CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Priors Hall Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks were assessed and managed, staffing and recruitment processes were safe, and medicines were given as prescribed. They found no gaps in 14 medicine administration records without a documented reason.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs and choices were assessed, staff received training and people were supported with food, drink and healthcare. Inspectors found that the home worked in line with the Mental Capacity Act.
- Caring?
- Good
- People and relatives said staff were kind. People were involved in decisions about their care and were supported to maintain their privacy, dignity and independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was personalised around people's needs, preferences and goals. People were supported with communication, activities, relationships, complaints and end of life care.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found an open, person-centred culture, regular quality checks and evidence that feedback, incidents and complaints were used to improve care. There was no registered manager in post at the time of the inspection.
What inspectors found, February 2024
Priors Hall Care Home was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with no evidence that reported medicine or staffing concerns had caused harm.
This was the first inspection since the home was registered. It was unannounced and took place on 11 and 15 January 2024. Inspectors reviewed care plans, medicine records, accident records and other quality records. They spoke with people living there, relatives and staff.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that risks were assessed, medicines were given safely, staff were trained and people were treated with kindness, dignity and respect.
The inspection was partly prompted by concerns about medicines and staffing. Inspectors found no evidence that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. The home was newly registered, so there was no previous inspection rating to compare with.
Safe medicines
Inspectors found that medicines, including time-sensitive medicines, were given as prescribed and on time. Records checked did not have unexplained gaps.
“People received their medicines including time sensitive medicines as prescribed and on time by suitably trained and competent staff.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People and relatives described staff as kind. Inspectors found that people were treated with dignity and supported to make their own choices.
“People were supported by staff who were kind and caring.” from the report
Personalised support
People helped shape their care plans and were supported to work towards their own goals and aspirations.
“People were involved and directed how they wanted to be supported and what they wanted to achieve from their care.” from the report
Good activities and relationships
People were supported to keep relationships, follow their interests and join activities such as music, cooking, time with animals and quizzes.
“People were supported to maintain relationships, follow their interests and take part in activities that were relevant to them.” from the report
Quality monitoring
Managers used checks, feedback, complaints and incident reviews to identify trends and make improvements.
“The provider had a clear management structure that monitored the quality of care to drive improvements in service delivery.” from the report
No registered manager
minorThere was no registered manager in post when inspectors visited. Ask who is currently responsible for the home and when a registered manager is expected to be in place.
“At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post.” from the report
- 01Who is currently responsible for managing the home, given that there was no registered manager in post during the inspection?
- 02How do you check that staffing levels remain sufficient on each shift, including when people’s needs change?
- 03How are medicines checked now, and how do you support people who are working towards managing their own medicines?
- 04How often will my relative and our family be involved in reviewing the care plan and their goals?
- 05Which activities and support would be available for my relative's interests, communication needs and relationships?
This was the first comprehensive, unannounced inspection of the newly registered home and covered all five quality areas; it was prompted partly by concerns about medicines and staffing. This explanation was written from the published report of 15 February 2024 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 Priors Hall Care Home
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- February 2024Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2022
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 3 November 2022.
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.
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89 live-in carers within about an hour of North 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 £1,260 a week. 76 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“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.