CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Heron View Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. They found enough staff, safe medicines practice, suitable risk management, good infection control and appropriate checks of the premises and equipment.
- Effective?
- Good
- This question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was carried forward when calculating the overall rating.
- Caring?
- Good
- This question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was carried forward when calculating the overall rating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was carried forward when calculating the overall rating.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found the home manager had good oversight, used checks and audits, listened to feedback and worked with healthcare professionals. Staff were supported and could raise concerns.
What inspectors found, April 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found people were safe and the home was well managed, although there was no registered manager in post.
This was an unannounced, focused inspection on 28 March 2023. Inspectors looked at Safe and Well-led because concerns had been received about safety and care quality. They spoke with people, relatives, a healthcare professional, managers and staff, and checked care records, medicines records, recruitment files and other records.
Inspectors found people were safe. There were enough staff, medicines were managed safely, the home was clean, and staff understood safeguarding and risks. Accidents and incidents were investigated, with learning shared with staff.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Well-led. The overall rating stayed Good. The other three questions were not inspected during this visit, so their previous ratings were used when calculating the overall rating.
Safe staffing
Inspectors found there were enough staff to meet people's needs. Recruitment checks, including criminal records checks, were carried out.
“There were enough staff to support people. Staff were present and provided appropriate support and assistance to people when this was needed.” from the report
Medicines managed safely
People received their medicines as prescribed. Records, stock checks and staff competency checks supported safe medicines practice.
“Our checks of medicines stocks, balances and records showed people consistently received the medicines prescribed to them.” from the report
Good oversight
The home manager used audits and checks to monitor safety and quality. Problems found through checks were acted on promptly.
“They used governance systems to monitor and review the safety and quality of the service which helped to ensure people were safe and receiving high quality care and support.” from the report
People's views heard
The provider asked people for their views and used feedback to plan improvements, including activities based on people's preferences.
“People's feedback and views about the service were sought by the provider.” from the report
No registered manager in post
minorThere was no registered manager when inspectors visited. A new home manager had been appointed and had submitted an application to become registered.
“There was no registered manager in post at the time of this inspection.” from the report
- 01Has the home manager's application to become the registered manager been completed?
- 02How are medicines checked now, and what happens if a medicines error is found?
- 03How are accidents and incidents reviewed, and what changes have been made as a result?
- 04How are people's views used to plan activities and improve the service?
- 05How does the home work with healthcare professionals to update people's care and support?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the other ratings carried over from the previous inspection when the overall rating was calculated. This explanation was written from the published report of 25 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, July 2019
Heron View Care Home is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, while staff were still building skills to support behaviour.
This was a planned, unannounced inspection carried out over 12 and 14 June 2019. One inspector and one Expert by Experience spoke with people living at the home, relatives, visitors, staff and healthcare professionals. They also reviewed care plans, medicine records, staff files and quality records.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough suitable staff, safe medicines practice, clean surroundings and systems to protect people from abuse and avoidable harm.
People had personalised care plans and were supported with food, healthcare, communication, activities and personal choices. Staff were kind and respectful. The main area still developing was staff confidence and consistency in responding to behaviour that may challenge.
Safe staffing
The provider checked staff backgrounds and suitability, and inspectors found enough staff to keep people safe.
“People received their care from vetted and suitable staff who were deployed in sufficient numbers to keep people safe.” from the report
Safe medicines
Medicines were given by registered nurses, recorded properly and stored in locked facilities with temperature checks.
“People received their medicines safely. Medicines were administered by registered nurses and recorded in people's medicine administration record (MAR) charts.” from the report
Dignity and independence
Staff respected people's privacy and helped them retain or build independence in personal care.
“Staff promoted people's dignity around their personal care by encouraging independence.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans recorded people's preferences, triggers and support needs. People and relatives helped shape this information.
“The registered manager ensured that people had personalised care plans in place.” from the report
Open management
The manager gathered views from people, relatives and staff, and used audits and action plans to check quality.
“The registered manager undertook a range of audits at the service.” from the report
Behaviour support was not yet consistent
needs fixingThe staff team was still gaining confidence and skill in supporting behaviour that may challenge. Inspectors saw some staff respond differently from the low-arousal approach in people's care records.
“However, we also observed that some staff were not responding in line with the 'low arousal' response outlined in care records.” from the report
- 01What further behavioural support training, role modelling and supervision have staff completed since the inspection?
- 02How do you check that all staff follow the low-arousal approach in each person's care plan?
- 03How are activities chosen for each person, and what new activities have been developed since the inspection?
- 04Have pictorial menus been introduced for people who may find printed menus difficult to use?
- 05How will you tell families about changes in a person's behaviour, care needs or support plan?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the care provided and the premises; it was the home's first inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 19 July 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.
Every inspection of Heron View Care Home
2 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- April 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2019GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2018
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 16 July 2018.
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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Most charge £980 to £1,230 a week. 77 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
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