Case Study

Surrey Residential and Nursing Home

A 25-bed residential and nursing care home in Surrey.

The home had been inspected in 2016 and was rated by the CQC as ‘Good’ in all five domains. But the provider wanted more than that. He wanted his home to deliver an ‘Outstanding’ service.

So, in July 2017, he engaged care home consultancy, Fulcrum Care, to help him achieve this ambition.

Over the next eighteen months, Fulcrum consultants Tony Thiru and Trisha Kelly supported the home to attain ‘Outstanding’. Working in partnership, the care home team and Fulcrum Care introduced new systems, audited procedures and plans, built evidence, and worked to minimise risks.

Working Together to Make Good Even Better

Trisha and Tony regularly visited the home. The aim of these visits was to audit the current systems and plans and to introduce innovative processes and practices that would reduce risk.

With advice and guidance, the home’s registered manager and team started to improve and to build the evidence that supported this.

Trisha audited each of the residents’ care plans and reported on her findings. She also guided the nurses on the mapping process for planning person-centred care.

Says Trisha, “Together we developed on what the home already had, putting systems in place and using Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOE) based audit tools to develop action plans to help them make the service even better. The manager and team worked really hard to take on board all that knowledge and to build more evidence, develop case studies and put together proof of best practice.”

“Together we developed on what the home already had, putting systems in place and using Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOE) based audit tools to develop action plans to help them make the service even better.”

Achieving Outstanding

The CQC next inspected the home in January 2019.

In April, the home was informed by the CQC that the draft report had been prepared and that they had achieved an overall ‘Outstanding’ rating. Two areas had been deemed ‘Good’ again, and the home had improved to ‘Outstanding’ in the Caring, Responsive and Well Led areas.

The CQC draft report found that “significant improvements had been implemented which has increased the overall rating to outstanding”.

The report praised how people at the home are at the heart of everything and how staff have an excellent understanding of residents’ needs. The report notes that there is provision of “person-centred care to a very high standard”, reflecting the hard work the Fulcrum and the care home teams put in.

“Fulcrum Care helped this care home to achieve a wonderful outcome. The leadership really embraced our counsel and used the additional tools we gave them to develop even better practices.”

Both the provider and the registered manager demonstrated to the CQC a clear vision and set of values for the home. Rooted in dignity and respect for the residents and a commitment to get to know them, the leadership team, registered manager and the staff all showed compassion, which positively impacted the lives of the residents in their care.

The CQC reported that residents, families and visiting care professionals all spoke highly about the home, its staff and the care provided, rating it outstanding.

Enthused Trisha, “Fulcrum Care helped this care home to achieve a wonderful outcome. The leadership really embraced our counsel and used the additional tools we gave them to develop even better practices. They built on our advice and guidance and worked really hard – I’m so proud of everything they have achieved.”