CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Balmoral Care Home
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
What inspectors found, April 2022
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some improvement work and new systems still underway.
This was the first inspection under the newly registered provider. Inspectors visited without warning on 10 and 15 March 2022. They spoke with people living in the home, relatives and staff, and checked care records, medicines, recruitment, training, safety checks and management records.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines practices, clear care plans, good infection control and support for people's health and nutrition. People said staff were kind, respectful and responsive.
The home had activities available and planned more as pandemic restrictions eased. Improvements to decoration, furnishings and flooring were in progress. A new electronic records system had also been introduced but was not yet fully operational.
Safe care
People felt safe, risks were managed and staff recruitment checks had been completed. Inspectors also found safe medicines practices and enough staff to meet people's needs.
“Risks to individuals and staff were identified and well managed.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Staff were observed to provide calm, caring support. People said they were treated with dignity and that their privacy and choices were respected.
“Throughout the inspection staff were observed to have a kind and caring, unrushed approach.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans and risk assessments gave staff clear information about people's needs and preferences. People were involved in everyday decisions about their care.
“Records were person centred and had good detail about how people liked their support to be provided.” from the report
Good management
Inspectors found quality checks and audits, and people and relatives spoke positively about how the home was managed. The provider also worked with health and social care professionals.
“There was a range of quality monitoring and auditing in place to ensure managers had oversight of the service and any actions that needed to be taken.” from the report
Electronic records not finished
minorThe new electronic records system was still being introduced and was not fully operational at the inspection. Ask how this has progressed and whether families can now access relevant records remotely where appropriate.
“The was a new electronic system which was not yet fully operational.” from the report
Building work ongoing
minorDecoration, furnishings and flooring improvements were still in progress. Ask which improvements remain and when they are expected to be completed.
“There was a programme of improvements to the decoration, furnishings and fittings underway.” from the report
Activities had reduced
minorActivities and opportunities to go out had reduced during the pandemic. The home had a new activity coordinator and plans for more activities, so families should ask what is now offered.
“People told us the activities and opportunities to do activities in the community, had reduced during the pandemic.” from the report
- 01Which decoration, flooring and furniture improvements are still outstanding, and when will they be completed?
- 02Is the new electronic care records system now fully operational, and how can families access relevant records where appropriate?
- 03What activities are currently available inside the home and in the community?
- 04How many staff are usually working on each shift, and how is cover arranged when staff are absent?
- 05How are residents and families involved in reviewing care plans and making decisions about care?
This was an unannounced first inspection under a newly registered provider that assessed all five CQC questions and included infection prevention and control checks. This explanation was written from the published report of 2 April 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.
What inspectors found, February 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection-control arrangements and safe visiting during the COVID-19 review.
The home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 33 people. At the inspection, 22 people were living there.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 8 February 2022. Inspectors checked infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and whether COVID-19 staffing pressures were affecting care.
Inspectors found good practice. They were assured that the home used personal protective equipment safely, supported testing, managed infection outbreaks and admitted people safely. The home was clean and visits were arranged in line with the guidance at the time.
The service was inspected but not rated. This means the inspection did not give an overall quality rating or full ratings for all five areas of care.
Infection control
Staff and visitors were tested and used PPE in line with the guidance at the time. Staff had received relevant infection-control training.
“Staff and visitors were required to undertake COVID-19 testing and wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in line with current Government guidance.” from the report
Safe visiting
The home supported visits safely through a separate visiting area. Phone calls and social media were also available as alternatives.
“The home was facilitating visits in line with government guidance in place at the time of the inspection.” from the report
Clean environment
Inspectors found the home clean and uncluttered. New flooring and furnishings were intended to make cleaning easier.
“The home was clean and uncluttered. New furnishings and flooring had been purchased to enable easier cleaning.” from the report
Outbreak management
The manager kept in contact with local and public health teams and external health professionals to support infection management.
“The system in place ensured any infection outbreaks could be effectively prevented or managed.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What infection-control, testing and PPE arrangements are in place now?
- 02How are visits arranged now, and are there any restrictions or alternative ways to keep in touch?
- 03What current staffing pressures does the home have, and how could these affect my relative's care?
- 04How does the home currently prevent and manage infection outbreaks?
- 05What are the home's current ratings or recent inspection findings for caring, effective, responsive and well-led care?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and COVID-19-related staffing pressures; the service was inspected but not rated and the other areas were not assessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 24 February 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 Balmoral Care Home
5 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- April 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- November 2020Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- March 2019Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2018Requires improvementup from InadequateSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- October 2017Inadequatedown from Requires improvementSafe: InadequateEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Inadequate
- September 2016Requires improvementSafe: InadequateEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- April 2020
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 2 April 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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At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Tameside
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. 90 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Primrose is a very kind and compassionate healthcare professional”
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