CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Smithy Forge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, February 2018
Smithy Forge was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care across all five areas.
The inspection took place on 12 January 2018 and was announced. Inspectors looked around the home, observed staff supporting people, spoke with three people living there, and checked medicines, care records, staff training, rotas and maintenance records.
The home remained Good, the same rating as at the previous inspection. Inspectors found safe medicines procedures, suitable staffing, well-managed risks and staff who understood people's needs.
People were supported to make choices about their care, food and daily lives. Care plans were individual and kept up to date. Inspectors also found warm relationships, respect for privacy and regular checks on the quality of the service.
Consistent staff team
The same experienced staff had supported people for many years. Inspectors found that staff knew people's needs and responded quickly when their wellbeing changed.
“The service was staffed by a consistent staff team who had all worked for the provider for a long time.” from the report
Person-centred care
Care plans explained what mattered to each person and how they wanted to be supported. People were involved in decisions about food, activities and their daily lives.
“Care plans were person centred and driven by the people who lived who lived in the home.” from the report
Kind relationships
Inspectors saw friendly and individual support. People told inspectors they were happy living at the home and liked the staff.
“We observed warm, positive relationships with staff providing very individualised support to meet people's needs.” from the report
Safe medicines and risk management
Medicines were audited weekly and risk assessments explained what people could do independently and where they needed help.
“We looked at medicines management in the home and saw that it was good.” from the report
Regular quality checks
The manager and provider regularly checked different parts of the service. Inspectors found that actions from these checks were completed.
“We saw that these checks were carried out regularly and thoroughly and that any action that had been identified was followed through and completed.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What work was completed on the downstairs toilet extension, and how was the person living in the nearby room supported while it was being planned?
- 02How would people's care be covered if the usual staff team were unavailable?
- 03How often are each person's care plans and risk assessments reviewed, and how are people involved in those reviews?
- 04What regular checks are currently carried out on medicines, care records and health and safety?
- 05How are people's views collected through resident meetings and used to change the service?
This was an announced inspection covering all five rating areas and the premises, including observations, three people's views, two care records, medicines, staffing, training and maintenance records. This explanation was written from the published report of 7 February 2018 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 Smithy Forge
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- February 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 31 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.
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At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Halton
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. 89 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“It was clear that she genuinely cared and her warm approach really helped put our minds at ease.”
“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.”
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.