Skip to content
The Care Home DirectoryEvery care home in England

CQC report explained · a residential care home

What the CQC found at Greenhill Care Home

Goodpublished 28 June 2019, 7 years ago

Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Good
People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Inspectors found suitable risk assessments, enough staff, safe equipment, safe medicines systems and arrangements to control infection.
Effective?
Good
People received care based on assessed needs and staff had the training and support needed for their roles. People had access to suitable food, drinks, equipment and healthcare.
Caring?
Good
Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect. People were involved in decisions about their care and were supported to remain independent and keep relationships with family and friends.
Responsive?
Outstanding
Care was highly personalised. People could follow their own routines, continue hobbies and interests, take part in activities and outings, and have their end of life wishes supported.
Well-led?
Good
The home was described as well-run, with approachable management, regular audits and an open culture. Feedback, incidents and complaints were used to make improvements.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, June 2019

Greenhill Care Home was rated Good overall; inspectors found kind, safe care and Outstanding responsiveness to people's individual needs.

This was an unannounced inspection on 14 May 2019. Inspectors observed care, spoke with people living at the home, a relative, staff and health professionals, and checked care records, medicines records and management records.

The home was rated Good for Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led. It was rated Outstanding for Responsive. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines systems, suitable training, kind care and good support for people's health, choices and independence.

Inspectors found especially strong personalised care. People could follow their own routines, continue hobbies, join activities and go on outings. The home also supported people's wishes at the end of life and involved people and relatives in decisions.

The overall rating was unchanged from the previous inspection, which was published on 15 December 2016. The report says the legal requirements were met and does not record any breaches or enforcement action.

What inspectors praised
  • Personalised daily care

    Inspectors found that staff knew people very well and shaped care around their routines, preferences and life histories.

    “Care records included as much detail about the person and their history as the person and their relatives were able to tell them.” from the report
  • Activities and choice

    People were supported to continue hobbies, take part in group activities and visit places outside the home.

    “The service had its own transport which enabled people to visit places further afield.” from the report
  • Kind and respectful staff

    People said staff were kind, patient and respectful. Staff supported privacy, dignity, independence and contact with relatives.

    “People told us staff treated them in a kind and caring way.” from the report
  • End of life support

    Staff discussed people's wishes, recorded them and worked with health professionals so people could remain at the home if that was what they wanted.

    “Staff had received training in end of life and palliative care.” from the report
  • Safe medicines

    Inspectors found accurate medicines records, suitable storage, trained staff and regular checks of medicines practice.

    “Staff kept accurate records of all medicines ordered, administered and disposed of.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.

Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How would you personalise my relative's daily routine, care plan and activities?
  2. 02How would you support my relative to continue their hobbies, interests and relationships?
  3. 03How do you check that medicines are given safely and recorded accurately?
  4. 04How would you support my relative's end of life wishes, and would they be able to remain at the home if that was their choice?
  5. 05How are families involved in care reviews, residents' meetings and raising concerns?

This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the premises and the care provided. This explanation was written from the published report of 28 June 2019 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.

An earlier report, explained

What inspectors found, December 2016

Rated Good overall, with Outstanding responsiveness; inspectors found safe, kind care and strong support for people's independence.

This was an unannounced inspection on 13 October 2016. Two inspectors spoke with people living in the home, staff, visiting health professionals, the manager and the provider. They reviewed care plans and staff files, and observed care in communal areas.

The home was rated Good overall. Safe, effective, caring and well-led were all rated Good. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines management, suitable training, respectful care, good food and access to health professionals.

Responsiveness was rated Outstanding. People were involved in their care and could choose activities, routines and ways to spend their time. The home adapted activities and the environment to people's interests, including for people living with dementia.

Inspectors found effective systems for checking quality and responding to feedback. One complaint showed that a family had not been told about a fall, but the home investigated this and improved communication with families.

What inspectors praised
  • Enough staff

    Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs. Call bells were answered quickly and staff were visible in communal areas while also providing one-to-one support.

    “There were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet people's needs.” from the report
  • Personalised activities

    Activities were based on people's interests, past lives and preferences. The home offered different spaces and activities, including quiet areas, gardening, cooking and outings.

    “This meant that activities were tailored to meet the individual needs of the people and were focused on their interests and past working lives.” from the report
  • Respectful care

    People were involved in decisions about their care and staff respected their privacy, dignity and personal choices.

    “People's dignity and privacy was promoted by all staff.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Family communication after a fall

    needs fixing

    One complaint found that a family had not been told about a person's fall. The home investigated this and reported that staff then improved how they informed families about falls, incidents and changes in health.

    “For example, one complaint received highlighted that staff did not inform a person's family that they had a fall, although documented and reviewed accordingly.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How do you make sure families are told promptly about falls, incidents or changes in health?
  2. 02How are my relative's personal routines, interests and preferences recorded and kept up to date?
  3. 03What activities and quiet spaces are available for someone living with dementia?
  4. 04How quickly are call bells answered, and how do you decide whether staffing levels meet people's needs?
  5. 05How can residents and relatives give feedback, and what changes have been made as a result?

This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions, with observations, discussions with people and staff, and reviews of care plans and staff files. This explanation was written from the published report of 15 December 2016 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.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Greenhill Care Home

2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.

  1. June 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Greenhill Care Home →

  2. December 2016Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Greenhill Care Home →

  3. December 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. August 2012

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. May 2011

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 6 May 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.

Next steps

Weigh the report against the rest

Care at home

At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Hertfordshire

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 £1,300 a week. 82 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.

“She handled the new situation in front of her with such professionalism and I felt I could trust her 100%.”
Siobhan D., about Sithabile Tabile M.
“She was v competent and confident and we felt our mum was safe in her care. She supported us through a difficult time.”
Lucy D., about Loritha C.
See live-in carers near HertfordshireProfiles, rates and reviews are free to look at.

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.