CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Heathlands House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks were assessed and reviewed, staff understood safeguarding, medicines were managed safely and there were enough staff to meet people's needs.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs and choices were assessed, staff had suitable training and people were supported with food, drink, healthcare and decisions about their care.
- Caring?
- Good
- Inspectors saw kind, respectful interactions. Staff supported people's privacy, dignity, independence and choices.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and staff knew people's preferences. People were offered activities, support to maintain relationships and a complaints process.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had positive leadership, approachable management and quality checks that identified actions for improvement. Staff, people and relatives generally had confidence in the management.
What inspectors found, March 2023
Heathlands House is Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some views about the service sought less often.
This was the home's first inspection since it registered. It was unannounced and took place on 8 February 2023. Inspectors spoke with 10 people, five relatives and nine staff. They also reviewed care records, medicines, recruitment files, training and management records.
The home was rated Good overall and Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found people were safe, medicines were managed well, staffing was usually sufficient and staff had suitable training.
People and relatives described kind and respectful care. Inspectors saw positive interactions, personalised care plans, activities and a well-maintained, homely environment. The home had systems for checking quality and acting on accidents, complaints and other events.
People, relatives and staff said their views could be sought more often. This was the main area for improvement noted in the report. The CQC will continue to monitor information about the home.
Kind and respectful staff
People and relatives spoke positively about staff. Inspectors saw staff being gentle, attentive and respectful, including asking permission before making changes.
“We saw lots of positive interactions.” from the report
Safe care and medicines
Risks were assessed and reviewed, staff understood safeguarding responsibilities and medicines records were completed. The home also reviewed accidents and other events to identify learning.
“Medicines were managed safely. We found people's medicines were received, stored, administered and disposed of safely” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's needs, preferences and communication methods. Staff knew what mattered to people and followed the care guidance.
“Each person had a person-centred care plan which contained specific information on how they wished their needs were to be met.” from the report
Activities and environment
People had access to activities, social opportunities and communal spaces. Inspectors found the building well maintained, homely and suitable for people to move around.
“The building was well maintained and felt homely.” from the report
Quality monitoring
The management team used audits, reviews and action plans to check the service and make improvements. Learning was shared with staff.
“Quality assurance systems identified any areas that needed further development and any remedial actions were implemented.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you seek and act on my relative's views more often?
- 02How do you make sure there are enough staff on every shift, including nights and weekends?
- 03How will you keep my relative's care plan up to date as their needs and preferences change?
- 04What activities would be suitable for my relative, and how are people told about the activities available?
- 05How will you involve me and my relative in care reviews and decisions about future care?
This was the first comprehensive, unannounced inspection since registration and covered all five key questions, including infection prevention and control. This explanation was written from the published report of 15 March 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, February 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control and safe visiting arrangements.
This was a targeted, announced inspection on 1 February 2022. One inspector checked infection prevention and control, including COVID-19 arrangements, and asked about staffing pressures.
The home had safe visiting procedures, including essential care giver arrangements and alternative visits during an outbreak. Testing, health checks, vaccination checks and communication by phone or video were also in place.
Inspectors found PPE was available and used correctly. They said the home looked and smelt clean, with extra cleaning of frequently touched areas. The service was inspected but not rated, so this report does not give an overall quality rating.
Visiting arrangements
The home supported visits from people's chosen visitors and had alternative arrangements available during an outbreak.
“Staff followed safe and robust visiting procedures. Arrangements were in place so people could have the visitors they chose” from the report
Testing and checks
COVID-19 testing, health declarations and temperature checks were carried out for staff, people and relatives as required.
“Testing for COVID-19 was undertaken as required by staff, people and relatives.” from the report
Clean environment
Inspectors found the home visibly clean and hygienic, with extra cleaning of areas people touched often.
“The care home looked and smelt visibly clean and hygienic.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are you currently managing staffing pressures linked to COVID-19?
- 02What testing and health checks are currently required for staff, visitors and relatives?
- 03What visiting arrangements would apply if there were an infection outbreak?
- 04How do you check that PPE is available and being used correctly?
- 05How would you keep relatives in contact with someone if an in-person visit was not possible?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control under Safe, with questions about staffing pressures; the other areas were not assessed and no overall rating was given. This explanation was written from the published report of 11 February 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.
Every inspection of Heathlands House
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- March 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- July 2021
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 29 July 2021.
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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17 live-in carers within about an hour of Cambridgeshire
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 £1,200 a week. 14 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
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.