Care home stays in special measures despite lifting its game
Kingsgate Residential Home in Sheringham. Photo: Google Streetview - Credit: Archant
The manager of a north Norfolk care home is pleased with a 'requires improvement' rating from the health watchdog, while acknowledging there is still a way to go to bring it up to scratch.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) gave Kingsgate Residential Home in North Street, Sheringham, the rating after an unannounced inspection in January.
Kingsgate, which is home to 24 people aged 65 and over, some of whom are living with dementia, was given the CQC's lowest grade of 'inadequate' at its previous inspection in July last year.
Ginny Taylor, who owns Kingsgate, said that while the home remained in special measures the new rating represented progress.
Mrs Taylor said: "We're really pleased that we've got back to 'requires improvement'.
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"We have a new manager in place and we continue to strive to improve our position.
"We're on course to turn it around and return our rating to 'good' where we always were. It has been a hard seven or eight months but we are getting out of it and moving forward."
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It its latest report, the CQC gave Kingsgate 'requires improvement' marks in the categories of: safe, effective, caring and responsive. In a fifth category, well-led, it was rated 'inadequate'.
MORE: 'We can't forcibly restrain her' - care home owner hits back at safety criticisms over resident 'repeatedly' leaving siteThe CQC said that while improvements had been made since the last inspection, the home was still in breach of four regulations.
The report said: "There was still a lack of effective quality assurance systems in place to monitor and assess all areas of the service.
"Some audits had been implemented, but these were still ineffective. People's care records did not contain enough detail and the needs of some people had not been assessed and planned for. Risks relating to people's health and wellbeing were not managed robustly.
"Reports of accidents and incidents were not detailed, and notifiable incidents had not been reported in line with the regulatory requirements."
But the CQC also had positive things to say, including: "People were cared for in a respectful way and felt involved in the planning of their care and treatment, along with their relatives.
"There was a lack of provision for people to take part in activities, but work was being undertaken to improve this."
