CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Hollydale
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found robust safeguarding and risk management systems. Recruitment, medicines, infection control, and accident and incident processes were also managed safely.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed with input from families and health professionals. Staff training was up to date, and people received support with nutrition, healthcare, consent and daily choices.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were observed to be kind, respectful and discreet. People were supported to communicate their views, maintain their dignity and develop their independence.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Care was exceptionally personalised. People had detailed communication guidance, regularly reviewed activity plans, and a broad range of meaningful activities, with alternatives when they chose not to take part.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found committed management, clear staff roles and effective audits. Staff were supported through handovers, meetings, supervision, training and regular competency checks.
What inspectors found, September 2019
Rated Good overall; inspectors found exceptionally responsive, kind and safe care, although the home is larger than current best-practice guidance.
This was an unannounced, planned comprehensive inspection on 5 June 2019. Inspectors spoke with managers, care staff, relatives and other staff. They observed support and a meal, and checked care, medicines, recruitment, training, complaints and quality records.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led were all rated Good. Responsive was rated Outstanding because support was highly personal, communication was adapted to each person, and people had a wide range of meaningful activities and choices.
Inspectors found people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Staff were safely recruited and trained. People received support with health, eating and drinking, communication, consent and independence. The home was clean, and medicines and incidents were managed safely.
Highly personal support
The home adapted care and activities closely to each person's preferences, communication style and interests. Inspectors rated Responsive Outstanding.
“People living at Hollydale received an exceptionally person centred service.” from the report
Communication and choice
People had individual communication assessments and guides. Staff used tools such as tablets, pictures and signing to help people express views and make decisions.
“Each person had robust assessments and guides titled 'how to communicate with me', which gave the person the best opportunity to interact with staff and visitors.” from the report
Meaningful activities
People took part in a wide range of activities inside and outside the home. Plans were reviewed each month to understand how people experienced activities and make changes.
“People continued to engage in an exceptional range of meaningful activities which enhanced the quality of their lives.” from the report
Safe and skilled care
Inspectors found safe recruitment, up-to-date training, effective risk assessments and safe medicines management. People were also supported with health and nutrition needs.
“People continued to be safe and protected from the risk of abuse and avoidable harm.” from the report
Larger than current guidance
minorThe home supports eight people and is larger than current best-practice guidance for this type of setting. Inspectors said the home had tried to reduce the impact, including through spacious bedrooms and people's busy lives outside the home.
“The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties.” from the report
- 01How would you adapt communication and care for my relative's particular needs?
- 02What meaningful activities would be available for my relative, and how would you respond if they declined an activity?
- 03How do you review activity plans and make changes based on the person's experience?
- 04How would you manage the impact of the home being larger than current best-practice guidance?
- 05How would you support my relative with health, nutrition and any modified diet needs?
This was an unannounced planned comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions; the previous overall and key-question ratings were Good, and Responsive improved to Outstanding. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 September 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, December 2016
Hollydale was rated Good overall; inspectors found safe, caring and personalised support, with an exceptional activities programme.
Inspectors made an unannounced visit on 26 July 2016. They observed care, spoke with relatives, staff, the manager and the cook, and checked care records, medicines, staffing records, staff files and management records.
The home was meeting the legal requirements at the time of the inspection. Inspectors found enough suitably recruited staff, safe medicines arrangements, suitable training, access to healthcare and good support with eating and drinking.
People appeared comfortable and happy with staff. Relatives gave very positive feedback. Care plans were detailed and up to date, complaints were dealt with appropriately, and people had many activities suited to their interests.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The activities programme and leadership were described as especially strong, but the overall rating remained Good.
Personalised communication
Staff understood how people communicated without speech and adapted support to their body language, gestures and facial expressions. People were involved in decisions about their care in ways they could understand.
“Staff were skilled and had an understanding in communicating with individuals in accordance with their particular needs.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw warm, positive relationships between staff and people. Staff respected private space and asked before entering bedrooms.
“It was evident that positive and meaningful relationships had been developed.” from the report
Activities and community life
People had a broad programme built around their interests, including trips, creative activities, household tasks and sensory activities. Inspectors saw people enjoying activities during the visit.
“The activity programme on offer for people was exceptional.” from the report
Safe staffing and medicines
Staffing levels were judged sufficient, recruitment checks were completed and medicines were stored, given and recorded safely.
“We observed staff giving medicines to people. Medicines were safely administered and records were completed accurately after each person had received them.” from the report
Strong oversight
The home used regular audits and reviews to monitor care, medicines, accidents, training, safety and complaints. Staff and families spoke positively about the management.
“We found that effective and robust systems were in place to monitor and improve the service provided.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How many staff are usually on each shift now, and how do you change staffing when people's needs change?
- 02How do you support people who have limited verbal communication to make choices and show consent or disagreement?
- 03Which activities are available now, and how do you check that each person is enjoying and benefiting from them?
- 04How are care plans and risk assessments reviewed when someone's health, communication or behaviour changes?
- 05How can relatives raise a concern, and how will they be kept informed about the investigation and outcome?
This was an unannounced inspection of the overall service, covering all five CQC questions and including observations, discussions and checks of care, staffing, medicines and management records. This explanation was written from the published report of 17 December 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 Hollydale
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- September 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
- December 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 12 July 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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85 live-in carers within about an hour of Lancashire
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. 78 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“She understands the needs of an elderly person in the early stages of dementia and has treated my mother with great kindness and skill.”
“Thanks to Tracy, Dad was always immaculately dressed and clean, his meals were all home cooked and nutritionally well balanced and his home was always kept really clean and tidy.”
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.