CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Hollycroft
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
What inspectors found, November 2019
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind, personalised support but staffing, records and management checks were not reliable.
This was an unannounced inspection on 24 and 29 October 2019. Two inspectors spoke with people, staff, a professional and relatives. They also checked care, medicine and management records.
People were generally positive about the care. Staff treated people kindly, supported independence and used communication methods suited to each person. People were supported with activities, health appointments, meals and daily living skills.
However, staffing was sometimes too low. At weekends, one staff member could be supporting up to seven people, including someone needing one-to-one support. Food safety checks, incident records, mental capacity decisions and care plan reviews were also not always properly managed.
The overall rating was Requires Improvement. Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led were rated Requires Improvement. Responsive was rated Good. The overall rating had fallen from Good at the previous inspection, published in April 2017.
Kind and respectful support
Inspectors saw positive relationships. People were treated with kindness, respect and compassion, and relatives said staff knew people well.
“People were supported with kindness, respect and compassion by a staff team who knew and treated people as individuals.” from the report
Promoting independence
People were encouraged to make choices and take part in cooking, cleaning, laundry and other daily tasks.
“People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.” from the report
Communication and activities
Staff supported people to communicate using pictures, visual boards, body language and Makaton signs. People also took part in community activities.
“We saw staff communicating with people using Makaton signs and through visual boards.” from the report
Healthcare support
People were supported to attend health appointments and access specialist services when needed. The report gives an example of prompt support after a person's health declined.
“People were supported to access a broad range of healthcare services including dentists, annual health checks, medical appointments and opticians.” from the report
Too few staff at times
seriousAt times, one staff member worked with up to seven residents, including someone who needed one-to-one support. People could be left without supervision and could miss activities.
“Due to the inadequate staffing levels people were put at increased risk and were unable to always access activities of their choice.” from the report
Weak management checks
seriousAudits did not identify important problems, and known concerns about weekend staffing had not been dealt with. This was a breach of Regulation 17.
“Due to poor governance of the service areas requiring improvement were not identified and actioned effectively.” from the report
Care records not kept up to date
needs fixingSome staff had not read people's care plans since they started working at the home, in some cases up to five years earlier. This could lead to inconsistent support.
“Staff members did not regularly read people's care plans and support plans.” from the report
Food storage problems
needs fixingRaw meat was stored above cooked food and opened food did not show its use-by date. The home said it would address this immediately.
“During the inspection we looked in two fridges, in both we found that raw meat was stored on top of cooked meat and a dessert.” from the report
Best-interest decisions not recorded
needs fixingSome capacity records did not show that best-interest discussions had taken place when people could not make particular decisions themselves.
“This meant that the service had not ensured that decisions made on behalf of the person were in their best interests.” from the report
- 01How many staff are now scheduled at weekends, and what happens if someone needs one-to-one support?
- 02How do you check that every staff member has read and understood each person's current care plan?
- 03What changes have been made to record and review incidents and accidents?
- 04How are food storage, labelling and use-by dates checked now?
- 05How are best-interest decisions recorded when someone cannot make a particular decision?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the premises and care provided; two inspectors reviewed records and spoke with people, staff, relatives and a professional. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 November 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.
What inspectors found, April 2017
HF Trust - Hollycroft was rated Good; inspectors found safe, caring and personalised support in all five areas.
This was an unannounced inspection carried out on 1 March and 21 March 2017. Relatives were also contacted on 24 March. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, staff, the manager and relatives. They reviewed care records, staff recruitment and training records, complaints information and quality checks.
The home supported seven people with learning disabilities and had places for up to eight. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines support and suitable checks to protect people from harm. Staff were trained, understood people's needs and asked for consent before giving support.
Inspectors found kind staff who knew people well. People were supported to make choices, stay independent, maintain relationships, attend activities and use health services. Care plans reflected people's needs and preferences, and the home had systems for complaints, feedback and quality monitoring.
The overall rating was Good. Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led were all rated Good. The report did not identify any breached regulations or enforcement action.
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough staff to support people safely. Medicines were stored safely and records showed they were administered as prescribed.
“We saw that medicines were stored safely within the home.” from the report
Kind, respectful support
Staff knew people well and supported their privacy, dignity, choices and independence. Relatives also described the staff as caring.
“People were supported by caring and respectful staff who knew them well.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans reflected people's individual needs, preferences and choices. Staff adjusted support when people's needs or behaviour changed.
“There was clear evidence that the care provided was person-centred and that the care plans reflected people's needs, choices and preferences.” from the report
Activities and relationships
People were supported to attend day centres, college, community clubs and other activities. The home also supported contact with relatives and personal interests.
“People were supported by staff to follow their interests and participate in activities.” from the report
Open management
The home gathered views through meetings and surveys and used audits to monitor care, medicines and care plans. Staff said they could approach the manager when needed.
“The provider had an open and inclusive culture.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you update my relative's care plan if their needs or behaviour changed?
- 02What is the current position on any DoLS applications that were still awaiting local authority approval at the inspection?
- 03How will you support my relative to take part in activities, college, community clubs or other interests?
- 04How will you keep our family informed about changes in my relative's health and care?
- 05Can you explain the findings of your care plan, medicines and quality audits and any improvements made since this inspection?
This was an unannounced inspection of the overall service, covering Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led, with relatives contacted afterwards. This explanation was written from the published report of 27 April 2017 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 Hollycroft
3 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has slipped, from Good to Requires improvement.
- November 2019Requires improvementcurrent ratingdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- April 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- May 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 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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