CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Tollemache Road Respite Service
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that the home was preventing infections, using protective equipment safely, admitting people safely and following shielding and social distancing rules. This was an infection prevention and control inspection, not a full safety rating.
- Effective?
- Good
- Does the care work? Training, consent, food and drink, working with GPs and nurses.
- Caring?
- Good
- Are people treated with kindness and dignity?
- Responsive?
- Good
- Is care built around the person? Care plans, activities, complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Is the home run well? The manager, the culture, how problems get found and fixed.
What inspectors found, June 2021
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong infection prevention and control arrangements during this targeted visit.
This is a short-stay respite service for up to 10 adults with a learning disability or physical disability. Six people were using the service when inspectors visited.
The announced inspection took place on 18 May 2021. It was a targeted inspection focused on infection prevention and control during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inspectors found good practice. Visitors had temperature checks and needed evidence of a negative COVID-19 test. People were admitted safely, staff used protective equipment correctly, and social distancing arrangements were in place.
The service was inspected but not rated. This means the visit did not give an overall quality rating or a standard rating for safe care.
Safe visiting
The home used checks and testing before visitors entered, and inspectors found the visiting arrangements safe.
“Temperature checks were completed on all visitors and evidence of negative test for COVID-19 was a requirement before entry into the building.” from the report
Protective equipment
Stocks of protective equipment were maintained and staff were checked on how to use it and wash their hands.
“Stocks of the right standard of personal protective equipment (PPE) were well maintained and staff used and disposed of it correctly.” from the report
Safe admissions
People were only admitted after evidence of a negative COVID-19 test.
“Safe procedures were followed for admitting people to the service. People were only admitted following evidence of a negative COVID-19 test.” from the report
Communication with relatives
The home kept in touch with relatives through written communication and email.
“Communication between the home and relatives was maintained through email and letters.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01Are temperature checks and COVID-19 testing still required for visitors?
- 02How are people admitted safely, and what testing is required before arrival?
- 03How do you check that staff are using protective equipment and washing their hands correctly?
- 04How will you keep our family informed and support visits if infection prevention restrictions change?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control arrangements only, so the service was inspected but not rated and the report does not assess the other areas of care. This explanation was written from the published report of 19 June 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, September 2018
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, but the home was designed for up to 10 people despite guidance recommending six.
This was the first inspection of the home. The first inspection day was unannounced. Inspectors visited on 04 and 06 July 2018, spoke with people, relatives, staff and professionals, and reviewed care files, medicines records, staff files and service records.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that medicines, staffing, safeguarding and risk management were handled safely. Staff were trained and supported, and people’s nutrition and healthcare needs were monitored.
Inspectors saw kind and respectful care. Care plans were detailed and updated for each respite stay. People were supported to make choices, maintain independence and take part in activities that interested them. The home was clean and well maintained, with audits and feedback systems in place.
The report identified one design issue. The home could accommodate up to 10 people, while Registering the Right Support guidance says homes supporting people with learning disabilities should have no more than six. No regulations were recorded as breached.
Personalised care plans
Care plans described people’s individual needs, preferences and ways of communicating. They were reviewed whenever people returned for respite.
“Care plans and risk assessments were person centred and they detailed how people wished and needed to be cared for.” from the report
Safe medicines practice
Only trained staff administered medicines. Inspectors found accurate records, safe storage and correct controlled-drug stocks.
“Medicines related records were accurate such as records relating to the receipt, storage and administration of medicines.” from the report
Quality monitoring
The manager used audits, surveys and feedback after each stay to monitor the service and respond to suggestions.
“The registered manager monitored the quality of care at the home through regular audits including health and safety, medication, safeguarding, complaints, infection control, staff files and care plans.” from the report
Capacity and service design
needs fixingThe home could support up to 10 people at once. The report says this did not follow guidance recommending a maximum of six for homes supporting people with learning disabilities, although the home was in a residential area.
“The care service had not been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance.” from the report
- 01How many people will be staying at the home during my relative’s respite stay, and how will the number affect their care and personal space?
- 02How do you support people with learning disabilities to make choices, maintain independence and take part in ordinary community activities?
- 03What changes were made to the booking-in system after medication errors were identified, and how do you check that it remains effective?
- 04How are my relative’s care plan, medication information and risks reviewed before each respite stay?
- 05How can my relative or our family give feedback or make a complaint during and after the stay?
This was the first comprehensive inspection of the home and covered the premises and care provided, including all five key questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 8 September 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 Tollemache Road Respite Service
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- June 2021Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at Tollemache Road Respite Service →
- September 2018GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Tollemache Road Respite Service →
- June 2017
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 26 June 2017.
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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40 live-in carers within about an hour of Wirral
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 £1,230 a week. 37 can care for a couple. 8 years' experience on average.
“It was clear that she genuinely cared and her warm approach really helped put our minds at ease.”
“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.”
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.