CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Holmside Residential Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured about infection prevention and control, including visitors, shielding, social distancing, admissions, PPE, testing, hygiene and outbreak management.
- Effective?
- Good
- This question was not rated in this targeted inspection.
- Caring?
- Good
- This question was not rated in this targeted inspection.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This question was not rated in this targeted inspection.
- Well-led?
- Good
- This question was not rated in this targeted inspection.
What inspectors found, May 2021
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control and visiting arrangements during the pandemic.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 27 April 2021. It followed concerns about infection prevention and control measures at the home.
Inspectors found good arrangements for relatives to visit. The home considered individual visiting needs and used risk assessments, consent and best-interest decisions for pandemic-related measures.
Inspectors were assured that the home was using personal protective equipment safely, supporting testing, managing social distancing and hygiene, and keeping its infection control policy up to date.
The home was inspected but not rated. This report does not provide an overall quality rating or ratings for the other key questions.
Family visits
The home had arrangements to support relatives visiting people living there and considered each person's visiting needs.
“The service had good arrangements for facilitating relatives to visit people living at the home.” from the report
Individual risk planning
The home used individual risk assessments and considered consent or best-interest decisions for pandemic measures.
“Individual risk assessments had been carried in relation to keeping people safe during the pandemic.” from the report
Infection control
Inspectors were assured about the home's use of PPE, testing, hygiene, social distancing and outbreak arrangements.
“We were assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you currently support visits while considering each person's individual needs?
- 02How are residents and staff currently tested for infections?
- 03How do you make sure PPE is used effectively and safely?
- 04What arrangements are in place to prevent or manage an infection outbreak?
- 05When was the infection prevention and control policy last updated?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control under the Safe question; the service was inspected but not rated and the other questions were not assessed in this report. This explanation was written from the published report of 12 May 2021 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, August 2019
Holmside Residential Care Home was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and well-organised care, with some records and communication information still needing improvement.
This was an unannounced inspection on 15 July 2019. One inspector spoke with four people, one relative, five staff members and two health professionals. They also reviewed care records, medicines records, staff files and management records.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that risks were assessed, medicines were managed safely, the home was clean, and staff were safely recruited and supported.
People and relatives described kind and respectful care. Care plans had improved and contained more useful information about people's needs, choices and preferences. Activities, health appointments, food and contact with relatives were supported.
The home had improved since its previous inspection, when it was rated Requires Improvement and breached regulations. At this inspection, inspectors found it was no longer in breach. They still asked the manager to improve fire drill records, signage and people's involvement in care reviews.
Safer care planning
Care records and risk assessments had improved since the previous inspection. They gave staff clearer guidance about people's health and support needs.
“Risks related to people's care and health were now completed as part of a move to new electronic care documents.” from the report
Safe medicines
Inspectors saw staff following safe medicines procedures, and the records they checked were up to date.
“Medicines at the home were managed safely and effectively.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People and relatives described staff as caring and supportive. Inspectors saw relaxed, positive relationships between people and staff.
“People and relatives felt the staff supported people well and with kindness and compassion.” from the report
Improved leadership checks
The provider had introduced independent audits and the manager carried out further checks. Inspectors saw evidence that action was taken after these reviews.
“The provider had contracted with an outside agency to carry out regular, independent audits of the home.” from the report
Fire drill records
needs fixingThe effectiveness of fire drills was not always recorded clearly. The manager was asked to improve this.
“The effectiveness of fire drills was not always well recorded, and we spoke with the registered manager about improving this.” from the report
Accessible information
needs fixingSome communication needs were recorded, but inspectors said the home could develop more pictorial information and pictorial care review documents.
“We spoke with the registered manager about developing ideas around improved information access, including more pictorial information around the home and pictorial care review documents.” from the report
Involvement in care reviews
needs fixingThere was some involvement of people in care reviews, but inspectors found this was limited.
“There was some evidence of people being included in reviews of care, but this was limited.” from the report
- 01How do you now record and review the effectiveness of fire drills?
- 02What pictorial information or other accessible formats are currently available for people who need them?
- 03How are residents and their relatives involved in reviewing and changing care plans?
- 04What evidence can you show that the improvements made after the 2018 inspection have been maintained?
- 05How are people's activity choices and requests recorded and reviewed?
This was an unannounced inspection of the care, premises and management of the home, covering all five CQC questions; it followed the previous Requires Improvement rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 8 August 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 Holmside Residential Care Home
2 rated inspections over a year: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- May 2021Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at Holmside Residential Care Home →
- August 2019Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Holmside Residential Care Home →
- July 2018Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- May 2017
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 10 May 2017.
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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23 live-in carers within about an hour of Northumberland
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 £950 to £1,190 a week. 20 can care for a couple. 11 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.