CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at New Fern
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found effective safeguarding, risk management, staffing, recruitment, medicines and infection-control arrangements. Staff were trained to support people safely and incidents were reviewed for lessons.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before admission and support plans covered communication, sensory, nutrition and health needs. Staff received training and supervision, and supported people to make decisions and access healthcare.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were described and observed as kind, respectful and patient. People were supported to communicate, make choices, try new experiences and develop independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Support plans were personalised and regularly reviewed. People were supported with preferred communication methods, family relationships, education, hobbies, social activities and complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found clear leadership, an open and inclusive culture, regular feedback and plans for improvement. Managers worked with families, staff and health and social care professionals.
What inspectors found, August 2022
Rated Good; inspectors found kind, personalised care, strong support for independence and safe management of medicines.
This was the first inspection of this newly registered care home. Inspectors visited on three days, spoke with three residents, three relatives, seven staff and four health professionals, and reviewed care, medicines, recruitment and management records.
The home supported three people with learning disabilities and autism, although it could support up to six. Inspectors found that staff understood people's communication, sensory and emotional needs. People were supported to make choices, build skills, stay in touch with others and take part in activities.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This means inspectors found consistently good outcomes and good-quality, person-centred support, but a Good rating is not a guarantee that every experience will be perfect.
Personalised support
Staff focused on people's abilities and tailored support to their communication, sensory and emotional needs. People were helped to make choices and have meaningful daily lives.
“Staff focused on people's strengths and promoted what they could do, so people had a fulfilling and meaningful everyday life.” from the report
Communication
Staff understood different ways of communicating, including body language, sounds, Makaton, pictures and symbols. This helped people communicate comfortably with staff and health professionals.
“People who had individual ways of communicating, using body language, sounds, Makaton (a form of sign language), pictures and symbols could interact comfortably with staff and health professionals” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors found staff to be calm, attentive and compassionate. People were supported with dignity and encouraged to develop independence.
“Staff treated people with real kindness, respect and humanity.” from the report
Meaningful activities
People were supported to take part in hobbies, education, everyday living skills and activities in the local community. Staff adapted activities to people's individual needs.
“Staff provided people with person-centred support when helping with everyday living skills, hobbies and meaningful activities.” from the report
Safe medicines management
Staff were trained and assessed as competent to give medicines. The report says the home followed principles intended to avoid excessive or inappropriate use of medicines.
“Medicines were managed safely, and infection prevention and control processes kept people safe.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you assess and support my relative's communication, sensory needs and ways of showing pain or distress?
- 02How do you make sure staffing levels and staff skills remain suitable for each person's needs?
- 03How are medicines reviewed, including checks that medicines are not being used to control behaviour unnecessarily?
- 04How would my relative choose daily activities, meals, education and time in the community?
- 05How would you involve our family in reviews, health appointments and decisions about changes in support?
This was the first comprehensive inspection of the newly registered home and covered all five CQC questions, including the care provided and the premises. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 August 2022 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 New Fern
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- August 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2020
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 26 November 2020.
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 Calderdale
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. 87 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“Primrose is a very kind and compassionate healthcare professional”
“Carla has been a god send with the implementation of bringing mum back home from respite care.”
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.