CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Keepers 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 enough staff, safe medicines systems, suitable risk assessments and good infection control.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's care achieved good outcomes and supported their quality of life. Staff had relevant training, people could access health professionals, and legal safeguards were applied in the least restrictive way.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Staff supported people's choices, privacy, independence and preferred ways of communicating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's histories, needs, interests and preferences. People were supported to take part in activities, stay in touch with important people and develop independence.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The service was consistently managed and well-led. The manager and provider checked quality, listened to people and staff, and used incidents, complaints and feedback to improve care.
What inspectors found, May 2019
Walsingham Support - Keepers Cottage is Rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe and personalised care, with end-of-life plans still being developed.
This was an unannounced inspection on 5 April 2019. One inspector visited the home, spoke with five people, two relatives and staff, and checked care, medicines, records, complaints and quality checks.
The home provided accommodation and care for eight people, and support through its domiciliary care agency for six people. Inspectors found people were safe, treated kindly and supported by staff who understood their needs and preferences.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The home was rated Good overall, the same as at the previous inspection published on 13 September 2016.
Kind relationships
People had strong bonds with staff and felt able to ask for help and reassurance. Staff knew people well and responded in ways people preferred.
“People were confident to ask for assistance and reassurance from staff when they wanted this, and staff took time to provide this in the ways people preferred.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were involved in decisions about their care and daily lives. Staff helped people build skills, make choices and take part in activities they enjoyed.
“People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.” from the report
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough staff when people wanted assistance. Medicines were given by trained staff and checks were made to confirm they were administered as prescribed.
“People received their medicines from staff who had been trained to do this, and whose competency was regularly checked.” from the report
Personalised activities
Staff supported people to enjoy individual interests, including shopping, the theatre, gardening, the gym and spending time at a local farm.
“People were supported to do things they enjoyed.” from the report
Quality oversight
The manager and provider used meetings, surveys, checks and reviews of incidents or complaints to monitor and improve care.
“The registered manager and provider checked the quality of the care given.” from the report
End-of-life planning
needs fixingThe service was not providing end-of-life care during the inspection. Plans describing people's wishes were still being developed, so families should ask how this would be handled if needs changed.
“Plans setting out people's wishes at the end of their lives were being further developed, so people's preferences would be met.” from the report
Size of the home
minorThe home was larger than current best practice guidance for this type of service. Inspectors said the building design and staff approach reduced the possible negative impact.
“The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties.” from the report
- 01How far have people's end-of-life wishes now been recorded and agreed with families?
- 02How does the size of the home affect daily life, privacy and people's experience of care?
- 03How are people involved in reviewing their care plans and risk assessments when their needs change?
- 04What activities and opportunities are currently available for each person to build independence?
- 05How are medicine checks and any recording errors monitored now?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering the care home and domiciliary care agency, including all five CQC questions; the previous overall rating was Good. This explanation was written from the published report of 22 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 Keepers Cottage
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- May 2019Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2019
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 13 February 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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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.