CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Gorse Hill
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks were assessed and managed, staff were safely recruited, and there were enough staff to meet people's needs. Medicines, infection control, premises safety and safeguarding arrangements were also found to be effective.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's care was based on assessments of their needs and preferences. Staff had relevant training, people were supported with food and healthcare, and mental capacity and best-interest processes were followed.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Staff understood people's likes and dislikes and supported them to make choices and increase their independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- People had personalised care plans, regular reviews and opportunities to discuss their support. They took part in activities, holidays and community life, and their communication needs were recorded and supported.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found a person-centred culture and effective checks on quality and safety. People and staff were invited to give feedback, and managers worked with other professionals.
What inspectors found, November 2023
Gorse Hill was rated Good; inspectors found kind, personalised care, safe staffing and effective management.
Inspectors visited unannounced on 17 and 18 October 2023. They observed care, spoke with all five people living in the home, four staff members and managers, and reviewed care, medicines, staff and management records.
The home supported five people with learning disabilities, although it can accommodate up to 10. Inspectors found people were safe, treated with dignity and supported to make choices, stay independent, access healthcare and take part in activities suited to their interests.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was the same overall rating as the previous inspection, published on 29 September 2017.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff treating people sensitively and respectfully. People described the care positively and said staff were kind.
“People were supported in a kind, sensitive and respectful way.” from the report
Staffing and safety
The home had enough staff to meet people's needs and had recruited above its recommended staffing levels. Staff were safely recruited and trained.
“The provider had recruited above their recommended staffing levels.” from the report
Personalised support
Care was planned around individual needs, preferences and communication. People were supported to make choices and develop their independence.
“People had personalised support plans which considered their needs and preferences.” from the report
Activities and community life
People took part in varied activities, including shopping, meals out, gardening, walking and holidays. Activities reflected people's interests.
“People were supported to take part in meaningful activities and to engage with the local community in line with their interests and preferences.” from the report
Strong management systems
Managers used audits, feedback and action plans to monitor quality and support improvement. Staff said they could raise concerns openly.
“The provider had established effective systems to monitor the quality of the service.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you assess and record my relative's individual risks before they move in?
- 02How would you support my relative's communication needs, choices and independence in daily life?
- 03What activities and community opportunities would be available for my relative based on their interests?
- 04How would you support my relative's healthcare needs, including hospital or medical appointments?
- 05How would you keep me informed about complaints, feedback or any changes to my relative's support plan?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five quality questions, the premises and care provided, including infection prevention and control arrangements. This explanation was written from the published report of 15 November 2023 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, September 2017
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some records and feedback systems still being improved.
Inspectors visited on 5 and 6 September 2017. The first day was unannounced. They observed care, spoke with seven people and four staff, and reviewed care plans, medicines records, staff files, complaints and quality checks.
The home supported eight people with learning disabilities, although it could accommodate up to ten. Inspectors found people felt safe, staff were caring, risks were managed and medicines were generally given safely. People were supported with health appointments, food, activities and developing their independence.
All five areas were rated Good: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. The report says improvements had been made since the previous inspection, including meeting the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act. Some smaller improvements were still planned, including better satisfaction surveys, meeting records and health action plans.
Personalised support
People helped shape their care plans and daily choices. Plans included personal preferences, important information and guidance about how each person should be supported.
“We found the support plans were detailed and provided clear information about people's needs and preferences.” from the report
Good safety arrangements
The home had safeguarding procedures, risk assessments, suitable staffing and appropriate recruitment checks. Financial records and emergency plans were also monitored.
“Risks to individuals and the service were assessed and managed.” from the report
Improvements since the last inspection
The previous concerns about applying the Mental Capacity Act and lawful restrictions had been addressed. Inspectors found the home was meeting the current regulations.
“At this inspection, we found the necessary improvements had been made.” from the report
Medicine records
needs fixingNot all information from prescription labels was recorded on the medicines administration records. The manager agreed to contact the pharmacy and resolve this.
“However, we saw not all the information from the prescription labels was recorded on the medicines administration records.” from the report
Incomplete training
needs fixingOne new staff member had not completed the Care Certificate. The manager arranged for this to be added to the person's training immediately.
“However, we noted one new member of staff had not completed the Care Certificate.” from the report
Limited formal feedback
minorPeople had not yet been given satisfaction questionnaires, and residents' meetings were informal. The manager had an action plan to improve this and later confirmed questionnaires had been distributed.
“However, at the time of the inspection, people had not been given the opportunity to complete a satisfaction questionnaire and residents' meetings were informal.” from the report
Health action plans
minorThe manager was still developing health action plans for people where these were not already in place.
“We noted the registered manager was in process of developing health action plans for people living in the home.” from the report
- 01Have all medicines administration records been updated so they contain the full information from prescription labels?
- 02Has every new staff member completed the Care Certificate, and how is refresher training checked?
- 03How are residents' meetings now recorded, including people's views and agreed actions?
- 04Have health action plans been completed for everyone who needs one?
- 05How do you use satisfaction questionnaires and other feedback to make changes to the home?
This was a comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions; the first day was unannounced and the visit included observations, conversations and record checks. This explanation was written from the published report of 29 September 2017 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 Gorse Hill
4 rated inspections over 9 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- November 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2015Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2015Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- June 2014
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 30 June 2014.
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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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.