CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Freestones Residential 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, March 2022
Inspected but not rated; Freestones Residential Care Home had strong infection control and arrangements to manage COVID-19 risks.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 28 February 2022. Inspectors checked infection prevention and control, and asked about staffing pressures linked to COVID-19.
Inspectors found safe arrangements for visitors, admissions, isolation, cleaning, testing and use of protective equipment. They were assured that the home was managing infection risks appropriately.
The home had no agency staff at the time. Staff worked together to cover rota gaps, and the manager carried out regular checks on infection control.
The service was inspected but not rated. This means the report does not give a Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate rating.
Visitor safety
The home used booking, rapid testing, vaccination evidence, temperature checks and signing in to manage visits safely.
“Safe arrangements were in place for visitors to the service including relatives and friends, professionals and others.” from the report
Infection control
Inspectors found suitable arrangements for isolation, zoning, cleaning, hand hygiene and protective equipment.
“Isolation, cohorting and zoning were used to manage the risk of infection spread.” from the report
Testing and protective equipment
There was enough protective equipment, and regular COVID-19 testing was in place for staff and residents.
“A regular programme of testing for COVID-19 was in place for staff and people who lived in the service.” from the report
Staffing arrangements
There were no agency staff at the time of inspection. The existing staff team covered gaps in the rota.
“There were no agency staff working in the service which meant fewer staff coming in and out of the building.” from the report
Management checks
The manager carried out regular quality checks, and infection control policies were up to date.
“The registered manager had good oversight of infection prevention and control processes.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01Are the visitor booking, testing and signing-in arrangements still in place?
- 02How do you now manage isolation, zoning and communal areas if someone has an infection?
- 03How often are staff and residents tested, and what happens after a positive result?
- 04How do you ensure there are enough staff to cover rota gaps without agency staff?
- 05When was the infection prevention and control policy last reviewed?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control and COVID-19-related staffing pressures; it was not a full inspection of all five questions and the service was inspected but not rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 16 March 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 2018
Freestones Residential Care Home is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with all five areas rated Good.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 23 January 2018. The inspectors reviewed care records, staff records, training, complaints and quality checks. They spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff, a visitor and a healthcare professional.
The inspectors found that people felt safe and received their medicines safely. Staff had suitable training, staffing levels met people's needs, and the home was clean. People were involved in their care, treated with kindness and respect, and supported to follow their interests and preferences.
The home was rated Good overall and Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was unchanged from the previous inspection in January 2016. The report found no evidence of serious risks or concerns.
People felt safe
People and relatives said they felt safe and had confidence in the staff. Inspectors found suitable safeguarding training, risk assessments and staffing arrangements.
“People told us they felt safe.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People had positive relationships with staff. Inspectors saw staff respecting privacy, dignity and people's wishes.
“People were treated with kindness, compassion, dignity and respect and staff provided their care and support in keeping with their wishes and preferences.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans described people's needs, likes and dislikes. The home offered individual and group activities, faith support and information in large print with pictures.
“People were supported to take part in activities of their choice.” from the report
Good monitoring
The manager used audits, feedback and meetings to check the quality of care and address improvements when needed.
“The service was committed to ensuring on-going development and improvement.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you check that current staffing levels continue to match my relative's dependency and changing needs?
- 02How will you update me if my relative's health changes, and how will their care plan be changed?
- 03How will you manage and review my relative's medicines, including checks of the medicines administration records?
- 04Which activities and faith or social opportunities would suit my relative's interests and preferences?
- 05How would you support my relative's end of life wishes if their needs change?
This was the second unannounced comprehensive inspection and looked at the premises and care; all five ratings remained Good, as at the previous inspection in January 2016. This explanation was written from the published report of 27 February 2018 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 Freestones Residential Care Home
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- March 2022Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at Freestones Residential Care Home →
- February 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Freestones Residential Care Home →
- February 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 12 June 2011.
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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89 live-in carers within about an hour of North Northamptonshire
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. 76 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“If you bump into her in the night on her way to the bathroom she will still inquire how you are and if everything is alright.”
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