CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Hailey House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, August 2023
Hailey House was rated Inadequate and placed in special measures; inspectors found serious problems with safety, staffing, the building and management.
This was an unannounced focused inspection. Inspectors visited on 11 and 17 May 2023, spoke with people, relatives and staff, and checked care records, medicines, staffing, recruitment and management records.
The home was not always safe. Risks were not properly recorded or managed, medicines systems were unsafe, staffing levels and skills were not sufficient, infection control was poor and parts of the building were badly maintained. Inspectors also found that care plans and activities did not always meet people's individual needs.
People and relatives said staff were kind and caring. However, inspectors found that care was not always person-centred and that people were not always treated with dignity and respect. The home was rated Inadequate overall, with Safe and Well-led also rated Inadequate, and Responsive rated Requires Improvement.
The previous overall rating was Good, published in July 2018. Because of the serious concerns, the home was placed in special measures and the provider must make significant improvements.
Kind staff
People and relatives said staff treated them with care and kindness. Inspectors also observed staff being kind and attentive to a person receiving end-of-life care.
“People and their relatives told us they were treated with care and kindness.” from the report
Food and drink
Inspectors found that people had enough food and drink to meet their nutritional needs.
“People had enough food and drink to meet their nutritional needs.” from the report
Healthcare links
The service worked with other professionals and helped people access healthcare and attend appointments when needed.
“The service worked in partnership with other professionals such as GP's, district nurses and social workers and made referrals to relevant agencies.” from the report
Welcoming visits
Relatives could visit without restrictions imposed by the home, and relatives said they were made to feel welcome.
“Relatives confirmed they were always made to feel welcome.” from the report
Safe recruitment
Inspectors found that staff were recruited in line with the main requirements, although some checks could have been more robust.
“Staff were safely recruited in line with the requirements.” from the report
Risk and medicines safety
seriousImportant risks, including falls, hoist use and stair access, were not always recorded or managed. Some medicines could not be given promptly overnight because no trained staff were available.
“People did not have access to their medicines in a timely way between these times as no staff were competent and trained to administer them, including one person on end-of-life care.” from the report
Staffing levels
seriousStaffing numbers and deployment did not reflect people's needs. Care staff also had to cover cooking, laundry and activities, reducing time for care and stimulation.
“Effective arrangements were not in place to ensure there were enough staff available to meet people's needs with the correct skill mix.” from the report
Poor building condition
seriousBathrooms were out of use and parts of the kitchen, garden, laundry room and outside areas needed repair or maintenance. The environment did not meet people's needs.
“During our inspection we found the premises to be poorly maintained.” from the report
Infection control
seriousSome areas were dirty or cluttered, there was an ongoing pest control problem, and equipment and personal protective equipment were not always stored safely.
“The arrangements to safeguard people from risks relating to preventing and controlling the spread of infections were not being effectively managed.” from the report
Personalised care and activities
needs fixingCare plans did not always record people's history, preferences and communication needs. People and relatives reported little stimulation and few meaningful activities.
“People were not supported or enabled to take part in regular social activities that met their needs.” from the report
Weak management oversight
seriousQuality checks were not reliable, problems were not consistently recorded or learned from, and confidential care records were not stored securely.
“Quality assurance and governance arrangements at Hailey House were not reliable or effective in identifying the shortfalls in the service.” from the report
- 01What changes have been made to ensure every person's risks are recorded, reviewed and acted on?
- 02How many staff are trained to administer medicines overnight, and how will medicines be given promptly when needed?
- 03What repairs have been completed to the bathrooms, kitchen, garden and laundry room, and what remains outstanding?
- 04How are staffing numbers and staff deployment now matched to people's care, activity and social needs?
- 05How are care plans, complaints, incidents and safeguarding concerns now audited, reviewed and used to make improvements?
This was a focused inspection of Safe, Responsive and Well-led only; Effective and Caring were not rated, and the inspection also included infection prevention and control. This explanation was written from the published report of 24 August 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, April 2021
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found mostly good infection control, but the infection policy was still being updated.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 18 March 2021. It focused only on infection prevention and control during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inspectors found clear arrangements to reduce infection risks. The home was visibly clean, cleaning schedules were in place, and staff had training in infection prevention and the correct use of PPE.
Inspectors were assured about visitors, social distancing, admissions, PPE, testing, hygiene and managing possible outbreaks. However, they were only somewhat assured overall because the infection prevention and control policy was being updated to reflect current government guidance.
The service was inspected but not rated. This means this visit did not give an overall quality rating or a full rating for all five areas of care.
Family contact
People's wellbeing and mental health were supported through contact with family and friends.
“People's wellbeing and mental health was being supported by good contact with family and friends.” from the report
PPE and staff training
Staff had received infection prevention and PPE training, and PPE was available throughout the home.
“Staff employed at the service had received training on infection prevention and the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE).” from the report
Clean environment
The home was visibly clean and had schedules showing that regular cleaning was carried out.
“The service was visibly clean. Schedules were in place to show that regular cleaning was undertaken.” from the report
Testing and checks
The home followed whole-home testing guidance and used audits to check infection control practices.
“The provider was following the government guidance on whole home testing for people and staff.” from the report
Policy being updated
needs fixingInspectors were only somewhat assured overall because the infection prevention and control policy was still being updated to reflect current government guidance.
“We were somewhat assured people were protected as the provider was in the process of updating their infection prevention and control policy and procedure to reflect current Government guidance.” from the report
- 01Has the infection prevention and control policy now been updated to reflect current government guidance?
- 02How often are infection control audits carried out, and what changes have been made as a result?
- 03How are staff trained and checked on the correct use of PPE?
- 04How is whole-home testing arranged for residents and staff?
- 05How can residents keep in contact with family and friends while infection risks are being managed?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control measures only; the service was inspected but not rated overall or across all five questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 April 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 Hailey House
2 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has slipped, from Good to Inadequate.
- August 2023Inadequatecurrent ratingSafe: InadequateEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Inadequate
- April 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- July 2018GoodSafe: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2017
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 28 April 2017.
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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35 live-in carers within about an hour of Essex
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 £1,020 to £1,260 a week. 25 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Not only was she professional, polite and efficient but she bought a lovely smile and laughter to my parents home.”
“She brought fun and stimulation into mums life.”
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.