Welcome to Downham Grange Care Home

Our response to the CQC report

We contested the CQC report at its draft stage but no significant changes were made by the CQC despite our highly detailed challenge. We accept some shortcomings, which we are addressing through a robust action plan, but consider the report extremely harsh and out of proportion and are therefore extremely disappointed that the CQC has still rated the service Inadequate.

We will be challenging the overall rating of the report, in particular because the key questions of Effective, Caring and Responsive continue to be rated Good. Hence we will await the outcome of the CQC’s deliberations regarding our second challenge.


Safe Response

We pride ourselves on ensuring that the safety of all our residents is paramount. We note there were issues of ordering medicines which we have addressed and worked with our pharmacy and GP surgery to resolve. We do appreciate our recording of repositioning people unable to move themselves confidently in bed could be better regarding the prevention of pressure ulcers. We would like to point out that this is, in our view, a recording issue and each person that we support to reposition has their skin intact and hence has not experienced harm. Therefore further reasons for our disappointment at the rating given by the CQC.

The home uses a well-known dependency tool to determine staffing quotas and we were therefore satisfied there were sufficient staff for the service users’ needs. However, the CQC felt there was the need for an additional qualified nurse on night duty and as a responsible care service and viewing the CQC as a critical friend we are in the process of taking this action.


Well-Led

The report we consider is highly disappointing and to a degree in conflict. For example the CQC refers to the lack of management oversight to which we partially agree. However the report does draw reference to us addressing issues as any management team would in any home, therefore surely there is management oversight in action. We have drawn up and commenced the implementation of an action plan to address those areas with which we agree needs improvement and we have met with relatives and service users to explain the report and what we are doing to resolve. We are open and transparent and will be meeting the service users and relatives regularly to provide an update of our progress. We have received positive comments from relatives about the care delivered at the service and we would like to thank the service users and relatives for their support. We apologise we have not got everything right but we do so strongly believe this report is grossly unfair. We have full confidence in our caring and highly skilled staff team at the service.