CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Hopwood Court
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People said they felt safe. Inspectors found that risks were assessed and managed, staffing levels were sufficient, medicines were handled safely and infection-control measures were in place.
- Effective?
- Good
- Care needs were assessed and staff had suitable training and support. People were offered food and drinks they enjoyed and were supported to access healthcare.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect. People were involved in decisions and supported to remain as independent as possible.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Staff knew people's preferences and changes in their needs were communicated promptly. People were supported with activities, relationships, complaints and end-of-life wishes.
- Well-led?
- Good
- People, relatives and staff felt the home was well run. The manager was approachable and used checks, staff supervision and record reviews to monitor care quality.
What inspectors found, September 2021
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with no breaches reported.
This was an unannounced planned inspection on 17 August 2021. Inspectors spoke with nine people living in the home, one relative and eight staff. They also observed care and reviewed care, medicine, recruitment and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People told inspectors they felt safe, listened to and supported. Staff understood people's needs, medicines were managed safely, and the home was clean.
Inspectors found that people's care was personalised and that staff supported their choices, dignity, health and interests. The COVID-19 pandemic had reduced trips and some social activities, but the home had introduced other ways for people to see visitors and keep in touch with family.
The previous inspection rating was also Good, published on 9 March 2019. This inspection found that the Good ratings had been maintained.
People felt safe
People told inspectors they felt safe and staff understood how to protect them from abuse and avoidable harm.
“All people we spoke with told us they continued to feel safe by the staff who supported them.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff treated people as individuals, respected their choices and supported their privacy, dignity and independence.
“We saw staff were respectful towards people at all times and worked with the person at their own pace and respected their decision making.” from the report
Personalised support
Staff knew people's likes, dislikes and changing needs. Care plans contained information to guide staff and relatives were involved where appropriate.
“Staff knew people very well and recognised when they were 'not themselves' so that prompt action could be taken.” from the report
Good teamwork and leadership
Staff said they worked well together and felt supported. The manager used checks, meetings and reviews of care records and medicines to monitor the service.
“The management team had good oversight of the care and support people needed.” from the report
Support during the pandemic
Although usual trips had stopped, the home created other ways for people to meet visitors and contact family and friends.
“A log cabin had been built, which had heating and lighting, so that people could meet their visitors in a comfortable environment.” from the report
No resident meetings during the previous year
minorPeople had not had group resident meetings during the previous year. The manager said discussions were being held individually instead and would consider the feedback.
“While people were happy with the service, people told us they had not had any resident meetings this past year.” from the report
- 01Have resident meetings restarted, and how are people's views now collected and acted on?
- 02Is the planned computerised system for care plans, risk assessments and daily tasks now in use?
- 03What activities, trips and visitor arrangements are currently available now that COVID-19 restrictions have changed?
- 04How are people's health appointments arranged and supported if remote doctor calls are used?
- 05How are people's end-of-life wishes recorded, reviewed and shared with the staff team?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, including infection prevention and control. This explanation was written from the published report of 18 September 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, April 2021
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong infection control arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was a planned, announced inspection on 19 March 2021. It was a targeted visit looking only at infection prevention and control in the home.
Inspectors found arrangements for visitors, testing, PPE, cleaning, social distancing and shielding. They were assured that people were admitted safely and that infection outbreaks could be prevented or managed.
The home had a visiting pod, video-call technology and links with health and local authority professionals. Its infection control policies were kept up to date and checked through monitoring and audits.
The service was inspected but not rated. This means the visit did not give an overall quality rating or a separate rated judgement for the five questions.
Visitor infection controls
Visitors and healthcare professionals had to follow strict entry procedures. A separate visiting pod was available by appointment.
“Staff, visitors and healthcare professionals were required to follow strict processes when entering the home to prevent the introduction of infection.” from the report
Testing and PPE
Staff were tested three times a week and people living at the home monthly. Inspectors found plentiful PPE and extra infection control training for staff.
“COVID-19 tests were carried out three times a week for staff and monthly for people living at the home.” from the report
Cleaning and monitoring
The home had cleaning schedules and systems to monitor and audit infection control.
“Robust cleaning schedules were in place to reduce the risk of infection transmission in the home.” from the report
Family communication
The home had bought larger-screen technology to help people keep in touch with their families by video call.
“New technology had been purchased to support people to communicate with families through video calls on a larger screen.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How have your infection prevention and control arrangements changed since the inspection on 19 March 2021?
- 02What are your current arrangements for family visits, and is the visiting pod still available?
- 03How often are staff and residents tested now, and what happens if someone tests positive?
- 04How do you make sure staff use PPE correctly and keep their infection control training up to date?
- 05How would you respond if there was an infection outbreak in the home?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the COVID-19 pandemic; the service was inspected but not rated and the report does not assess the other areas of care. This explanation was written from the published report of 13 April 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.
Every inspection of Hopwood Court
3 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- September 2021Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- March 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 21 December 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
At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Worcestershire
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. 85 can care for a couple. 9 years' experience on average.
“I have never met a person who is so kind and thinks about others before himself to such an extent as Chris Malagala.”
“She was very caring, kind and patient to all his needs, she built up a wondetful rapport with him, she was dedicated and was there for him through good times as well as through the tough times”
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.