# Fern House

*Operated by Abbeyfield The Dales Limited.*

Fern House is a CQC-regulated home-care agency in Bingley.

## CQC Ratings

| Key question | Rating |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | Requires improvement |
| Safe | Requires improvement |
| Effective | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Requires improvement |
| Well-led | Requires improvement |

Rating published: 07/10/2021

## Practical info

- Postcode: BD16 4FA
- Registered manager: Armistead, Lesley
- Local authority: Bradford
- Region: Yorkshire & Humberside
- City: Bingley
- Last CQC check: 07/Oct/2021 - 00:00

## Inspection findings

### Other

- Finding
  - Evidence: The provider was responsive to inspection findings and submitted an action plan detailing improvements.
  - Published: 2023-09-13
- Finding
  - Evidence: People lived in a clean and pleasant environment.
  - Published: 2023-09-13
- Finding
  - Evidence: Staff supported people to keep in touch with family through video and phone calls during visiting suspension.
  - Published: 2023-09-13
- Finding
  - Evidence: People and relatives gave consistently positive feedback, with staff described as 'marvellous', 'very kind' and 'absolutely first class'.
  - Published: 2023-09-13
- Finding
  - Evidence: Robust infection control procedures were in place which helped keep people and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  - Published: 2023-09-13
- Finding
  - Evidence: Staff recruitment processes were safe with all required checks completed before new staff started employment.
  - Published: 2023-09-13
- **care_planning** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: One person had fallen frequently which resulted in serious injury on two occasions but their assessment showed they were at low risk of falls.
  - Published: 2023-09-13
- **staffing_levels** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: The provider had no formal system in place to calculate safe staffing levels. Duty rotas showed these levels were not maintained.
  - Published: 2023-09-13
- **record_keeping** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: Care records for people using the service were not always accurate or up to date. Risk assessments and care plans were not always accurate or updated when needs changed.
  - Published: 2023-09-13
- **leadership** _(critical)_
  - Evidence: There was a lack of effective management and leadership. Staff described managers as friendly and approachable however, they said issues raised were not always acted upon.
  - Published: 2023-09-13
- **governance** _(critical)_
  - Evidence: The analysis for December 2020 showed a total of 5 incidents in the service yet our review found 23 incidents. This included multiple falls and incidents between people using the service.
  - Published: 2023-09-13
- **incident_learning** _(critical)_
  - Evidence: People were having multiple falls yet there was no evidence of learning or action taken to prevent repeat events.
  - Published: 2023-09-13
- **safeguarding** _(critical)_
  - Evidence: The provider did not always report safeguarding incidents to the local safeguarding authority and CQC. For example, incidents between people who used the service.
  - Published: 2023-09-13
- **medication_management** _(critical)_
  - Evidence: Topical medicine administration records (TMARs) were not always in place for prescribed creams to ensure staff knew how, where and when to apply them.
  - Published: 2023-09-13

## Source

Data published by the [Care Quality Commission](https://www.cqc.org.uk/) under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Canonical page: https://homecarecompass.co.uk/agency/1-4012513561

HomeCare Compass is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the CQC.