CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at River Cottage
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough staff, robust recruitment checks, regularly reviewed risk assessments and safe medicines management. Staff knew how to raise safeguarding concerns.
- Effective?
- Good
- Care and health needs were assessed and reviewed. Staff were trained, people's dietary needs were met and the home worked with health and social care professionals.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. They were involved in care decisions, supported to maintain relationships and helped to develop independence.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Support was highly personalised. Creative use of symbols, photos and other accessible information helped people communicate, make choices and take part in activities.
- Well-led?
- Outstanding
- Inspectors found strong leadership, a person-centred culture and effective communication with people, relatives and staff. Audits and improvement systems were used well.
What inspectors found, February 2020
Rated Outstanding overall; inspectors found exceptionally responsive, person-centred care and strong leadership, with Safe, Effective and Caring rated Good.
This was a planned inspection on 5 and 9 December 2019. One inspector spoke with two people living at the home, a relative, the manager and staff. They reviewed care records, medicines records, audits and other documents.
The home supported three young people with learning disabilities and autism. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines management, suitable risk assessments and a clean, well-maintained environment. People were treated with kindness, involved in decisions and supported to develop skills and relationships.
Responsive care and leadership were rated Outstanding. Inspectors highlighted creative communication support, meaningful activities, improved wellbeing and strong links with the local community. Safe, Effective and Caring were rated Good, meaning inspectors found these areas consistently met people's needs.
The overall Outstanding rating was unchanged from the previous inspection on 28 May 2017. Responsive and Well-led also remained Outstanding, while Safe, Effective and Caring remained Good.
Personalised care
Care plans were highly individualised and staff supported people to set goals, learn skills and become more independent.
“People's needs were always met to a high standard. Staff had an excellent understanding of people's need and care plans were exceptionally person-centred.” from the report
Communication support
The home used symbols, photos, colours and Makaton in creative ways. This helped people communicate, make choices and take part in safety procedures.
“Staff had taken innovative steps to meet people's communication needs which had improved their ability to communicate and make choices.” from the report
Community involvement
People took part in education, volunteering, social clubs, sporting events and community projects. Staff supported them to build relationships and reduce isolation.
“People followed interests and took take part in activities that were socially and culturally relevant to them including; active social club memberships, sporting events, educational, environmental projects and local community events” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors observed a relaxed atmosphere and respectful relationships. People were supported to keep important relationships and take part in decisions.
“Staff treated people with kindness and respect at all times.” from the report
Strong leadership
The manager promoted person-centred support, staff learning and continuous improvement. Inspectors found regular audits and clear communication systems.
“The person centred culture and enabling staff approach resulted in people receiving high quality care and achieving their personal goals.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you adapt the home's symbols, photos or Makaton support to my relative's communication needs?
- 02What personal goals would you set with my relative, and how would you measure progress?
- 03Which activities, education or community opportunities could my relative take part in?
- 04How would staff use positive behaviour support if my relative became anxious or distressed?
- 05How are medicines, including any medicines for anxiety, reviewed and recorded?
This was a planned inspection covering all five key questions, the premises and the care provided; the report says the previous overall rating was from 28 May 2017. This explanation was written from the published report of 18 February 2020 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, May 2017
Rated Outstanding; inspectors found safe, kind and highly personalised care, with outstanding responsiveness and leadership.
This was the first CQC rating because the home had previously been registered as a children's home and regulated by Ofsted. The inspection visit took place on 11 April 2017. Inspectors also spoke with relatives and professionals by telephone on 24 April 2017.
At the time, the home supported three young adults with behavioural needs and learning disabilities. Inspectors spoke with people, relatives, staff and professionals. They looked at care records, staff files, quality checks and how people were supported.
Inspectors rated the home Good for safe, effective and caring services. They rated it Outstanding for responsiveness and leadership. They found strong support for independence, education, community activities and communication, as well as thorough checks on quality and safety.
Support for independence
The home helped people develop skills, return to education and take part in community activities. Inspectors saw support that encouraged people to achieve more while managing risks.
“The service had developed its own education opportunities through the Duke of Edinburgh (DoE) award scheme” from the report
Personalised communication
Support plans and communication tools were tailored to each person. These helped people understand changes, express choices and take part in decisions.
“People's individual communication needs were understood and all information was provided in a format appropriate for them” from the report
Flexible support
Plans were reviewed monthly or sooner when needs changed. Staff adapted activities, routines and transitions to suit each person.
“The service was highly flexible and responded quickly to people's changing needs or wishes.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors observed warm, patient and respectful interactions. People were supported with dignity, privacy and compassion.
“All interactions between staff and people were caring and respectful, with staff being consistently patient, kind and compassionate.” from the report
Strong leadership and improvement
The manager and staff showed clear commitment to person-centred care. Regular audits, feedback and partnership work supported ongoing improvement.
“There was strong emphasis on continual improvement and best practice which benefited people and staff.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you make sure my relative's communication needs are understood and reflected in their support plan?
- 02What activities, education or community opportunities would be available for my relative?
- 03How often would my relative's support plan be reviewed, and how would changes in their needs be acted on?
- 04How would you support my relative during changes, such as a change of staff, routine or placement?
- 05How would my relative and our family be involved in giving feedback or raising a concern?
This was an announced inspection covering all five CQC questions and involved three people using the home; the service had not previously had a CQC rating because it was formerly regulated by Ofsted. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 May 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 River Cottage
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Outstanding rating throughout.
- February 2020Outstandingcurrent ratingstayed OutstandingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding
- May 2017OutstandingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding
- November 2015
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 10 November 2015.
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
47 live-in carers within about an hour of County Durham
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 £1,210 a week. 42 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“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.