Skip to content
The Care Home DirectoryEvery care home in England

CQC report explained · a residential care home

What the CQC found at Holland House

Outstandingpublished 20 December 2019, 6 years ago

Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Good
People said they felt safe. Inspectors found individual risk plans, suitable staffing, safe recruitment and systems for medicines, infection control and learning from incidents.
Effective?
Good
People's physical, mental and social needs were assessed. Staff followed specialist guidance for Prader-Willi Syndrome, supported personalised diets and worked with healthcare professionals.
Caring?
Good
Inspectors saw a warm and relaxed atmosphere. Staff supported people's choices, privacy, dignity, communication and independence.
Responsive?
Outstanding
Care plans and daily activities were highly individualised. People were supported to pursue interests, relationships, community activities and personal dreams.
Well-led?
Outstanding
Inspectors found strong leadership, an open culture, experienced staff and effective quality checks. People, relatives and staff were involved in improving the service.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, December 2019

Rated Outstanding; inspectors found highly personalised care, excellent activities and strong leadership, with Safe, Effective and Caring rated Good.

The inspection took place at the home on 23 October 2019. The inspector spoke with all four people living there, staff and relatives, and checked care, medicines, recruitment and management records. Further telephone interviews with four relatives took place on 8, 11 and 12 November.

The home supports up to four adults with Prader-Willi Syndrome and learning disabilities. Inspectors found care was personalised to people's specialist needs. People were supported to manage food and weight, attend health appointments, build skills and live more independently.

The home was rated Good for Safe, Effective and Caring. It was rated Outstanding for Responsive and Well-led. The overall rating was Outstanding. Responsive and Well-led had improved from Good at the previous inspection, published on 7 January 2017.

What inspectors praised
  • Personalised specialist care

    Care and support were tailored to each person's specialist needs. Staff had significant experience of supporting people with Prader-Willi Syndrome.

    “Without exception the care and support people received was specifically personalised to meet people's specialist needs.” from the report
  • Health and weight support

    People followed personalised calorie-controlled diets and were supported to manage food choices, activity and health appointments. Inspectors linked this to improvements in health and wellbeing.

    “People were supported to manage their weight and food choices.” from the report
  • Activities and independence

    People had individual activity programmes and were supported to develop skills, maintain relationships and take part in community life. Staff also helped people achieve personal dreams.

    “Each person had a daily activity programme that was individualised to meet their specific preferences and wishes.” from the report
  • Strong leadership

    The report describes a committed management team, experienced staff and a culture focused on choice, independence and better outcomes.

    “There was a strong commitment to promoting independence and social inclusion.” from the report
  • Quality monitoring

    The home used audits, incident reviews and action plans to monitor care and make improvements. Staff were encouraged to question practice and share concerns.

    “Effective quality assurance systems were used to continually monitor all aspects of the service.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.

Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How would you adapt the personalised calorie-controlled diet and food controls to my relative's needs and wishes?
  2. 02What staffing support would my relative receive outside the home, including any one-to-one support?
  3. 03How would you identify and support my relative's personal goals, activities, relationships and independence?
  4. 04How would my relative be involved in their care plan and in decisions about restrictions such as kitchen access?
  5. 05How do you currently check care quality, review incidents and act on any improvements needed?

This was a planned comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions, with a home visit on 23 October and telephone interviews with relatives on 8, 11 and 12 November 2019. This explanation was written from the published report of 20 December 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.

An earlier report, explained

What inspectors found, January 2017

Holland House was rated Good; inspectors found safe, caring and personalised support with effective management systems.

This was an unannounced inspection on 1 December 2016. The inspector visited the home, spoke with two people and two relatives, and spoke with four staff members, including the manager. They reviewed care records, recruitment and training records, quality checks, the building and staff interactions.

The home supported three people, with space for up to four. It had reopened in September 2016 and specialised in supporting adults with complex needs and behaviours linked to Prader-Willi Syndrome. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines arrangements, suitable training and detailed risk plans.

All five areas were rated Good: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. This means inspectors found the home was meeting the relevant standards at the time of this inspection. It does not describe how the home is operating now.

What inspectors praised
  • Detailed risk planning

    Risk plans gave staff clear guidance while allowing people to remain as independent as possible. They covered risks linked to Prader-Willi Syndrome and everyday activities.

    “Risk assessments were in place and were continually reviewed and managed in a way which enabled people to safely pursue their independence and receive safe support.” from the report
  • Relevant staff training

    Staff received training about Prader-Willi Syndrome, nutrition, conflict management and other areas needed for the people living there. New staff completed training and shadow shifts before working alone.

    “Additional training relevant to the needs of the people they were supporting was also provided; this included training in PWS, conflict management, nutrition and healthy eating.” from the report
  • Respectful relationships

    Inspectors saw positive relationships between staff and residents. People were involved in choices and their privacy, dignity and cultural needs were respected.

    “Staff supported people in a kind and caring way and involved them as much as possible in day to day choices and arrangements.” from the report
  • Personalised activities

    People were supported to follow their interests, work towards goals and build independence. Activities included community outings, hobbies and practical tasks.

    “People were supported to take part in activities that they enjoyed and staff were knowledgeable about people's preferences and hobbies.” from the report
  • Quality monitoring

    The manager and provider carried out audits and followed up actions. People, relatives and staff had opportunities to give their views.

    “There were arrangements in place to consistently monitor the quality of the service that people received, as regular audits had been carried out by the provider and manager.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Manager registration was pending

    minor

    A manager was in post, but their application to register with the CQC was still being processed when inspectors visited. Ask whether this has since been completed.

    “The manager had applied to the Care Quality Commission to register as the manager of the service and this application was being processed.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01Has the manager's application to register with the CQC since been completed?
  2. 02How will you manage my relative's food access, meal plans and nutritional needs if they have Prader-Willi Syndrome?
  3. 03How are risk assessments and care plans reviewed when a person's needs or behaviour changes?
  4. 04What activities and opportunities for independence would be available for my relative?
  5. 05How would my relative or our family raise a concern or complaint, and how would it be followed up?

This was an unannounced inspection covering the overall service and all five CQC questions, including care records, staffing, medicines, quality monitoring and the home environment. This explanation was written from the published report of 7 January 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.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Holland House

2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has improved, from Good to Outstanding.

  1. December 2019Outstandingcurrent ratingup from Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding

    Read what inspectors found at Holland House →

  2. January 2017Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Holland House →

  3. October 2014

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. June 2014

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. November 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  6. May 2012

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  7. January 2011

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 21 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.

Next steps

Weigh the report against the rest

Care at home

89 live-in carers within about an hour of North Northamptonshire

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. 76 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.

“If you bump into her in the night on her way to the bathroom she will still inquire how you are and if everything is alright.”
Caroline C., about Mary K.
See live-in carers near North NorthamptonshireProfiles, rates and reviews are free to look at.

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.