CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at SignHealth Polestar
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks were assessed and managed, medicines were given safely and there were enough staff. Staff had training on safeguarding and knew how to report concerns.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had suitable training, supervision and knowledge of people's needs. People were involved in their care and were supported with food, drinks and health appointments.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Staff supported people to make choices, express their views and remain as independent as possible.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was personalised and adapted to people's needs. Staff knew people well, followed accessible care plans and had processes for complaints and emergencies.
- Well-led?
- Good
- People and staff were involved in decisions about the home. Audits, meetings and feedback were used to monitor and improve the service.
What inspectors found, February 2019
Rated Good in all five areas; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care with no serious concerns identified.
The inspection took place on 9 January 2019. One inspector and a British Sign Language interpreter spoke with people, staff and the registered manager. They also checked care records, medicines, recruitment, training and how the home was managed.
The home has six self-contained flats and communal areas. It supports people with sensory impairments, mental ill-health needs or learning disabilities. Inspectors found people were safe, medicines were managed properly and there were enough trained staff.
People were treated with kindness and respect. Staff knew people well, supported their independence and involved them in decisions. The home also had systems for handling complaints, learning from incidents and checking the quality of care.
The home was rated Good overall and Good in Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was unchanged from the previous inspection in February 2016. The report says legal requirements were met and there was no evidence of serious risks or concerns.
Safe staffing and risk management
Inspectors found enough staff on duty and saw that risks were reviewed and managed. Staff understood safeguarding responsibilities.
“During our visit we saw there were sufficient numbers of staff to respond to people's needs when required.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People described staff positively. Inspectors saw caring interactions and found that privacy, dignity and independence were respected.
“We saw caring interactions between people and staff throughout our visit.” from the report
Personalised support
Staff knew people well and involved them in care planning and decisions. The flats and communication arrangements were adapted to people's needs.
“We found staff knew people well and were focussed on providing personalised care.” from the report
Good communication and accessibility
The home was designed for deaf people, with visual alerts and accessible information. Emergency arrangements included a mobile phone app and a nearby care home.
“The location is designed to meet the needs of deaf people, which includes lights to indicate when there is a fire” from the report
Open management
People and staff could raise issues with the manager. The provider gathered feedback and used audits and meetings to check the quality of care.
“The provider had effective auditing systems in place to monitor the effectiveness and quality of service provision.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How often will my relative's risk assessments be reviewed, and how will changes in their needs be recorded?
- 02How will you support my relative to manage their own medicines safely, and how will staff check and record this?
- 03What training do staff have for my relative's specific health, communication or support needs?
- 04How would you support my relative during a fire or other emergency, including use of the emergency phone app?
- 05How can my relative or our family raise a complaint, and how will we be told what action was taken?
This was a planned inspection covering all five key questions; the overall Good rating was unchanged from February 2016. This explanation was written from the published report of 5 February 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.
Every inspection of SignHealth Polestar
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- February 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 13 October 2011.
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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What to check when you visit
At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Birmingham
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 £950 to £1,230 a week. 79 can care for a couple. 9 years' experience on average.
“God doesn't make people like her anymore!”
“I have never met a person who is so kind and thinks about others before himself to such an extent as Chris Malagala.”
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.