CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Homeacre
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People told inspectors they felt safe. There were enough staff, appropriate recruitment checks, risk assessments, infection control measures and regular medicines audits.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff received training, induction, supervision and appraisals. People were supported with food, drink, healthcare, communication needs and decisions about their care.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff knew people well, respected their choices and supported their dignity, privacy, independence, relationships and religious beliefs.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and reviewed regularly. People had varied activities, access to community life, a complaints process and support at the end of life.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The provider and assistant manager used audits, meetings and questionnaires to monitor the home and act on people's feedback. This was an improvement from the previous inspection.
What inspectors found, December 2018
Homeacre rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, and said previous leadership shortcomings had been addressed.
Inspectors visited without notice on 13 November 2018. They spoke with people living in the home, healthcare professionals, the provider and care workers. They reviewed care and medicines records, a recruitment file, audits and other information.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines practices, suitable training, respectful care, personalised support and regular checks on quality.
The overall rating stayed Good, as it had at the previous inspection. The previous inspection had found that insurance was not up to date and rated Well-led as Requires Improvement. Inspectors found that systems had since been put in place to prevent this happening again.
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs, with appropriate recruitment checks. Medicines were given by trained staff and checked through regular audits.
“Regular audits were completed of medication to ensure there were no errors.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans reflected people's wishes and were reviewed monthly or when needs changed. Staff supported people to keep their routines and independence.
“We saw from care records that people had person centred care plans which were very inclusive of their views and wishes.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Staff knew people's preferences and histories. Inspectors saw good relationships and found that privacy, dignity and personal choices were respected.
“We saw people and staff had good relationships.” from the report
Support with activities and relationships
People were offered varied pastimes and could spend time with friends and family. The home also supported community activities and contact through the internet.
“People were supported and encouraged to maintain relationships with their friends and family whilst staying at the service.” from the report
Improved management checks
The previous insurance problem had been addressed. More robust audits gave the provider and assistant manager better oversight of the home.
“We saw the provider and assistant manager had put systems in place to ensure all renewals happened when required.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How many staff will usually be on duty for my relative, and how do you maintain a stable staff team?
- 02How will you assess and regularly update my relative's risks, care plan, communication needs and preferences?
- 03How do you check that medicines are given safely and on time, and how are any errors dealt with?
- 04What activities and support would be available for my relative's interests, relationships and independence?
- 05How do you gather and act on feedback from residents and relatives, and how often are your quality checks completed?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions; the overall Good rating was unchanged from the previous inspection, although Well-led had improved from Requires Improvement. This explanation was written from the published report of 8 December 2018 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 Homeacre
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- May 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 7 October 2010.
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.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
35 live-in carers within about an hour of Essex
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 £1,020 to £1,260 a week. 25 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Not only was she professional, polite and efficient but she bought a lovely smile and laughter to my parents home.”
“She brought fun and stimulation into mums life.”
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.