CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Hallamgate House
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough staff, safe recruitment, safe medicines systems and good safeguarding arrangements. Risks were assessed in a way that supported independence without unnecessarily restricting people's freedom.
- Effective?
- Outstanding
- Care was based on detailed assessments and individual goals. Inspectors found strong staff training, improved health outcomes, effective support from health professionals and lawful, least restrictive decision-making.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were kind, compassionate and respectful. People and families were involved in care planning, and staff gave people time and support to express themselves.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Support was personalised and based on people's preferences, communication needs and interests. People were supported to build relationships, use community services and raise concerns.
- Well-led?
- Outstanding
- Inspectors found exceptional leadership and a strong culture focused on people's quality of life, independence and inclusion. Staff understood the home's values and were encouraged to contribute ideas and improve care.
What inspectors found, April 2023
Rated Outstanding overall; inspectors found highly personalised care, excellent outcomes and exceptional leadership.
Inspectors visited the home on 7 and 20 September 2022. They spoke with people, relatives, staff and visiting professionals. They also checked care plans, medicines records, staff files and management records.
The home supports up to seven people with a learning disability or autism. Five people were living there during the inspection. Inspectors found that people were treated with dignity, involved in decisions and supported to become more independent.
The home was rated Good for Safe, Caring and Responsive. It was rated Outstanding for Effective and Well-led. Overall, the home was rated Outstanding, meaning inspectors found care and leadership that were exceptionally effective and distinctive.
Personalised support
People were placed at the centre of decisions about their lives. Staff focused on what people could do and supported them to achieve personal goals.
“People and their families were seen as the experts in their life with a focus on what they can do first, and any help they needed second.” from the report
Improved outcomes
Inspectors found examples of people becoming healthier, calmer, more confident and more independent. People were supported to take part in activities they had not experienced before.
“People who had previously presented with high levels of anxiety were happy, calm, and enjoyed activities they had never experienced before.” from the report
Skilled staff
Training was tailored to the needs of the people living at the home. Staff received training in areas including communication, positive behaviour support and reducing restrictive practices.
“Training was tailor-made to meet the needs of people living at the service.” from the report
Health support
Staff worked proactively with health professionals and families when people's health or medicines needed review. People had detailed health information and hospital passports.
“People were supported to access a range of external health care professionals to improve their well-being.” from the report
Strong leadership
Managers understood people's needs and created an open, inclusive culture. Staff felt supported, valued and able to suggest improvements.
“The management team had the skills, knowledge and experience to perform their role and a clear understanding of people's needs and oversight of the services they managed.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you assess whether my relative's needs, communication style and sensory needs can be met before they move in?
- 02What personal goals would you help my relative work towards, and how would you measure progress?
- 03What training would the staff supporting my relative have for their specific health, communication and behaviour support needs?
- 04How would you support my relative to access health professionals, hospital care and community activities?
- 05How would my relative and our family give feedback, raise concerns and take part in care reviews?
This was a comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions, including infection prevention and control; inspectors could not meaningfully speak with some people because of communication difficulties or their choice not to speak. This explanation was written from the published report of 14 April 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, October 2020
Inspected but not rated; inspectors rated the home Good for safety and leadership and found highly person-centred care.
This was the home’s first inspection since it registered. It was a focused inspection during the Covid-19 period, looking only at safety and leadership. The overall service was therefore not given a rating.
Inspectors visited the home and reviewed care, medicine, staff and management records. They spoke with staff, relatives and visiting professionals. Some people could not speak with inspectors because they could not communicate verbally in a meaningful way or chose not to.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Good for Well-led. Inspectors found enough safely recruited staff, safe medicine systems, suitable infection control measures and clear risk assessments that supported people to gain independence.
Inspectors also found strong leadership and a clear person-centred culture. The report describes care as exceptionally compassionate and kind, with a focus on choice, independence and helping people develop new skills.
Person-centred support
The home focused strongly on people’s choices, independence, confidence and involvement in decisions about their care.
“Hallamgate House was exceptional at placing people at the heart of the service.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors found staff to be highly motivated and compassionate. Relatives and professionals also spoke positively about the care and communication.
“Staff were highly motivated to offer care and support that was exceptionally compassionate and kind.” from the report
Safe staffing and medicines
Staff were recruited with appropriate checks, there were enough staff, and medicine training and competency checks were in place.
“Staff made sure people received their medicines at the correct times and records confirmed this.” from the report
Strong leadership
The provider and manager had a clear vision, were visible and approachable, and used audits and learning from incidents to improve the service.
“There was an effective quality assurance system in place to drive improvements within the service.” from the report
Focus on reducing restrictions
The manager was working to reduce restraint and the service had joined a national campaign concerned with avoiding unnecessary overmedication.
“The registered manager was actively seeking to reduce all episodes of restraint.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How often are restraint and other restrictive practices currently used, and how are you working to reduce them?
- 02How do you support people to take positive risks while keeping them safe?
- 03How do you check that care records and medicine records remain accurate and up to date?
- 04How do you involve people and their relatives in decisions about care and changes to support?
- 05How do you ensure staff use consistent positive behaviour support approaches?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; Effective, Caring and Responsive were not assessed and the service was not given an overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 24 October 2020 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 Hallamgate House
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- April 2023Outstandingcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: OutstandingCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Outstanding
- October 2020Inspected but not ratedSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2019
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 27 June 2019.
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
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90 live-in carers within about an hour of Sheffield
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 £1,270 a week. 76 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“Carla has been a god send with the implementation of bringing mum back home from respite care.”
“Beatrice was a talent dementia carer whose professionalism and dedication allowed mums wishes to remain in her own her come true.”
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.