CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at High Trees Residential Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, May 2019
High Trees Residential Home was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with one concern about the service design.
This was an unannounced inspection visit on 17 April 2019. One inspector spoke with people living in the home, staff and a relative, observed care, and checked care, medicine, recruitment, training and quality records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found people were protected from abuse, received their medicines safely, and had enough trained staff to support them.
People were supported by staff who knew them well and treated them kindly. Their care plans reflected their needs and choices, and they had access to healthcare, suitable food, activities and information in formats they could understand.
The report identified that the home had not been designed in line with Registering the Right Support guidance. This was because it could accommodate up to 16 people and some people were expected to share bathrooms and communal areas. The provider was meeting the legal requirements, and the overall rating remained Good.
Safe medicines support
Staff were trained and assessed as competent to support people with medicines. The home had processes for responding to errors and checking that medicines were given correctly.
“People were safely supported with their medicines by a trained and competent staff team.” from the report
Kind relationships
Inspectors saw warm and compassionate interactions. People spoke positively about the staff who supported them.
“During this inspection we saw many incidents of kind and compassionate interactions between people and staff.” from the report
Personalised care
People helped develop and review their care plans. Staff knew people's preferences, health needs and wishes, and adapted support when circumstances changed.
“We saw the care and support people received reflected their personal needs and wishes.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were involved in decisions about their care, activities and where they lived. They were supported to make choices and develop their independence.
“We saw people were supported to be involved in making decisions about their care.” from the report
Good oversight
The management team used checks to monitor care, the environment, incidents and complaints. Staff said managers were supportive and approachable.
“The provider had effective systems to monitor the quality of the service they provided and to drive improvements where needed.” from the report
Service design
needs fixingInspectors said the home was not designed in line with Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. It could accommodate up to 16 people, with some people expected to share bathrooms and communal areas.
“The care service had not been developed or designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance.” from the report
- 01How many people currently live here, and how are shared bathrooms and communal areas managed?
- 02How would you support my relative's privacy and dignity if they needed to share bathroom or communal facilities?
- 03How are medicines checked, and what happens if a medicine error occurs?
- 04How will my relative be involved in developing and reviewing their care plan?
- 05What activities are available, and how are they matched to each person's interests and choices?
This was an unannounced inspection covering the overall quality of the care home and all five CQC questions, including both the premises and the care provided. This explanation was written from the published report of 17 May 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, November 2016
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with strong family involvement and community links.
Inspectors visited on 6 and 7 October 2016. The first day was unannounced and the second was announced. They spoke with people, relatives, staff, managers and external health and social care professionals. They also reviewed care records, medicines, complaints, incidents and quality checks.
The report says people were protected from harm and supported by enough trained staff. Risks were assessed while still allowing people to be independent. Medicines were managed safely, people's health and nutrition needs were supported, and staff understood how to involve people in decisions.
Inspectors saw kind and respectful care. People were supported to take part in activities, education, family events and community life. Families were involved in care planning and said communication was good. The home had systems to monitor quality and make improvements.
The overall rating was Good. Safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led were all rated Good. The report does not record any breaches or enforcement action.
Staffing and safety
There were enough staff to provide timely support, and staff knew how to recognise and report abuse. Recruitment checks were completed before staff started work.
“People were cared for by sufficient numbers of competent staff.” from the report
Personalised support
Staff knew people's physical and emotional needs well. They supported communication, choices and independence, including for people who could not communicate verbally.
“We never assume what people want. If they can't tell us then we look at their body language and facial expressions.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw people being treated with dignity, kindness and respect. Personal care and discussions about care were handled privately.
“We saw that people living at the service were cared for in a dignified and compassionate manner at all times.” from the report
Activities and community life
People were supported to enjoy a wide range of activities, education, holidays and social opportunities. The home helped people stay involved in the local community.
“The staff team worked to ensure that people living at High Trees enjoyed happy, interesting and fulfilled lives.” from the report
Family involvement
Relatives were involved in care planning, decisions and regular communication. The home also helped people attend important family events.
“Relatives were very much involved in working with the staff team to bring out the best in each person living at the service.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How many staff are on duty now, and how do you cover staff shortages without agency staff?
- 02How do you keep each person's risk assessments and support plans up to date?
- 03What specialist training do staff receive for the communication, autism and behavioural needs of the person we are considering?
- 04How will you support the person to maintain family relationships, attend activities and take part in the local community?
- 05How are medicines checked and how often is each staff member's competence assessed?
This was a planned inspection of the overall quality of the service and all five CQC questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 24 November 2016 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 High Trees Residential Home
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- May 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2012
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 29 June 2012.
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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57 live-in carers within about an hour of Shropshire
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 £960 to £1,230 a week. 52 can care for a couple. 9 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.