CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at St Helens Hall and Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, December 2021
Rated Good overall; inspectors found kind, safe and well-organised care, but identified weaknesses in as-needed medicines records.
This was an unannounced inspection on 3 December 2021. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, relatives, staff and health professionals. They also checked care plans, medicine records, recruitment files and quality records.
The home provided personal care for 74 older people. Inspectors found enough staff on duty, safe recruitment, suitable risk assessments and well-maintained equipment. People and relatives gave positive feedback, and staff were described as kind, patient and respectful.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The main shortfalls were that some as-needed medicine records did not match the medicines given, and some pressure care and nutrition charts were incomplete. The provider was given a recommendation to improve its practice.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff being patient, caring and responsive. People said staff respected their privacy and genuinely cared about them.
“Because the staff care about you. They are always asking you if you are alright or need anything.” from the report
Enough staff
There appeared to be enough staff on each shift to meet people's needs. Recruitment checks had also been completed.
“There appeared to be sufficient numbers of staff on each shift to meet people's needs.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans recorded people's likes, dislikes, needs and preferences. Staff knew people well and supported their choices and independence.
“People's care was person centred and individualised and we saw this in practice during the inspection.” from the report
Open management
The manager was approachable and receptive to feedback. The home used audits and worked with health professionals to improve care.
“The registered manager was open, approachable, reflective and a role model to the staff.” from the report
As-needed medicines
needs fixingThe amounts recorded for some as-needed medicines did not always match what had been administered. Instructions for some as-needed painkillers were also not clear enough. CQC made a recommendation for improvement.
“Medicines were mostly managed safely. However, we identified that the amount of "as and when" medicines (PRN) did not always match what was documented as administered.” from the report
Incomplete monitoring charts
needs fixingSome pressure area care and nutrition charts were not completed consistently. The manager was told about this and introduced immediate actions to improve it.
“We identified that some monitoring information such as pressure area care and nutrition charts were not always completed.” from the report
- 01How do you now check that as-needed pain medicines are offered at the right time and recorded accurately?
- 02What instructions are available to staff about how each person shows that they are in pain?
- 03How do you make sure pressure care and nutrition charts are completed every time they are needed?
- 04What did your medicine audits find after the inspection, and what changes were made?
- 05How many staff are normally on duty on each shift, and how is this adjusted when people's needs change?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five key questions, including infection prevention and control under Safe. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 December 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.
What inspectors found, March 2021
St Helens Hall and Lodge was inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured about infection prevention and control.
The inspection took place on 10 March 2021 and was announced. It was a targeted inspection during the coronavirus pandemic, focused on infection prevention and control in the home.
Inspectors found arrangements for visiting, screening, testing, vaccination, social distancing and the use of personal protective equipment. They were assured that the home was preventing and managing infection risks.
The home was inspected but not rated overall. Safe was also recorded as inspected but not rated, so this report does not provide a full quality rating for the home.
Visiting arrangements
The home provided partitioned visiting pods and also allowed some visitors to sit safely with their relative under government guidance.
“Visitors were able to spend time seeing and speaking with loved ones in many different ways.” from the report
Protective equipment
There were suitable supplies of protective equipment, and staff used and disposed of it correctly.
“Stocks of the right standard of personal protective equipment (PPE) were well-maintained and staff used and disposed of it correctly.” from the report
Infection control
Inspectors were assured that the home had suitable infection prevention and control arrangements.
“We were assured that this service met good infection prevention and control guidelines as a designated care setting.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are visitors currently screened for symptoms before entering the home?
- 02What visiting arrangements are currently available for relatives?
- 03How often are staff and residents tested for COVID-19 now?
- 04How does the home manage the risks when someone declines vaccination?
- 05How does the home respond if a resident or staff member has a positive test?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic; it did not provide a full overall rating or ratings for the other areas of care. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 March 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 Hall and Lodge
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2021Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- March 2019GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2020
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 17 January 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
Fees, photos and reviews from families
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What to check when you visit
At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of St. Helens
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. 92 can care for a couple. 10 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.