centred detail.
- Effective?
- Good
- The building had undergone major renovation, staff had training and competency checks, and people were supported with food, drink and healthcare. The home worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were consistently kind and respectful, creating a calm and positive atmosphere. People's views, relationships, privacy and personal preferences were considered, although some older records needed more person-centred language.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was updated when people's needs changed, and people took part in activities linked to their interests. Complaints were recorded and responded to, but the home needed to analyse complaint themes more fully.
- Well-led?
- Good
- A registered manager and new directors were in place, with better leadership, staff support and partnership working. Governance systems were in place but still needed to be developed, embedded and sustained.
The latest report, explained
What inspectors found, October 2023
Rated Good after major improvement; the home is no longer in Special Measures, but new management must sustain its progress.
Inspectors visited unannounced on 30 August and 1 September 2023. They spoke with people, relatives, staff and professionals. They observed care and checked medicines, care plans, risk assessments and management records.
All five areas were rated Good. Inspectors found medicines were given safely, risks were managed, staffing was sufficient and infection controls were effective. They also found kind care, personalised support, meaningful activities and better communication with families.
The home had been rated Inadequate at the previous inspection and had been in Special Measures since March 2022. New directors and a new registered manager had made rapid improvements. The home was no longer in breach of regulations or in Special Measures, although some management systems still needed to be developed and sustained.
What inspectors praised
Safer medicines
Inspectors reviewed all 16 people's medicine records and found medicines were stored and given safely. Errors and near misses were investigated and used for learning.
“People received their medicines safely and as prescribed. Medicines were stored securely.” from the report
Major improvements
The new directors had invested in the building and grounds. Improvements included repairs, new flooring, bathrooms, heating, fencing and redecoration.
“There had been significant improvement works to the building under the new directors.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff treated people with courtesy and respect. Inspectors described a calm and positive atmosphere, with privacy and dignity taken into account.
“Staff were seen to be consistently caring and kind, treating people with courtesy and respect.” from the report
Personalised activities
The activities coordinator helped people take part in meaningful activities in the home and community, including cinema and circus visits.
“The activities coordinator was proactive and thoughtful in supporting people to take part in meaningful social and leisure activities within their home and community.” from the report
Better leadership
A new registered manager and new directors had improved staff morale, communication and oversight. The home was working more proactively with other professionals.
“Staff morale had improved, and staff were now provided with the resources they needed to successfully carry out their roles.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
Some medicines instructions needed more detail
needs fixingAll as-needed medicine protocols were present, but some did not explain enough about the individual person. Management said this would be addressed.
“However, some lacked person centred information that could support staff to better understand how to effectively use these medicines for the individual.” from the report
One set of records did not match
needs fixingFor one person, fluid intake and catheter output records did not tally. The manager updated the risk assessment during the inspection.
“We identified 1 person where records did not tally for their fluid intake and catheter output.” from the report
Systems still needed embedding
needs fixingThe home had introduced governance systems, but inspectors said these needed to be developed, embedded and sustained by the new management team.
“Improvements to governance systems needed to be developed, embedded, and sustained by the new management team, who told us they were committed to doing so.” from the report
Complaint learning could be stronger
minorComplaints were recorded with responses and outcomes, but the home needed to analyse themes and trends more clearly to show ongoing improvement.
“Further work was required to build on this through analysis of themes and trends in complaints to demonstrate continuous improvement.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
- 01How will you make sure the new governance and audit systems continue to work over time?
- 02What extra person-centred information has been added to the as-needed medicines protocols?
- 03How do you check and correct fluid intake and catheter output records?
- 04Which renovation work remains unfinished, and when will the top floor reopen?
- 05How do you analyse complaints and use any themes to improve the service?
This was an unannounced follow-up inspection covering the five key questions, including infection prevention and control under Safe; the top floor was closed for renovation during the visit. This explanation was written from the published report of 5 October 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 Tendring Meadows
6 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- October 2023Goodcurrent ratingup from InadequateSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2023Inadequatestayed InadequateSafe: InadequateEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Inadequate
- March 2022Inadequatedown from Requires improvementSafe: InadequateEffective: InadequateCaring: InadequateResponsive: InadequateWell-led: Inadequate
- May 2021Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementWell-led: Inadequate
- April 2019Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- August 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2015
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 4 March 2015.
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.
Another option
Or stay at home with a private carer
Many people who look at care homes end up staying at home with a carer who comes in for a few hours a day, or lives in. PrimeCarers introduces you to self-employed carers you choose yourself: interviewed, ID and DBS checked, from about £20 an hour or £1,120 a week live-in.
Nearby
Other care homes near Clacton-on-Sea
Good
Acorn Village
Manningtree, CO11 · 5.3 km
Residential
Rated 7 years agocare home
Mistley Manor
Manningtree, CO11 · 5.7 km
ResidentialDementia
Rated 7 years agocare home
Seven Rivers - Care Home with Nursing Physical Disabilities
Colchester, CO7 · 5.7 km
Nursing
Rated 7 years agocare home
21 Mill Lane
Clacton-on-Sea, CO16 · 6.1 km
Residential
Rated 3 years agocare home
Three Cups
Harwich, CO12 · 6.1 km
Residential
Rated last monthcare home