CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Coach House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, July 2018
Rated Good overall, but inspectors found weaknesses in management and quality improvement.
Inspectors visited on 22 March 2018 and reviewed recruitment records on 26 April 2018. They spoke with people, staff and the acting manager, observed care, and checked care records, risk assessments, medicines and quality monitoring.
People were safe and staff understood safeguarding. Risks were assessed and reviewed, medicines were managed safely, staffing was suitable, and recruitment checks had been completed. People said staff were kind, respectful and supportive.
People were involved in their care plans and could make choices about food, activities and daily life. Staff knew people's needs well, and complaints could be made and were recorded.
The overall rating stayed Good, as did Safe, Effective, Caring and Responsive. Well-led was rated Requires Improvement because there was no registered manager, people did not know the acting manager, and quality checks were not clearly used to improve the home.
Safety and risk management
Inspectors found that risks to people's safety and wellbeing were identified, managed and reviewed without unnecessarily restricting people's freedom.
“Risks to people's safety and well-being were consistently identified and managed without restricting people's freedom.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff knew people's needs and routines. Inspectors saw friendly, relaxed interactions and found that privacy and dignity were maintained.
“People's privacy and dignity was consistently maintained.” from the report
Personalised support
People helped develop and review their care plans. The plans included personal histories, preferences and clear guidance for staff.
“Care and support plans were individualised to reflect people's needs and included clear instructions for staff on how best to support people.” from the report
Safe medicines
Medicines were stored securely, records were accurate and up to date, and staff had training to manage medicines safely.
“Medicines were managed safely.” from the report
No registered manager
needs fixingThe home had an acting manager who had not started the registration process. People did not know who this person was and saw team leaders as the management.
“The service did not have a registered manager.” from the report
Weak quality improvement
needs fixingAudits covered several areas, but inspectors could not see clearly how findings were shared, turned into actions or used to improve the home.
“However it was not clear how these were shared with the acting manager of the service or how any issues were recorded as an action.” from the report
Staff did not always feel heard
minorSome staff said they did not feel listened to or valued by senior management. This affected the openness of the management culture.
“Members of staff we spoke with confirmed that they were given the opportunity to request topics for discussion but did not always feel listened to.” from the report
- 01Who is the registered manager now, and how often are they present in the home?
- 02How are audit findings recorded, shared and followed through into improvements?
- 03How do you make sure people and relatives know who manages the home?
- 04How are staff concerns raised and checked to make sure staff feel listened to?
- 05Are staff now receiving regular appraisals as well as supervision?
This was a planned, announced inspection covering all five key questions; recruitment records were reviewed separately on 26 April 2018. This explanation was written from the published report of 13 July 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 The Coach House
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- July 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- January 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2013
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 26 November 2013.
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 Hertfordshire
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 £1,300 a week. 82 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“She handled the new situation in front of her with such professionalism and I felt I could trust her 100%.”
“She was v competent and confident and we felt our mum was safe in her care. She supported us through a difficult time.”
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.