Holy Cross

Updated 15 September 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 2 Inspectors and 2 Experts by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Holy Cross is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Holy Cross is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We reviewed feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 11 people and 6 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 9 members of staff including the owner, the nominated individual, the registered manager, a nurse, three senior care workers, a care worker and a domestic worker. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We also received feedback from 4 members of staff. We carried out observations in communal areas around the home.

We reviewed documentation, inspected the safety of the premises and carried out observations in communal areas. We reviewed a range of records including 2 staff recruitment records, 3 people’s care records, medicines records and quality audits. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were also reviewed.

Updated 15 September 2023

About the service

Holy Cross is a care home that provides personal and nursing care for up to 56 people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of the inspection there were 48 people living in the home.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People felt very safe living in the home and with the support they received from staff. People and relatives were complimentary about the staff, describing them as “friendly,” “supportive” and “caring.” Comments included, “I feel safe because the place is well staffed and they are very approachable, caring and the place has a good atmosphere about it” and, “The staff are very friendly, and I can have a bit of banter with them. I could not be treated better anywhere else.”

Staff safeguarded people from abuse. Risks to individuals and the environment were well managed. One relative said, “It’s clear that information is appropriately shared and all staff clearly know [family member] well. The whole atmosphere is of happy residents and happy staff, which has enhanced [family member’s] safety.” There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. The provider learned from accidents and incidents to mitigate future risks. Medicines were safely managed. Infection control processes were embedded into the service and staff followed government guidance in relation to infection control and prevention practices.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives, and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The home was well managed. A staff member told us, “Our manager has been a member of staff at Holy Cross for many years. She understands what the home is all about and is very hands on and approachable.” The provider, registered manager and staff promoted a positive culture in the home. People and relatives were complimentary about the home and care people received. The provider had an effective quality assurance process in place which included regular audits. People, relatives and staff were regularly consulted about the quality of the service through daily communication, surveys, meetings and reviews.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 4 March 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. As a result, we decided to undertake a focused inspection to review the key questions of Safe and Well-led only.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has remained good based on the findings of this inspection. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Holy Cross on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.