CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Merlewood House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Inspectors found risk assessments, safety checks, infection control, recruitment checks and medicines systems were in place.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs and choices were assessed and reviewed. Staff supported healthcare, nutrition, exercise, decision-making and independence.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with kindness, respect and compassion. People were supported to make choices, maintain privacy and dignity, and keep in contact with family.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was personalised to people's needs, preferences and communication styles. People had access to activities, community opportunities and a complaints process.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had supportive management, staff meetings, feedback systems and regular quality checks. A new manager was in post and had applied for registration.
What inspectors found, April 2019
Merlewood House was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with a new manager still applying for registration.
Inspectors visited on 20 and 21 February 2019. The first day was unannounced. They observed care, spoke with staff and the manager, reviewed care and other records, and later spoke with two relatives.
The home was supporting four people with autism, although it was registered for up to six. Inspectors found people appeared relaxed and content. Staff understood safeguarding, medicines were managed safely, staffing was sufficient, and the home was clean and well maintained.
Care plans reflected people's needs, choices and routines. Staff supported health appointments, meals, communication, independence, activities and family contact. Inspectors saw kind and respectful interactions, and found complaints and quality checks were being managed well.
The overall rating was Good, with Good ratings for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was the same as the previous rating on 21 July 2016.
People felt safe
Inspectors found people relaxed and content with staff. Staff understood safeguarding and knew what to do if they suspected abuse.
“People were safe and protected from avoidable harm. Legal requirements were met.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Staff knew people well and respected their choices, routines, privacy and dignity.
“People were treated with kindness, respect and compassion and they were given emotional support when needed.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's preferences, routines, communication needs and individual ways of experiencing autism. People were supported to make choices and build independence.
“People received personalised care that was responsive to their needs.” from the report
Activities and family contact
People took part in activities at home and in the community. Visiting arrangements were flexible and people were supported to keep in touch with family.
“There were opportunities for people to engage in a wide range of community and in-house activities.” from the report
Regular quality checks
Managers and staff used audits, monitoring visits, meetings and feedback to review the service and plan improvements.
“Managers and staff completed regular checks on quality, systems and processes.” from the report
Management registration was in progress
minorThe previous registered manager had left. A new manager was in post and had applied for registration, while progress continued to ensure the management arrangements met legal requirements.
“The registered manager had left the service and a new manager had been appointed who had applied for registration.” from the report
- 01Has the new manager's application for registration now been completed?
- 02What changes were made after the staffing review, including the planned extra weekend staff for activities?
- 03How are people supported to understand the concept of adults at risk in ways they can access?
- 04How are people's health calendars and health passports kept up to date?
- 05How are people and their relatives involved in reviewing care plans, activities and future care preferences?
This was a planned inspection covering the premises and care provided, with ratings given for all five key questions; four people were using the home at the time. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 April 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 Merlewood House
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- April 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2014Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not ratedEffective: Inspected but not ratedCaring: Inspected but not ratedResponsive: Inspected but not ratedWell-led: Inspected but not rated
- February 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 23 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
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.