CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Heathside
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that the home was preventing infections, using PPE safely, providing testing and managing outbreaks. Measures were also in place to reduce the risks from COVID-19-related staffing pressures.
- Effective?
- Good
- Does the care work? Training, consent, food and drink, working with GPs and nurses.
- Caring?
- Good
- Are people treated with kindness and dignity?
- Responsive?
- Good
- Is care built around the person? Care plans, activities, complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Is the home run well? The manager, the culture, how problems get found and fixed.
What inspectors found, February 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection-control arrangements and safe visiting during the COVID-19 review.
This was a targeted, announced inspection on 26 January 2022. Inspectors checked infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and whether COVID-19-related staffing pressures affected care.
Inspectors found good practice. The home had enhanced cleaning, regular infection-control audits, effective use of personal protective equipment, staff testing and arrangements to manage visitors safely.
The home was inspected but not rated. This means the visit did not provide a new overall quality rating or a full rating for all five areas of care.
Infection control
The home had enhanced cleaning schedules and regularly completed infection-control and environmental audits.
“Infection prevention and control (IPC) procedures and arrangements were in place; enhanced cleaning schedules, IPC and environmental audits were regularly completed.” from the report
PPE and testing
PPE was available throughout the home and staff were observed using it correctly. Staff and people using the service had access to COVID-19 testing.
“PPE stations were located throughout the home and staff were observed wearing the correct PPE during the inspection.” from the report
Contact with relatives
The home supported face-to-face and remote contact with loved ones while following visiting guidance and infection-control measures.
“Visits were safely and effectively facilitated; people were supported to maintain face to face contact with their loves ones” from the report
Vaccination requirements
The service met the requirement for non-exempt staff and visiting professionals to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
“The service was meeting the requirement to ensure non-exempt staff and visiting professionals were vaccinated against COVID-19.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01Have the cleaning schedules and infection-control audits continued, and what do the most recent audits show?
- 02How are staff and people living in the home currently tested for COVID-19?
- 03Are PPE stations still available throughout the home, and how is correct PPE use checked?
- 04What are the current arrangements for face-to-face visits and remote contact with relatives?
- 05How does the home manage staffing pressures if staff are absent because of COVID-19?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and COVID-19-related staffing pressures; it was not a full inspection and the service was inspected but not rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 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.
What inspectors found, February 2021
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control practices, but visitor screening and thermometer cleaning needed improvement.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 18 February 2021. It focused on infection prevention and control during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inspectors found staff using the correct protective equipment and following infection control arrangements. Staff had received training, regular checks were carried out, and people and staff took part in routine COVID-19 testing.
There were two areas where inspectors were only somewhat assured. Not all visitors were asked to complete a COVID-19 screening questionnaire, and inspectors could not always be sure that forehead thermometers were cleaned after each use. The manager agreed to address these points.
The service was inspected but not rated. This was not a full inspection of all aspects of care or an overall quality assessment.
Staff training and checks
Staff had infection control training and understood the measures they needed to follow. Spot checks were used to check compliance.
“Staff received IPC training and were knowledgeable around the different IPC measures that needed to be complied with.” from the report
Testing and family contact
People and staff took part in routine COVID-19 testing. The home also supported contact with loved ones through video calls and socially distanced visits.
“People were supported to maintain contact with their loved ones during the pandemic.” from the report
Visitor screening
needs fixingNot every visitor was asked to complete a COVID-19 screening questionnaire before entering. The manager agreed that this would be done for all visitors.
“However, not all visitors where requested to complete a COVID-19 screening questionnaire before entering the service.” from the report
Cleaning thermometers
needs fixingInspectors could not always be sure that non-contact forehead thermometers were sanitised after each use. Measures were put in place to address this.
“However, we could not be always be assured that non-contact forehead thermometers were sanitized after each use.” from the report
- 01How do you now make sure every visitor completes a COVID-19 screening questionnaire before entering?
- 02How are non-contact forehead thermometers sanitised after each use, and how is this checked?
- 03What infection prevention and control spot checks are currently carried out?
- 04How often are infection prevention and control audits completed, and how are actions followed up?
- 05How will you support contact between residents and their loved ones if visiting arrangements change?
This was an announced targeted inspection of infection prevention and control measures during the COVID-19 pandemic; it did not assess the other four key questions or provide an overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 27 February 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 Heathside
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- February 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- August 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2017GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 26 January 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.
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At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Warrington
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. 90 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“He developed a close affinity with Terence, spending time talking with him before he retired to bed and looking after his needs during the night.”
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