CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Orchard Hill
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People felt safe and there were enough staff who knew them well. Medicines, recruitment and risk assessments were managed appropriately.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had training, supervision and induction. People were supported with food, health care, consent and decisions about their daily lives.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with dignity and respect. They knew people's interests and preferences and supported them to make their own choices.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and regularly reviewed. People were supported with their interests, hobbies, community activities and complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had an approachable registered manager and systems for checking quality. Audits were used to identify and monitor improvements.
What inspectors found, December 2017
Orchard Hill rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with garden improvements planned.
This was the first comprehensive inspection since the home registered in November 2016. It was an unannounced visit on 23 October 2017. The inspector spoke with people living there, staff and relatives, observed care, and checked care, recruitment and management records.
The home supported four people with learning disabilities. Inspectors found enough staff who knew people well. Medicines were managed safely, risks were assessed, and staff understood safeguarding and consent. People received personalised support, made choices about their daily lives, and were helped with food, health care, activities and community life.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The report also noted that audits had identified the need to renovate and improve access to the garden, with work planned before December 2017.
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough staff who knew people well. Staff were trained and checked as competent to give medicines, and medicine records were accurate.
“People could be assured that they would receive their prescribed medicines safely.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans covered people's individual needs and were developed with them. Staff supported personal interests, faith, hobbies, work and community activities.
“People's individual care plans were written in a personalised manner and had been developed in partnership with people using the service.” from the report
Good management checks
The manager and provider carried out audits covering areas such as care plans, training, health and safety and the environment. Identified improvements were monitored.
“There was a system of quality assurance in place that was effective in monitoring and improving the quality of service that people living at the home received.” from the report
Garden access
minorEnvironmental audits identified that the garden needed renovation and improved access. Plans were in place for this work to be completed before December 2017, so families may want to check its current position.
“Further audits of the environment had highlighted the need for the garden to be renovated and made more accessible for people living in the home.” from the report
- 01What improvements were made to the garden and its accessibility before December 2017?
- 02How would you support my relative if they have behaviours that may challenge services?
- 03How do you make sure one-to-one support is available when a person needs it?
- 04How would you support my relative's communication, especially if they do not use English as their first language?
- 05How are activities, work placements, hobbies and community visits matched to each person's interests?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five questions, and it was the first comprehensive inspection since the home registered in November 2016. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 December 2017 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 Orchard Hill
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- December 2017Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 November 2016.
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 West Northamptonshire
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. 87 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“We can all fully relax around Nyarai and she feels like part of our family, which is no mean feat!”
“If you bump into her in the night on her way to the bathroom she will still inquire how you are and if everything is alright.”
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.