CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Stable Cottage
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Inspectors found personalised risk guidance, safe medicines systems, suitable infection control and safe staff recruitment.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs and choices were assessed and staff had suitable training. People were supported with food, healthcare, communication, daily decisions and legally required capacity arrangements.
- Caring?
- Good
- This question was not inspected during this visit and no new rating was given. Inspectors did report that staff were kind, knew people well and respected their preferences.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This question was not inspected during this visit and no new rating was given. The report says people's care was planned around their needs, interests, routines and aspirations.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had an experienced manager, regular audits and meetings, and systems for handling complaints, incidents and safeguarding. Relatives and staff said communication was good and managers were approachable.
What inspectors found, May 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, although staff said more one-to-one support would help people do more activities.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 25 April 2023. One inspector spoke with one person who used the service, five family members and six staff. They also observed care and checked care, medicine, recruitment and management records.
The home supported three people with learning disabilities and autistic people. Inspectors found that people felt safe and happy. Staff knew people well, respected their choices and supported them to take part in activities, access healthcare and manage everyday decisions.
The home was clean, homely and well maintained. Medicines, infection control, safeguarding and staff recruitment were managed safely. The inspection found effective checks and audits, and relatives said they were kept informed.
The overall rating was Good. Safe, Effective and Well-led were rated Good. Caring and Responsive were not inspected during this visit, so this report does not give new ratings for those questions. The overall Good rating remained from the previous inspection, published on 30 November 2019.
Staff knew people well
Staff understood people's communication, routines, likes and dislikes. They used this knowledge to provide consistent and personalised support.
“Staff knew and understood people well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing.” from the report
Safe medicines and infection control
Staff were trained and assessed to give medicines safely. Records showed medicines were given as prescribed, and inspectors were assured about infection prevention arrangements.
“Records such as Medication Administration Records (MAR), checks and audits demonstrated people's medicines were administered in line with their prescriptions.” from the report
Positive atmosphere
People and families described the home positively. Inspectors saw a homely environment where people were happy and their individual lifestyles were respected.
“There was a homely atmosphere where people's individual preferences and lifestyles were respected.” from the report
Good management checks
The management team used audits, meetings and reviews of incidents to monitor quality and identify improvements.
“Effective systems for monitoring and improving the service were in place.” from the report
More one-to-one support
minorStaff said people would benefit from more one-to-one staffing hours. People could receive one-to-one support, but sometimes had to share staff when taking part in activities and visits.
“Staff told us people would benefit more if they were able to get more 1:1 staffing hours support for people.” from the report
- 01How many one-to-one staffing hours would my relative receive each week?
- 02When people have to share staff, how do you decide which activities, visits or appointments they can attend?
- 03What would happen if my relative became distressed, and how would staff use their personalised guidance to keep them safe?
- 04How are my relative's choices recorded and reviewed, including choices about food, clothing, activities and going out?
- 05How will you tell families about any incidents, safeguarding concerns or changes in care?
This was an unannounced inspection covering Safe, Effective and Well-led; Caring and Responsive were not inspected and the overall rating also used ratings from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 May 2023 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, November 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found people safe and well cared for, but one medicine stock record did not match the stock held.
This was an unannounced focused inspection. Inspectors visited on three dates and looked mainly at safety and management because concerns had been raised about medicines and a safeguarding matter.
They spoke with people living at the home, a relative and staff. They reviewed medicine records, staff files, care records and management information.
People were described as settled and cared for by kind staff. Inspectors found personalised risk assessments, safe medicine administration, a clean home and systems for reviewing accidents and incidents.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe and well-led were both rated Good. The report does not give new ratings for Effective, Caring or Responsive because this inspection focused on Safe and Well-led.
Kind, settled care
People enjoyed living at the home and staff understood their preferences. People said staff were kind and worked at their pace.
“People enjoyed living at Stable Cottage and were cared for by staff who understood their preferences and were kind.” from the report
Personalised risk planning
Each person had an individual risk assessment and behaviour support plan to help staff reduce risks and anxiety.
“People had personalised risk assessments that guided staff on ways to minimise risks as much as possible.” from the report
Medicine staff training
Medicines were securely stored and people received them as prescribed. After the inspection, relevant staff were trained and assessed as competent.
“After the inspection, the provider ensured the appropriate staff were trained and assessed as competent to support people with their medicines.” from the report
Clean environment
The home was clean and odour free. Staff followed cleaning schedules and used protective clothing during personal care.
“The home was clean and odour free and staff followed daily cleaning schedules.” from the report
Management oversight
The provider had reviewed its quality checks and introduced new procedures with more senior management oversight.
“Quality auditing procedures had been reviewed and new procedures implemented, with grater oversight by senior management.” from the report
Medicine stock records
needs fixingThe number of rescue medicine bottles held did not match the number recorded on the stock sheet. Inspectors brought this to management's attention for correction.
“We found four bottles of rescue medication but on the stock sheet it stated two bottles.” from the report
- 01How do you now check that rescue medicine stock matches the records?
- 02What checks confirm that staff supporting medicines remain trained and competent?
- 03Who is currently responsible for managing the home while a new manager is recruited?
- 04What changes were made to the quality auditing procedures after this inspection?
- 05How are safeguarding concerns and accidents reviewed, and how are families informed when appropriate?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led because of concerns about medicines and safeguarding; the report does not give new ratings for Effective, Caring or Responsive. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 November 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 Stable Cottage
4 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- May 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 6 January 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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11 live-in carers within about an hour of Herefordshire, County of
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 £1,410 a week. 10 can care for a couple. 8 years' experience on average.
“She was very caring, kind and patient to all his needs, she built up a wondetful rapport with him, she was dedicated and was there for him through good times as well as through the tough times”
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.