CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Hudson Road
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks were assessed and managed, medicines were given as prescribed, staffing was sufficient and recruitment checks were completed. The home was exceptionally clean and incidents were recorded with action taken to reduce repeat risks.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before they moved in, and care plans reflected their choices and support needs. Staff had appropriate training, followed dietary and healthcare guidance, and supported people with capacity and best-interest decisions.
- Caring?
- Outstanding
- Staff treated people with kindness, respect and affection while maintaining professional boundaries. Inspectors found exceptional support for communication, independence, privacy and involvement in decisions.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Support was highly individual and flexible. People were helped to enjoy activities, relationships and community life, with staff adapting plans to their health and wellbeing.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Management checks were effective and leaders worked alongside staff to promote high standards. Inspectors found a positive, person-centred culture with learning from incidents and cooperation with health and social care professionals.
What inspectors found, January 2020
Rated Outstanding; inspectors found exceptionally caring, personalised support, with safe, effective and well-led care.
The inspection took place on 8 October, 17 October and 13 November 2019. One inspector visited the home, met everyone living there, spoke with staff, relatives and professionals, and checked care records, medicines, staffing, training, incidents and quality checks.
The home supported four people with profound and multiple disabilities. Inspectors found that staff knew people very well and supported their choices, communication, health, routines and community activities. The home was clean, medicines were managed safely, and staff were properly recruited and trained.
The overall rating was Outstanding. Caring and Responsive were rated Outstanding. Safe, Effective and Well-led were rated Good. The previous overall rating was Good, published in April 2017. Responsive improved from Good to Outstanding, while Caring remained Outstanding.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff being gentle, affectionate and respectful. Relatives and professionals also spoke very highly of the care and atmosphere.
“Staff were extremely talented involving people taking into consideration people's sensory and mobility needs.” from the report
Personalised daily life
Staff knew people's likes, dislikes and communication methods very well. People were supported to make choices about routines and take part in activities that mattered to them.
“Care and support were delivered on a very individual basis.” from the report
Rich community activities
The home supported people to take part in concerts, theatres, sport, swimming, cycling, shopping, dining out and other community activities despite physical or sensory challenges.
“People attended music concerts, theatres, football and wrestling events, and were visible in the community using local transport, shopping and dining out.” from the report
Good health support
Healthcare records were thorough and staff recognised changes in people's health. This helped people get medical support promptly and maintain continuity of care.
“Staff knew people extremely well, how they communicated and the signs they displayed when becoming unwell.” from the report
Safe and stable support
Inspectors found safe medicines management, enough staff, thorough recruitment checks and a very low change of staffing. Staff were trained and knew the people they supported.
“There were enough numbers of staff to provide safe, consistent care that met the needs of the people living in the home.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you adapt my relative's daily plans if their health or wellbeing changed?
- 02How would staff communicate with my relative, including their gestures, sounds, hearing or sight needs?
- 03What activities and community opportunities could my relative take part in, and how would you manage the related risks?
- 04How would you involve my relative, family and advocates in care decisions and reviews?
- 05What training and support do staff receive to meet my relative's specific health, mobility and sensory needs?
This was a planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, and the previous Good rating from April 2017 was used to inform the inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 8 January 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, April 2017
Rated Good overall, with Outstanding caring; inspectors found safe, personalised care and strong management of finances.
This was an unannounced inspection on 20 February 2017. The inspector spoke with relatives, staff, managers and social care professionals. They also observed care and checked care records, staff files, training records, complaints and management records.
The inspection followed concerns about financial management and staff conduct. Inspectors found that people were protected from abuse and harm, spending was checked, medicines were managed safely and staffing levels met people's needs. Staff were trained and knew the people they supported well.
Caring was rated Outstanding. Inspectors saw gentle, respectful communication and care that was adapted to people's individual ways of communicating. The home was rated Good overall and remained Good since the last inspection. Safe, effective, responsive and well-led were also rated Good.
Kind, individual care
Staff tailored support to each person and used words, gestures, facial expressions and body language to understand their wishes. Inspectors saw care that was gentle and reassuring.
“The language and approach used by staff was exceptionally gentle and caring.” from the report
Financial safeguards
Inspectors looked closely at financial procedures because concerns had been reported. They found spending was accounted for and higher spending had suitable consent or best-interests decisions.
“Financial systems and checks were robust to ensure that people's expenditure was accounted for.” from the report
Safe medicines practice
Trained staff managed medicines safely. Inspectors found correct stock levels and correctly completed records.
“Medicines were safely managed within the service by trained staff and in accordance with best-practice guidance for care homes.” from the report
Person-centred records
Care records included people's wishes, communication methods, goals and activities. Images and photographs were used to help people understand and take part in planning.
“The records that we saw were highly detailed and used person-centred language.” from the report
Quality monitoring
The registered manager had regular quality and safety audits, gathered feedback and used reports to monitor the home and drive improvement.
“Quality and safety audits were completed on a regular basis.” from the report
Limited formal complaints information
minorThe complaints procedure was clear, but the registered manager could not recall when the last formal complaint had been received. This is a minor point to clarify with the home.
“The registered manager could not recall when the last formal complaint was received by the service” from the report
- 01How do you continue to check and record people's spending, including purchases that need family consent or a best-interests decision?
- 02How do you make sure agency staff understand each person's communication methods, risks and care needs?
- 03How will you support my relative to communicate choices, refuse care or change their mind?
- 04How do you monitor medicines and respond if a record or stock level does not match?
- 05When was the last formal complaint, what was learned from it, and how can families raise concerns?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five quality questions, with particular checks on concerns about financial management and the provision of care. This explanation was written from the published report of 8 April 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 Hudson Road
3 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has improved, from Good to Outstanding.
- January 2020Outstandingcurrent ratingup from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
- April 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 16 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
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38 live-in carers within about an hour of Sefton
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 £1,270 a week. 34 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“He developed a close affinity with Terence, spending time talking with him before he retired to bed and looking after his needs during the night.”
“It was clear that she genuinely cared and her warm approach really helped put our minds at ease.”
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.