CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Fairholme Nursing Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough staff on duty, safe medicines systems, suitable risk assessments and appropriate infection control measures. Some staff vacancies remained, with recruitment ongoing.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's health conditions were managed with clear treatment plans and support from healthcare professionals. Meals, drinks and nutritional monitoring were provided according to people's needs.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with dignity, kindness and respect. Staff knew people's preferences and supported them to make choices about their daily routines and care.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and kept under review. People were offered individual and group activities, including one-to-one time for those who stayed in their rooms.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found clear management responsibilities, regular audits and good communication with people, relatives and staff. Feedback was used to make improvements.
What inspectors found, November 2021
Fairholme Nursing Home rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some staff vacancies still being filled.
Inspectors made an unannounced, comprehensive inspection on 26 October 2021. They spoke with people living in the home, relatives, staff and a healthcare professional. They observed care, looked around the building and checked care, medicine, recruitment and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs, safe medicines practice, suitable care plans and good support from healthcare professionals.
People were treated with kindness and respect. Staff adapted care to people's preferences, offered activities and spent one-to-one time with people who stayed in their rooms. The home was clean and well maintained, although a frayed carpet was awaiting repair.
This was the first inspection since the service was re-registered under a new legal entity. The previous rating, under the former legal entity, was Good and was published on 6 February 2018.
Staffing and call bells
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs. Staff responded promptly to requests for help and call bells.
“During our inspection we saw staff were responsive to requests for assistance and call bells were promptly answered.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans reflected people's needs and preferences. Staff adapted care around people's wishes rather than treating care as a fixed set of tasks.
“all care was provided in a person-centred way.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People appeared relaxed and comfortable with staff. Inspectors saw staff protecting people's privacy, dignity and independence.
“We observed staff respecting people's privacy, dignity and independence throughout the inspection.” from the report
Activities and social contact
The activities co-ordinator provided group and individual activities. People who stayed in their rooms were given one-to-one time to reduce isolation.
“The activities co-ordinator spent one-to-one time with people, in their rooms, engaging in conversations or individual activities.” from the report
Management oversight
Managers carried out regular audits and acted when they found issues. People, relatives and staff spoke positively about communication and management.
“The management team carried out regular audits of all aspects of the care provided, observations of staff practice and the premises.” from the report
Staff vacancies
minorThe home had vacancies and recruitment was still ongoing. Inspectors found shifts were covered and did not find unsafe staffing, but families may want to ask how vacancies affect the staff team.
“The service had some staff vacancies and recruitment to these posts was on-going.” from the report
Meal service arrangement
minorBecause fewer people were using the dining room during a recent COVID-19 outbreak, hot desserts were served with the main course. Inspectors said people were happy with this and the arrangement was under daily review.
“This had resulted in lunch service taking longer and serving both courses together had helped to ensure people all received their lunch at the agreed time.” from the report
Frayed carpet
minorInspectors noticed a frayed carpet in an upstairs doorway. The home knew about it and had arranged a repair.
“When we looked around the building, we noticed a frayed carpet in a doorway upstairs.” from the report
- 01How many staff vacancies are there now, and how are absences covered?
- 02Has the frayed upstairs carpet been repaired?
- 03Are hot desserts still served at the same time as the main course, and how are meals kept at a suitable temperature?
- 04How are my relative's care plans reviewed when their health or preferences change?
- 05How will you keep my relative socially active if they spend much of their time in their room?
This was an unannounced first comprehensive inspection under the home's new registration and covered all five CQC questions, including infection prevention and control. This explanation was written from the published report of 12 November 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 Fairholme Nursing Home
3 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- November 2021Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- February 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- May 2021
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 10 May 2021.
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
10 live-in carers within about two hours of Cornwall
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 £1,200 a week. 8 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“He had been a little anxious before she arrived, but has since stated that he would be very happy for her to care for him again”
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.