CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Across The Bay
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Staffing, recruitment, risk management, medicines and infection control were all described positively.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs and choices were assessed and care records were reviewed. Staff training, healthcare support, food and consent arrangements were found to be effective.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect. People were involved in decisions about their care and daily lives.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's individual needs and preferences. The home provided a range of activities and had a complaints process.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The management team used audits to oversee the home and identify improvements. People and staff described a positive culture, although systems for involving relatives were still being developed.
What inspectors found, December 2021
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, with family involvement systems still developing.
This was the home's first inspection since it registered in October 2019. One inspector visited on 19 October 2021. They spoke with five people, four staff members, the cook, the registered manager and the owner. They also observed care, reviewed records and checked the building and infection control measures.
Inspectors rated all five areas Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. They found the home clean, with enough staff, safe medicines systems and suitable recruitment checks. People received support with healthcare, food, activities and their personal choices.
Inspectors found kind and respectful interactions. Care plans were personalised and reviewed regularly. The management team used audits and acted on suggestions. This was a planned first inspection, so there was no earlier rating to compare it with.
Safe staffing
Inspectors found there were enough staff to meet people's needs, even though the home reported national staff shortages. Recruitment checks were also in place.
“There were sufficient staff to meet people's care and support needs.” from the report
Kind care
People described staff as kind, respectful and supportive. Inspectors also observed caring interactions.
“Everyone is kind and cannot do enough for me” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's health, social care and communication needs. People were involved in developing and reviewing their care.
“The registered manager and staff developed person-centred care plans to help people to meet their requirements and preferences.” from the report
Activities and stimulation
The home offered both group and individual activities, including exercise and social activities.
“Staff worked hard to provide meaningful activities and stimulation for people.” from the report
Management oversight
The management team used audits and acted on issues and suggestions to improve the service.
“The management team had auditing systems to maintain ongoing oversight and continued development of Across The bay.” from the report
Family involvement developing
minorInspectors said the systems for fully involving people and relatives were still being developed. Ask how relatives are included in care reviews and decisions.
“Systems and processes continued to be developed to ensure people and relatives were fully engaged.” from the report
- 01How will you involve me and other relatives in care reviews and decisions?
- 02How do you maintain safe staffing when there are staff shortages?
- 03How would you adapt activities to my relative's interests, abilities and communication needs?
- 04How often will my relative's care plan be reviewed, and how will changes be recorded?
- 05What infection control arrangements would apply if there was an outbreak?
This was a planned first inspection covering all five key questions, including a specific check of infection prevention and control measures; there was no previous rating to carry over. This explanation was written from the published report of 8 December 2021 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 Across The Bay
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- December 2021Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2019
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 4 October 2019.
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.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
85 live-in carers within about an hour of Lancashire
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 £980 to £1,260 a week. 78 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“She understands the needs of an elderly person in the early stages of dementia and has treated my mother with great kindness and skill.”
“Thanks to Tracy, Dad was always immaculately dressed and clean, his meals were all home cooked and nutritionally well balanced and his home was always kept really clean and tidy.”
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.