Care at home service where patients "feel generally safe" recieves 'good' rating, with one exception
A Gateshead care service has received a positive inspection report - with one exception.
Living Well North, which is based on Sunderland Road in Gateshead was visited by inspectors back in May 2025, with the inspection report released by the CQC earlier this month.
In the report, it confirmed the service generally is a positive facility for the elderly across the borough.
Of the five ratings the CQC awards care homes, four points were rated as good. These are the effectiveness of the service, the care given to patients, how responsive the site is as well as its leadership.
This gives the service an overall rating of ‘good’.
However, the final report point, which measures safety, was decsribed as requiring improvements.
The report reads: “People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. Staff received training to maintain quality care.
“People’s care records and medicines records did not all provide guidance to ensure people received safe and person-centred care. People were supported to ensure their health care needs were met.
“Most systems were effective and in place to protect people and ensure their safety. They were supported to take risks to improve their quality of life.”
It adds: “However, some improvements were needed to staff recruitment, risk management and medicine management to ensure people’s safety. Systems were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service; however some improvements were identified.”
Inspections also ask patients and their families on their view of the service. The report says: “We received positive comments from people and relatives about the caring nature of staff.
“Relatives and people told us staff were kind and caring, they were patient and treated people as individuals. Their comments included, ‘The carers are ok, but a few holes here and there’, ‘The carers are very compassionate and understanding’ and ‘The main carer I have has a brilliant personality.’
“People and relatives told us people did not all receive consistent care from staff they knew.
“People did not know which staff member would be visiting. Comments included, “I have requested that I only want that 1 carer that I feel safe with or nobody at all”, “My relative does get changes of faces from time to time”, “[Name] feels generally safe, but carers change regularly, and it has made my relative unhappy.”
Other people commented, “Timekeeping is generally good, the carers keep us informed if they are occasionally late” and “I generally have an excellent relationship with the management and office staff. I think they are hands on and there to help when you need them.”