CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Conifers
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from avoidable harm. Inspectors found detailed risk plans, enough staff, safe recruitment and safe medicines systems.
- Effective?
- Outstanding
- Staff used specialist behavioural and psychology support, current research and tailored training. This helped reduce difficult incidents and supported people to take part in more activities.
- Caring?
- Outstanding
- Staff used varied communication methods to help people express their views and make choices. People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect, and were supported to develop independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was highly personalised and reviewed weekly. People were supported to follow their interests, maintain relationships and take part in community activities.
- Well-led?
- Outstanding
- Inspectors found open leadership, clear responsibilities and strong quality monitoring. Families and staff were involved in reviewing and improving the service.
What inspectors found, May 2019
The Conifers was rated Outstanding overall, with safe care and responsive support rated Good.
This was an unannounced planned inspection over 7 and 8 March 2019. One inspector spoke with people, staff, managers, families and healthcare professionals. They checked care records, medicines, staff training, incidents, complaints, audits and the home.
Inspectors found that people received highly personalised care. Staff supported people to communicate, make choices, build independence and take part in activities in the home and local community. Families spoke highly of the care.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Responsive, and Outstanding for Effective, Caring and Well-led. The overall Outstanding rating means inspectors found an exceptional service with consistently better outcomes than expected compared with similar services.
The home was already rated Outstanding at the previous inspection in April 2016. The Well-led rating improved from Good to Outstanding. Inspectors identified no concerns and said they would re-inspect within the published timeframe for services rated Outstanding.
Specialist support
A dedicated psychology and behavioural support team worked closely with staff. Their approach helped people manage anxiety and reduced the frequency, severity and length of difficult incidents.
“The service had a highly skilled behavioural support team and staff team who worked closely together to provide high quality support to people with a high level of need.” from the report
Communication and choice
Staff adapted communication to each person, using tools such as signs, pictures, social stories and simple language. This helped people express their views and have more control.
“Staff were exceptional at using creative and varied tools to communicate with people.” from the report
Health support
Staff worked closely with health professionals and recognised changes in people's health, including non-verbal signs. They supported people during hospital stays and helped make sure their needs were understood.
“The prompt action of staff relating to a [serious physical illness] prevented an extremely serious outcome.” from the report
Independence and community life
People were supported to develop everyday skills, pursue interests and use local services. Staff worked hard to overcome barriers caused by disability.
“Staff never let someone's physical or learning disability become a barrier to any activity or opportunity and went above and beyond to enable people to participate.” from the report
Leadership and improvement
Managers created an open culture and used detailed checks, feedback and incident reviews to improve care. Families were invited to take part in governance meetings.
“There was a particularly strong emphasis in the service on continuous improvement.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you use my relative's preferred communication methods in everyday care?
- 02What experience and training do staff have in supporting behaviours that may challenge?
- 03How would you support my relative to access healthcare and communicate during a hospital stay?
- 04What activities and community opportunities could my relative take part in?
- 05How do you decide whether a new resident's needs are suitable for this home?
This was a planned inspection of all five key questions, including the overall quality and legal requirements of the care home. This explanation was written from the published report of 15 May 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 The Conifers
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Outstanding rating throughout.
- May 2019Outstandingcurrent ratingstayed OutstandingSafe: GoodEffective: OutstandingCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: Outstanding
- April 2016OutstandingSafe: GoodEffective: OutstandingCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 19 November 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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26 live-in carers within about an hour of Hampshire
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 £1,020 to £1,260 a week. 23 can care for a couple. 14 years' experience on average.
“I cannot recommend Prisca highly enough, she is one in a million.”
“He stayed with her throughout the pandemic, refusing to visit his own family, who lived nearby, to reduce the risk of infection.”
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.