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CQC report explained · a residential care home, run by Flexible Support Options

The Grove

Kensington, Ayton Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2DB

Goodpublished 4 January 2024, 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 safe staffing, safeguarding, medicines and infection control. However, repeated leaks and water damage meant there was limited assurance about safety and an increased risk that people could be harmed.
Effective?
Good
This area was not inspected during this visit. The report says the previous ratings were used to calculate the overall rating.
Caring?
Good
This area was not inspected during this visit. The report's overall findings describe kind, compassionate and dignity-respecting care.
Responsive?
Good
This area was not inspected during this visit. Inspectors reported that support was tailored to the person's needs, choices and goals.
Well-led?
Good
Managers reviewed the service, acted on incidents and had plans for improvements. Inspectors found a positive, person-centred culture and good partnership working.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, January 2024

Rated Good overall; inspectors found kind, person-centred care, but ongoing building leaks meant Safe was Requires Improvement.

This was an unannounced inspection carried out over four visits in November 2023. Inspectors met the person living at the home, contacted relatives, spoke with staff and health professionals, and checked care, medicines, staff and management records.

The person was supported with choice, independence and daily activities. Inspectors found kind care, enough staff, safe medicines practice, safeguarding knowledge and good links with other services.

The main concern was repeated water leaking from the care home above. Rooms and parts of the building had been damaged. A refurbishment and other repairs were under way, but inspectors said the problem could continue until all causes were identified and fixed.

The overall rating was Good. Safe was rated Requires Improvement and well-led was rated Good. The other three areas were not inspected during this visit, so their previous ratings were used to calculate the overall rating.

What inspectors praised

  • Choice and independence

    The person was supported to make decisions, use their strengths and pursue their goals.

    “The person was supported to have maximum possible choice, control and independence.” from the report

  • Kind and respectful care

    Inspectors found compassionate care that respected the person's privacy, dignity, needs and wishes.

    “The person received kind and compassionate care.” from the report

  • Medicines and staffing

    There were enough staff, medicines were managed safely, and staff had been trained and assessed as competent.

    “The person's medicines were managed in a safe manner.” from the report

  • Positive leadership

    The manager and staff placed the person's needs at the centre of the service and worked with other agencies to support their wellbeing.

    “The registered manager promoted a positive, person-centred culture.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

  • Ongoing leaks and water damage

    serious

    Water had entered nearly all rooms over time and the conservatory was leaking. Repairs and a full refurbishment were under way, but inspectors said the underlying causes had not all been identified and fixed.

    “The person told us of ongoing problems with the building from water leaking in from the other care home above and showed us rooms, which had water damage.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01Which parts of the leak and water-damage work have now been completed, and what work is still outstanding?
  2. 02What happens if water leaks into the home again, and how will the person be kept safe during repairs?
  3. 03What is the timetable for the full refurbishment and replacement of the conservatory?
  4. 04How are building checks and repairs recorded and reviewed by the manager?
  5. 05How will you show that the Safe rating has improved since this inspection?

This was a focused inspection of Safe and well-led only; the other three ratings were not inspected and the previous ratings were used to calculate the overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 January 2024 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 The Grove

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

  1. January 2024Goodcurrent ratingstayed Good
    Safe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at The Grove →

  2. May 2018Goodstayed Good
    Safe: GoodWell-led: Good

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

  3. January 2016Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. February 2015

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 23 February 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.

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Same provider

Other services run by Flexible Support Options Limited

4 other services on the CQC register. A pattern across a group tells you more than one report.

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