CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Manor House Barnard Castle
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks were assessed, incidents were reviewed and medicines were managed safely. Recruitment checks were completed, although staffing levels and last-minute rota changes were concerns raised by some staff.
- Effective?
- Requires improvement
- Inspectors found problems with food choices, food storage and keeping hot food at the right temperature. They also found that the dementia area did not meet best practice guidance.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were described as patient, kind and respectful. They promoted people's dignity, independence and choices, and involved relatives in care decisions.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans included personal preferences, communication needs and choices. The home provided activities, supported contact with relatives, dealt with complaints and discussed end of life wishes.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Managers used audits to identify problems and put actions in place. Staff and relatives had opportunities to give feedback, although some staff reported poor communication and some relatives were unclear about who to contact.
What inspectors found, January 2022
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and responsive care, but effective care Requires Improvement because food arrangements and the dementia environment needed attention.
This was the first inspection since the home was registered under a new owner. Inspectors visited on 13 and 20 December 2021. The first visit was unannounced and the second was arranged in advance. They spoke with people, relatives and staff, and reviewed care plans, complaints and other records.
Inspectors found the home clean, comfortable and generally safe. Staff knew people well, managed risks and medicines safely, and treated people with kindness and respect. Care plans included people's needs and choices. Activities, healthcare referrals, complaints handling and end of life care were also viewed positively.
The overall rating was Good. However, Effective was rated Requires Improvement. Inspectors found food past its use-by date, missing opening dates on some food, hot food lockers without lids, limited menu choices and a dementia area that did not follow best practice. The provider was recommended to review food provision and the dementia environment.
Risk management
People's risks were assessed and reviewed. The provider investigated incidents and used them to improve practice.
“The provider had established processes to learn lessons when things went wrong.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff treated people with patience and kindness. They supported dignity, independence and personal choices.
“Staff treated people well. They showed patience and kindness towards people and listened to what they said.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans recorded people's preferences and choices, including everyday decisions about their care and routines.
“Staff had written people's care plans using person-centred information.” from the report
Quality monitoring
The management team used audits to find shortfalls and checked whether actions had been completed.
“A range of audits identified deficits in the service and actions were put in place to rectify any issues.” from the report
Food provision
needs fixingSome food was past its use-by date or had no opening date. Menu choices did not always meet people's preferences, and uncovered hot food could have been served at the wrong temperature.
“Inspectors found food past use by dates and opened food with no opening date in the kitchens in different areas of the home.” from the report
Dementia environment
needs fixingThe area for people living with dementia was not in line with best practice guidance. Inspectors recommended reviewing the environment to improve people's quality of life.
“The environment did not meet best practice guidance for people living with a dementia.” from the report
Staff communication
minorSome staff said communication between managers and care staff was poor. Some relatives were also unclear about who to contact during management changes.
“Sometimes, although sometimes I feel we are left in the dark with poor communication between management and carers.” from the report
- 01What changes have you made to the menu so people who do not eat meat or fish have suitable choices?
- 02How do you now check use-by dates, opening dates and the temperature of food served from the hot food lockers?
- 03What changes have been made to the area for people living with dementia since this inspection?
- 04How do you make sure staff receive the same information directly and promptly?
- 05Who should families contact about care concerns, following the management changes mentioned in the report?
This was a planned first inspection under the new owner, covering all five key questions and infection prevention and control. This explanation was written from the published report of 28 January 2022 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 Manor House Barnard Castle
3 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- January 2022Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at The Manor House Barnard Castle →
- November 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2016GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2019
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 22 July 2019.
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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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.