Hollin Knowle Residential Care Home

Updated 9 July 2026

Date of assessment: 13 July, 14 July, and 30 July 2026.
Hollin Knowle is a residential care home which provides care for up to 19 older people.
At the time of this inspection, 16 people were living at the service and receiving personal care. We carried out this inspection because it was an aged rating. This inspection was carried out by one inspector.
The service had been rated overall as good at their previous inspection (report published 26 October 2018). The previous overall rating comprised individual ratings of good in the safe, effective, caring and responsive categories. A rating of requires improvement had been given in the well-led category of that inspection report.
During this inspection we found the provider did not have effective systems and processes in place to assess, monitor, and mitigate risks relating to the health, safety and welfare of service users.
The provider failed to have effective systems and processes in place to ensure the care home premises were safe. For example, there were deficiencies in the safety measures to protect people from encountering potentially scalding water and radiator hot surfaces. Legionella infection risk mitigation measures were not implemented consistently. Fire safety checks were not being carried out, or recorded, consistently. Some upstairs windows did not have opening restrictors in place, which meant there was an increased potential risk of people falling from height.
The provider failed to ensure appropriate standards of hygiene were maintained. For example, black mould was observed in a communal toilet room, and a person’s bedroom showed signs of damp damage on a wall. A clinical waste bin outside the building was observed to be over full and uncovered during each of the inspection site visits.
The provider failed to have effective staff recruitment practices in place. We found gaps in the information the provider held about staff member’s previous work history and right to work in the United Kingdom. We also found references from previous employers were not always obtained by the provider.
The provider was in breach of the legal regulations relating to safe care and treatment, premises and equipment, fit and proper persons employed, and governance. In instances where CQC has begun a process of regulatory action, we may publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded, if the action has been taken forward. In addition, we have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this inspection.
People were involved in assessments of their needs when they first moved into the care home. People had enough to eat and drink to stay healthy. People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected people’s privacy and dignity, and people were encouraged to maintain relationships with family and friends.

Updated 9 July 2026

We spoke with people who used the service, and their relatives, to get their feedback on the care provided. One person’s relative also sent us their feedback by email. We also observed the general interactions between staff and people.
People told us they were happy with the care they received from the staff and that the staff were kind to them. People told us they liked the food, although some relatives told us the food wasn’t very varied, didn’t always look very appetising, and mealtime support was limited. For example, a person’s relative told us, “They seem to have chips very regularly. [Person] is very slow at eating now, but the staff don't sit with them to encourage them to eat.”
People told us personal care was done sensitively, preserving their privacy and dignity. Although one person told us, “I think they are short staffed sometimes. The staff are always running about; they have no time to stop. But we survive.”
The provider had planned activities displayed on a weekly timetable, but people and relatives told us the activities did not always happen. For example, a person’s relative told us, “The staff might sit with a couple of people in the dining room, looking at a magazine or something, but I haven't seen any of the activities which are listed on the activity board. I don't think much happens here.” During our three site visit days we did not see any organised activities taking place.
People told us they felt able to complain if they were unhappy about anything. For example, a person told us, “I don't have any complaints about living here. If I did, I would tell one of the staff about it, and they would sort things for me.”