• Care Home
  • Care home

Holmwood Rest Home

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

39 Chine Walk, West Parley, Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 8PR (01202) 593662

Provided and run by:
Margaret Anne Gallagher

Report from 14 February 2024 assessment

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Well-led

Good

Updated 29 February 2024

Leadership was visible. Processes were in place to ensure the service operated safely. Good, well established, links had been made with external professionals. People and staff had confidence in the management of the service and felt included in decisions made. The registered manager had made all necessary notifications and information sharing as required. The home was monitored to ensure continual learning and improvements.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Shared direction and culture

Score: 3

Staff, Registered Manager and provider all had the same vision for the home. It was to provide high quality care. Improvements in the home had been established, embedded, and sustained. This meant people were receiving care from a team who had the same shared goal.

A scheduled programme of checks and audits identified areas for improvement. There were clear processes to ensure the home continually sought to improve. Managers and leaders actively sought the views of people and their families through individual meetings and telephone calls. Relatives told us they were included.

Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders

Score: 3

Staff knew how to raise concerns and access support, there were clear procedures in place. Staff were consulted through individual meetings and ongoing conversation. Holmwood Rest Home was a small home with a long serving team of staff, who knew each other well. They did not have formal staff meetings but continual conversation. A member of staff told us, “We feel supported.”

Including everyone was important to the registered manager and the provider. Holmwood Rest Home was a family run service, the provider was passionate about maintaining the informal feel of the home. The registered manager and staff worked to honour the vision. The registered manager had the right knowledge, skills, and experience to lead the team. They were respected and highly thought of by people, relatives and staff.

Freedom to speak up

Score: 3

Holmwood Rest Home had policies and procedures in place to support staff in speaking up and raising concerns. This included up to date policies in relation to safeguarding and whistleblowing.

Staff knew where to find relevant policies to support them should they need to raise concerns formally. They knew they should speak with the provider to escalate concerns or outside agencies if not appropriate to speak to them.

Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion

Score: 3

People were supported by a staff team who were happy in their work. Relatives commented on the warm atmosphere within the home. Staff told us morale was good, they were a ‘family’ and worked well together as a team. One member of staff said, “I love my job and get on with everyone.” The registered manager and staff told us reasonable adjustments were made for specific needs, for example, rearranging working hours to incorporate family commitments.

Policies and procedures were in place and incorporated all aspects of recruitment and staffing such as retention plans, equality, diversity, fairness and protected characteristics.

Governance, management and sustainability

Score: 3

People and their relatives were complimentary about the leadership of the home. Some of the comments were: “The registered manager [name] is very good. They are sociable and lovely, will always update you when they resolve things. If you mention anything to them, it’s done” and, “The registered manager [name] is fantastic, they are Holmwood and encapsulates what it is about. It’s all about caring.” Holmwood Rest Home had made significant and sustained improvements with the governance of the service. Leadership was visible, confident, and competent. Staff told us everything within the home worked much better since improvements had been made.

A schedule of audits and checks in place to identify areas for improvement. The registered manager had made all notifications to CQC as required by law, this meant the home was no longer in breach of Regulation 18 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. A notification is the action that a provider is legally bound to take to tell us about any changes to their regulated services or incidents that have taken place in them. An overall service improvement plan was in place to provide a framework and timescales for developments within the home.

Partnerships and communities

Score: 3

Holmwood Rest Home worked well with social care professionals and medical staff who visited the home regularly and also with contact via telephone call.

The home received regular visits from healthcare professional to meet people's health needs.

People told us they felt part of their community. Relatives told us anything their loved one needs the registered manager will arrange. This included working with other professionals and organisations outside of the home. Stakeholder engagement was welcomed at Holmwood Rest Home. During improvements the home worked well with partners to improve the home for people and staff.

Learning, improvement and innovation

Score: 3

The registered manager and provider told us about the ways in which they were continually looking to improve the service. This included listening to feedback and being proactive in identifying shortfalls through their audits.

Holmwood Rest Home was a small, family run home. The provider told us they visited the home every day and supported the staff team. The registered manager was available to people and staff but was also confident in their own responsibilities to provide good oversight of the home.