The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated Moorgate Hollow and Moorgate Croft, both run by Moorgate Care Village Limited, as outstanding following inspections in March.
Both are residential care homes supporting older people living with dementia. Moorgate Hollow supports up to 24 people. Moorgate Croft supports up to 31 people.
They are run as separate homes but are located on the same cul-de-sac. They share this cul-de-sac with a third home also run by Moorgate Care Village Limited, Moorgate Lodge, which was rated good last month.
This is the first inspection of these services since they changed ownership structure. They were rated good while owned by a previous organisation, which was run by the same people.
Following these inspections, Moorgate Hollow has been rated outstanding overall, as well as for effective, caring, and well-led. It has been rated good for safe and responsive.
Moorgate Croft has been rated outstanding overall, as well as for responsive and well-led. It has been rated good for safe, effective, and caring.
Alan Stephenson, CQC deputy director of operations in the North, said:
“When we inspected these two homes, we were impressed by their person-centred and innovative approaches to dementia care, supporting people to maximise their independence, comfort, and quality of life.
“People and their relatives at both homes said staff were kind and listened to them. Staff understood people’s rights, including for people who had limited mental capacity, but still went out of their way to respect their preferences. We saw staff were compassionate and knowledgeable about dementia care.
“For example, one person at Moorgate Croft was a former member of their church choir, and often sung with a younger relative. When this person felt distressed due to their dementia, staff played a recording of their relative’s singing, which helped reduce their distress without medication.
“At Moorgate Hollow, staff had built a Wellbeing Suite with a working kitchen, dishwasher, oven, sink, and washing machine so people could take part safely in familiar day-to-day activities they might miss from their lives before moving into care. One person had a long history of baking with their family, and being able to bake in the suite was a source of comfort.
“Because staff knew people very well, they found creative and highly personalised ways of caring for them, supported by best practice. This had helped people grow their independence, reconnect with their interests and build social networks.
“Staff at Moorgate Croft helped one person reconnect with a lifelong passion for their local football club, by arranging a visit from two of its players. At Moorgate Hollow, staff arranged horse-themed activities and a visit to a stable for someone who deeply missed caring for horses.
“Staff at both homes had supported people to regain their ability and motivation to walk independently. They’d personalised plans to help people rebuild their strength until they could move about their home on their own, allowing them to socialise more and participate in activities.
“Leaders supported this personalised care through a collaborative culture, in which people and their relatives told us they were listened to and made partners in their care alongside staff. We found everyone felt safe to give ideas and staff made continuous improvements to people’s care.
“Everyone at Moorgate Hollow and Moorgate Croft should be extremely proud of what they’ve achieved together. We’ve shared our findings with the homes, and we hope other services look to these reports as examples of great practice.”
Inspectors also found:
- Leaders maintained a strong, honest, and proactive culture of safety. They investigated and acted on any risks, concerns or incidents.
- Staff assessed people’s needs and preferences thoroughly when moving in, and made personalised plans to help them settle in.
- Staff had supported people’s health and wellbeing which had improved since moving in. One person at Moorgate Croft had struggled after losing their sight, but staff helped improve their quality of life by reaching out to the Royal National Institute of Blind People for advice. Staff had also helped them to reconnect with a previous fondness for pantomime, by going with them to provide audio description.
- Moorgate Hollow had built The Hollow Arms, a lounge area themed like a pub to provide a safe and nostalgic space for social interaction, hosting weekly events such as quiz nights and live music for people and their families.
- Staff communicated with people in ways they could understand, including non-verbally, and supported people to make informed choices.
- Staff kept both home homes clean and leaders ensured they were well-designed to meet the needs of people with dementia.
- Staff worked well with other health and care services to ensure people had good joined-up care.
- Staff were extremely considerate in the ways they supported people making plans for end-of-life care, to ensure they were as comfortable as possible.
- Leaders had clear oversight of the quality of people’s care and set out clear responsibilities and accountabilities for themselves and staff.
The reports will be published on CQC’s website (Moorgate Hollow) (Moorgate Croft) in the coming days.