CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Orchard Place
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, December 2017
Rated Good overall, but Safe was Requires Improvement because some medicines were not given at the prescribed time.
Inspectors visited the home without notice on 23 November 2017. They observed care, spoke with people, relatives, staff and the manager, and checked care plans, medicines, recruitment records and quality checks.
The main concern was medicines. Two people were prescribed a medicine to be given 30 to 60 minutes before food, but this instruction was not followed. The prescriber said the medicine's effectiveness could have been reduced by up to 30%, although people were not expected to have been harmed.
Inspectors found enough staff, suitable risk assessments and good infection control. People received support with healthcare, food, activities and personal choices. Staff were described as kind and respectful, and the home was seen as welcoming and well managed.
The overall rating was Good. Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led were rated Good, while Safe was rated Requires Improvement. The previous inspection was also Good overall, but Effective had previously Requires Improvement.
Enough staff
People told inspectors staff were available and helped them when needed. The home usually used its own staff team, which supported consistency.
“There were enough staff to safely meet people's needs.” from the report
Personalised care
Staff knew people's routines, preferences and communication needs. Care plans recorded these details and staff followed them.
“We saw, and people told us about, examples of person-centred care throughout our inspection.” from the report
Kind relationships
People were treated with dignity and respect. Inspectors found that staff understood people well and supported their independence.
“People continued to enjoy positive and respectful relationships with staff, with people being treated with dignity at all times.” from the report
Good involvement and activities
People influenced meals, activities and how the home was run. Their hobbies and requests for evening activities were supported.
“People were encouraged to provide feedback about the service and about any improvements or changes they wanted to see made.” from the report
Medicine timings
seriousTwo people did not receive a medicine 30 to 60 minutes before food as prescribed. The prescriber said this could reduce its effectiveness by up to 30%, so inspectors could not be assured medicines were always safe.
“Medicines had not always been administered in accordance with the prescriber's instructions.” from the report
- 01How do you now make sure medicines that must be given before food are administered at the correct time?
- 02What checks are made when a medicine is given at the wrong time, and how would relatives be told?
- 03How are people's individual routines, communication needs and preferences recorded and passed to all staff?
- 04How do people and relatives influence meals, activities and changes to the home?
- 05How do you keep people's health needs under review and respond when they change?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions, using observations, conversations and checks of care records, medicines, recruitment records and quality audits. 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 Place
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2017Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2013
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
11 live-in carers within about an hour of Herefordshire, County of
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 £960 to £1,410 a week. 10 can care for a couple. 8 years' experience on average.
“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.