CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at St Helens Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks, medicines, staffing and recruitment were managed safely. They were also assured that infection prevention and control arrangements were in place.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed and reviewed. Staff had training and regular support, and people were helped with food, drink, healthcare and decisions about their care.
- Caring?
- Good
- People and relatives spoke positively about the care. Inspectors saw kind interactions and found that staff respected people's dignity, choices and independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was personalised and reviewed regularly. People had access to activities, information in accessible formats and a complaints process.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The provider and registered manager used audits, feedback and regular communication to monitor the home. People, relatives and staff spoke positively about the culture and leadership.
What inspectors found, May 2021
St Helens Care Home was rated Good in all five areas; inspectors found kind, safe and personalised care.
This was the first inspection since the home was newly registered. It was an unannounced visit on 14 and 18 May 2021. One inspector and one Expert by Experience carried it out.
Inspectors spoke with six people, one relative and eight staff. They reviewed care records, medicines records, complaints, safeguarding information, training and quality checks. They also checked infection prevention and control arrangements.
The home was rated Good overall and Good for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that people were treated with dignity, medicines and risks were managed safely, care was personalised, and leaders monitored the service.
The previous provider's rating was Requires Improvement, published in December 2019. This newly registered service had not been inspected before, so the report does not describe a direct rating change for the current registration.
Kind and respectful care
People said staff treated them well, and inspectors saw kind interactions. Staff knew people well and supported their dignity and independence.
“We saw kind and caring interactions between people and staff during our visit.” from the report
Safe medicines and risk management
Medicines were stored and given safely. Risks were assessed, addressed and reviewed, with enough staff deployed to support people safely.
“Medicines were managed safely and people received these when needed.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans reflected people's needs and preferences. Staff involved people and relatives in planning and reviewing care.
“People received personalised care that met their assessed needs and preferences.” from the report
Activities and contact
People took part in activities linked to their interests. Despite COVID-19 restrictions, alternative activities were available and people could keep in touch with relatives.
“During the inspection we saw people engaged in a range of social activities.” from the report
Active quality monitoring
The provider and registered manager carried out audits and sought feedback from people, relatives and staff. Suggestions were acted on.
“Feedback was sought from people, relatives and staff. Comments and suggestions were acted on.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How have you kept activities varied since inspectors said activity provision was affected by COVID-19 restrictions?
- 02How often will my relative's care plan and risks be reviewed if their needs or choices change?
- 03How will you make sure my relative receives medicines safely and on time?
- 04What dementia-friendly features and support are available in the unit for people living with dementia?
- 05How will my relative and our family be involved in care reviews and in raising any complaints?
This was the first planned inspection of the newly registered service and covered all five key questions, including infection prevention and control under Safe. This explanation was written from the published report of 29 May 2021 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 St Helens Care Home
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- May 2021Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2020
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 June 2020.
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
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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.