CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Moordale Court
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm, and there were enough staff. Inspectors noted that fire drills were not being carried out in line with the provider's policy, and some medicine records were unclear or inconsistent.
- Effective?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's needs and aspirations, and staff had relevant training and supervision. Some records of best-interest decisions did not clearly show the involvement of relatives and outside professionals.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff provided kind and compassionate care, respected privacy and dignity, and offered people choices about their daily lives.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Support was personalised and adapted to people's communication needs, preferences and interests. People were supported to take part in activities and maintain relationships.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The manager and provider promoted a person-centred culture and used audits to monitor the service. Relatives and staff were involved in developing and improving the home.
What inspectors found, February 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found kind, person-centred care, with some records and fire-drill arrangements needing improvement.
This was an unannounced inspection on 17, 19 and 27 January 2023. An inspector and a pharmacist specialist spoke with people, relatives, staff and an outside professional. They also checked care records, medicine records and other documents.
The home provides personal care for up to three people with a learning disability. All three places were occupied. Inspectors found people were safe, treated with kindness and supported to make choices, take part in activities and use local services.
Inspectors found some issues. Fire drills were not happening as often as the provider's policy required. Some medicine records were unclear, and some best-interest decisions did not fully record the involvement of relatives and professionals. The manager said these matters would be addressed.
The overall rating was Good, with Good ratings for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The previous inspection in 2018 was also rated Good.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw many examples of kind support. Staff used language people understood and respected their privacy, dignity and choices.
“People received kind and compassionate care from staff who used positive, respectful language which people understood and responded well to.” from the report
Choice and independence
Staff focused on what people could do and supported them to make choices, try new experiences and develop skills.
“People had the opportunity to try new experiences, develop new skills and gain independence.” from the report
Activities and community life
People were supported to follow their interests, go out and take part in social and leisure activities.
“Staff supported people to take part in activities and pursue their interests in their local area, which they were doing during our inspection.” from the report
Staff knew people well
Staff understood people's communication, needs and preferences. Low staff turnover helped provide consistent support.
“Staff knew the people they supported very well, and in many cases had supported them for years.” from the report
Fire drills
needs fixingFire drills were not being carried out as often as the provider's policy required. The manager said this would be reviewed immediately.
“However, we saw that fire drills were not being carried out in line with the provider's policy.” from the report
Medicine records
needs fixingSome records for topical medicines and medicines given when needed were unclear or inconsistent. The manager said this would be addressed immediately.
“We saw some medicine records were unclear or inconsistent, for example those for some topical medicines and as and when required protocols.” from the report
Decision-making records
needs fixingSome records did not clearly show when relatives and outside professionals had been involved in best-interest decisions.
“However, these had not always been effectively recorded.” from the report
- 01What changes have been made to ensure fire drills happen in line with the provider's policy?
- 02How have the unclear records for topical and as-needed medicines been corrected?
- 03How do you record the involvement of relatives and professionals in best-interest decisions?
- 04How will you make sure my relative's choices, activities and independence remain central to their care plan?
- 05How are relatives kept informed about changes to care and invited to reviews?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the premises, care, medicines, records and feedback from people, relatives, staff and an outside professional. This explanation was written from the published report of 14 February 2023 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, February 2018
Rated Good overall and in every area; inspectors found kind, person-centred care with strong support for choice, safety and independence.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 4 December 2017. One inspector observed all three people living at the home, spoke with staff and the manager, and contacted a relative and a visiting professional.
Inspectors checked care plans, medicine records, staff recruitment and training, safety checks, complaints, meetings and quality audits. They found enough trained staff, safe medicine systems, suitable risk assessments and records that were kept up to date.
People were treated with kindness and respect. Staff supported people to make choices in ways suited to their communication, take part in local activities, maintain independence and work towards personal goals. The home was rated Good in all five areas, and remained Good since the previous inspection in October 2015.
Warm home environment
Inspectors described the home as welcoming and said people appeared relaxed in their own surroundings.
“The atmosphere of the home was very homely, warm and welcoming.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff treated people with kindness, protected their privacy and supported their dignity.
“People were supported by caring staff and during our inspection we observed kind and considerate interactions between staff and the people who used the service.” from the report
Support for choice
Staff adapted how they communicated so people could express choices, even when they did not use words.
“This was documented in people's care plans and showed us that people were supported to make choices and information was presented to them in an individualised way to suit their preferences.” from the report
Personal goals and activities
People were helped to set personal goals and take part in activities and outings that mattered to them.
“People were invariably empowered to set themselves goals that were personalised and were supported to achieve them.” from the report
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough staff to provide individual support and found medicine systems and records to be safe.
“People were supported by enough staff to meet their needs and were also supported individually with one to one support.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you learn and record my relative's individual ways of communicating choices, discomfort or pain?
- 02How will you support my relative to work towards personal goals and take part in activities they enjoy?
- 03What health information, including any epilepsy needs, would staff need before my relative moved in?
- 04How often are care plans and risk assessments reviewed, and how would my relative and family be involved?
- 05The report says emergency contingency plans were being updated in December 2017. Have those plans now been completed and tested?
This was an unannounced inspection of the whole service and all five CQC areas, including care, accommodation, staffing, medicines, records and management. This explanation was written from the published report of 9 February 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 Moordale Court
3 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- February 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 17 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
31 live-in carers within about an hour of Redcar and Cleveland
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 £1,280 a week. 29 can care for a couple. 9 years' experience on average.
“I found Alison to be kind , caring helpful concencious... Alison has a heart of gold”
“Petty introduced herself to Mum every time she was caring for her and responded very quickly to Mum if she was distressed in the night.”
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.