CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at SENSE Holmlea
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Risks were assessed carefully, staffing levels were sufficient, and medicines were stored, given and recorded safely.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had relevant training and support. People were helped with food, drink, healthcare and specialist needs, and staff followed the Mental Capacity Act.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with kindness, respect and compassion. People and relatives were involved in care decisions, and privacy, dignity and independence were promoted.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were detailed and personalised. People were supported with communication, activities, relationships, complaints and end of life choices.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had clear leadership, regular checks and audits, and a culture focused on person-centred care and improvement.
What inspectors found, July 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with good leadership across the home.
This was an unannounced planned inspection on 25 March 2019. One inspector met four people, observed care, spoke with staff, managers and relatives, and reviewed care plans, risk assessments, medicines records, training records and quality checks.
The home supported up to six people with learning disabilities, sensory impairments and some physical disabilities. Five people lived there at the time. Inspectors found people were safe, treated with kindness and supported by staff who understood their needs.
Care was personalised. People were supported to make choices, stay as independent as possible, communicate in ways they understood and take part in activities. Medicines, staffing, food and drink, infection control and links with health professionals were managed safely.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This means inspectors found consistently good care and that legal requirements were met. The previous inspection in 2016 was also rated Good.
Personalised care
Care plans described people's needs, strengths, goals and preferred support. Staff followed this guidance in practice.
“Care plans were personalised and described the holistic care and support each person required, together with details of their strengths and aspirations.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw staff treating people with kindness, compassion and respect. Staff responded quickly when people were in pain, discomfort or distress.
“Staff were observed to be caring and consistently treated people with kindness, compassion, empathy and respect.” from the report
Support for independence
People were involved in managing risks and making choices. They were supported to take part in activities, holidays and community life.
“People who used the service were supported to be actively involved in making decisions regarding how any identified or potential risks to their safety were managed.” from the report
Good communication support
The home recorded people's individual communication methods and provided information in formats they could understand.
“People's individual communication needs were identified and met appropriately and staff supported people in line with the Accessible Information Standards (AIS).” from the report
Stable staffing
The staff team was consistent, with enough staff to meet people's needs and provide one-to-one support where required.
“The service benefited from a consistent and stable staff team.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you meet my relative's specific communication and sensory needs?
- 02What specialist training do staff have for my relative's learning disability, sensory impairment or physical health needs?
- 03How do you make sure one-to-one staffing is available when a person needs it?
- 04What progress has been made with the planned specialised sensory room?
- 05What improvements have been made to medicines management and hospital arrangements since the inspection?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the care provided and the home itself. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 July 2019 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, September 2016
SENSE Holmlea was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care across all five areas.
The announced inspection took place on 17 August 2016. One inspector observed care, spoke with a relative, the manager and three care staff, and contacted social care professionals.
Inspectors reviewed three people's care records, staff files, training records and quality checks. They found enough staff, suitable risk assessments, safe medicines systems and staff who understood people's needs and communication methods.
Care was described as kind, respectful and individualised. People were supported with health care, food, activities, relationships, religious beliefs and choices. The home received a Good rating in Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led.
Safe staffing and risk management
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs and saw risk assessments that explained how to keep people safe.
“There were sufficient staff to keep people safe and meet their needs” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff knew people well, were patient and supported privacy, dignity and independence.
“Staff were caring, knew people well, and supported people in a dignified and respectful way.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans reflected people's preferences and changing needs. Staff supported people to choose activities and how they wanted their care delivered.
“Care provided was individualised according to each person's needs and preferences.” from the report
Communication and training
Staff received training in communication methods, including British Sign Language and deafblind guiding skills, to support people's involvement in their care.
“This meant that people were supported with their own communication method, which allowed people to participate and be involved in their care.” from the report
Activities and independence
People were supported to maintain hobbies and interests, try new activities and make everyday choices.
“People were supported to maintain hobbies and interests they enjoyed.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are each person's communication needs recorded and shared with new or temporary staff?
- 02How often are risk assessments and care plans reviewed when a person's needs or preferences change?
- 03How are staff medicines competencies checked now?
- 04How are people supported to make choices about activities, meals, bedtime and who supports them?
- 05How are the views and concerns of people who find it difficult to communicate gathered and acted on?
This was an announced inspection of the overall quality of the home, covering all five CQC questions, with observations, interviews and reviews of records. This explanation was written from the published report of 15 September 2016 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 SENSE Holmlea
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- July 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 29 November 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.
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13 live-in carers within about an hour of Norfolk
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 £990 to £1,120 a week. 9 can care for a couple. 14 years' experience on average.
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.