CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at 8 Spring Mount Harrogate
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from avoidable harm. Inspectors found personalised risk assessments, enough staff, safe recruitment, safe medicines management and good infection prevention measures.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had the training and skills to meet people's needs. People were involved in decisions, supported with eating and drinking, and helped to access healthcare.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect. People were supported to make choices, maintain relationships and develop independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Support was tailored to people's needs, communication styles, interests and sensory needs. However, plans did not always include personal goals, aspirations, outcomes or achievements.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found a positive, open culture and regular checks on the quality of care. People, relatives and staff were invited to share their views.
What inspectors found, June 2022
8 Spring Mount Harrogate is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind care, but person-centred goals and achievements were not always planned or recorded.
This was an unannounced inspection on 5 May 2022. An inspector and an Expert by Experience spoke with four people, three staff members and two support staff by telephone. They also reviewed care records, audits, policies and other documents.
The home supported six people with learning disabilities and/or autism and sensory impairment. Inspectors found enough skilled staff, safe medicines management, good infection control and care that respected people's choices, communication needs, dignity and independence.
The main shortfall was in person-centred planning. People's support was tailored to them, but plans did not always include personal goals, aspirations, outcomes or achievements. The home was rated Good in all five areas. Overall, this remained Good compared with the previous overall Good rating, although Responsive fell from Outstanding to Good.
Choice and independence
People were supported to make choices, have control over their lives and develop daily living skills.
“The service supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence over their own lives.” from the report
Staff understood people
Staff knew people's communication styles and responded to signs, gestures, behaviour and body language.
“Staff knew people's individual communication styles well. They knew how to interpret their signs, gestures, behaviours and body language.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors observed a relaxed atmosphere and respectful relationships. People were encouraged to take part in activities and do things for themselves.
“We observed staff treat people with kindness and respect.” from the report
Communication and activities
Information was adapted to people's needs, including large print and audio formats. People were supported to follow interests and join activities in the community.
“People were supported to refresh their Braille skills and share their learning with others.” from the report
Personal goals were not recorded
needs fixingSupport plans did not always set out people's personal goals, aspirations, outcomes or achievements. Inspectors recommended that the provider improve person-centred planning.
“However, people didn't have any person-centred plans to include personal goals, aspirations or achievements.” from the report
Shared areas were not personalised
minorThe home was clean, safe and homely, but inspectors said the communal areas did not reflect people's personal preferences. Bedrooms could be personalised.
“The communal areas were modern but not personalised.” from the report
- 01How will you make sure each person's goals, aspirations, outcomes and achievements are included and regularly updated in their support plan?
- 02How can my relative personalise shared areas as well as their bedroom?
- 03How do you monitor PRN medicines used during severe distress, and how do you make sure they remain a last resort?
- 04How are staffing levels changed when a person's needs change or when they want to take part in activities?
- 05What communication formats and methods would you use for my relative's particular sensory and communication needs?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions, the premises and care provided, including infection prevention and control; the previous overall rating was Good and the previous Responsive rating was Outstanding. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 June 2022 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.
Every inspection of 8 Spring Mount Harrogate
3 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- June 2022Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
- January 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2020
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 December 2020.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
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28 live-in carers within about an hour of North Yorkshire
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £1,010 to £1,290 a week. 27 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“Carla has been a god send with the implementation of bringing mum back home from respite care.”
“She was always 'just present enough': attentive, available, kind and engaging, but without ever over-stepping any boundary”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.