This week also saw a Greater Manchester council told it needs to make improvements
A Greater Manchester care service has been recognised for going ‘above and beyond’ in this week’s round-up of healthcare inspections.
Oldham’s Roxhsana Ltd received the top ‘outstanding’ rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Staff at the homecare service, also known as Visiting Angels Manchester East, are ‘like family’, users and relatives said.
Care delivered by the homecare service made an evident impact to the wellbeing of service users, the healthcare watchdog documented.
Here is a breakdown of Greater Manchester’s recently published CQC reports:
Bolton
Spennymoor Care Home, in Church Road, was rated ‘good’ overall this week. The home was praised by inspectors as ‘homely’ with ‘regular staff team, some of whom had worked there for many years’.
There were enough staff, these were recruited safely, and training was in place. Staff ‘responded well’ if residents experienced problems or had concerns, the report added.
People were able to choose how they spent their day, what they wore and what time they got up and went to bed. The home also put on activities such as crafts, music and quizzes. However, people said they wanted more opportunities to go out into the community.
One relative said: “I think it is good, there is a smile on [person’s] face, so they are doing something right. We don’t worry about [person] in this home.”
A resident added: “You get bucket loads of care.”
However, concerns were raised over leadership at the home, with the CQC saying improvements were needed in that area. Lessons were not ‘continually identified’, the report said, and reviews did not take place into incidents.
Inspectors also said risk assessments were not consistent, with staff not having ‘all the required information about people’s care’. There was also not an up-to-date fire risk assessment, the report said.
Regular night-time spot checks did not appear to take place, the CQC said. While the provider advised that these were completed, they were not documented.
Despite this, people who used the service, along with their relatives, felt it was ‘safe’.
Bury
Dr Laurence Howard Sherman, at Greyland Medical Centre, also received a ‘good’ rating this week. Staff at the Prestwich GP were described as ‘caring’, ‘always eager to help’ and ‘like old friends’ by patients.
The surgery had introduced specialist nurse clinics to improve access following patient feedback. There were enough ‘qualified, skilled and experienced’ staff employed there.
However, the CQC found some hazards in staff-only areas, including a torn carpet inspectors felt could be a trip risk. They also said documents for staff recruitment were missing, including signed contracts and right to work evidence. The GP had plans in place to address these concerns.
Another ‘good’ rating was handed to Huntley Mount Medical Centre, in Bury. Inspectors praised the GP’s ‘innovative ways of working’ that made access to important information ‘simple’ for staff.
This included an emergency equipment wall that had information about what to do in an emergency, checklists and pictures of what was in locked medicine boxes.
Experienced staff had also created a ‘library’ of guides to help less experienced staff understand how to carry out tasks. Some 92pc of patients said staff treated them with ‘care and concern’ in a national survey.
More services had been brought into the practice to help people who could not afford to travel to access them elsewhere.
Manchester
Chorlton Place Nursing Home was deemed to be ‘good’ this week after improvements had been made following a previous critical report. The CQC found the service was no longer in breach of regulations around safe care and good governance.
Inspectors said improvements had been ‘sustained and further strengthened’. They reported that lessons were learned from incidents and changes introduced.
Previous concerns regarding cleanliness and pest control had been addressed, while risks in the home had also been resolved. Care was now considered to be safe and service users said staff ‘worked hard’ to meet people’s needs.
Oldham
Roxhsana Ltd received the top ‘outstanding’ rating this week. Staff at the homecare service, also known as Visiting Angels Manchester East, go ‘above and beyond’ and are ‘like family’, users and relatives said.
When one service user went into respite, her carers in their own time visited and took her flowers and chocolates, a family member said. They added: “It was very much appreciated by [Name], she loves them.”
The CQC said staff ‘took time to listen’ to people’s concerns, encouraging them to express how they were feeling and helping them access support.
Another family member said their relative was ‘very depressed’ and the service employed someone who could speak with them in their first language. They added: “They are eating more, and are smiling more, I think he [registered manager] relates, he doesn’t just provide care, he provides the socialisation bit, he sees everything.”
When staff raised concerns with the provider about practical concerns such as feeling vulnerable in the darker winter months, prompt action was taken. This included creating winter care kits containing torches with panic alarms, ice scrapers, reusable water bottles and snacks.
Recruitment processes were ‘rigorous’, ensuring ‘suitable, skilled and safety‑conscious employees’ were hired. Care was safe and ‘person-centred’.
When a service user was discharged from hospital, staff used gentle therapeutic exercises and activity, and light massage techniques to reduce stiffness and increase movement in their limbs. Care was ‘adapted daily’ and progress monitored ‘closely’, with the person eventually regaining ‘significant movement’ and their pain reducing.
Stockport
Caritas General Practice Partnership, in Dial House Medical Centre, received a ‘good’ rating from inspectors. Some 96pc of people using the Mile End Lane GP said the provider was ‘good at treating them with care and concern’.
The premises were ‘visibly clean’, the CQC added. Changes had been made in response to patient feedback that saw a triage system introduced. This guaranteed all patients who wished were seen or contacted by nursing staff on the same day.
Significant adaptations and upgrades had been made to buildings to improve accessibility, despite them being more than 100-years-old. However, leaders recognised this was an ‘ongoing challenge’.
Trafford
Adult social care services at Trafford council were rated ‘requires improvement’ by the CQC in the second critical service report received by the council this month. The watchdog found long waits; low satisfaction; and ‘ineffective’ sharing of safeguarding lessons.
Just 58pc of those using Trafford’s adult social care services were ‘satisfied’ with their care, compared to the England average of 65pc, the report said. Various service areas were experiencing delays, including care act assessments, care reviews, occupational therapy and financial assistance for carers.
Inspectors flagged additional concerns with safeguarding handling. While concerns were dealt with in a ‘timely manner’, partners said they had to ‘chase outcomes which were not forthcoming or timely’, leaving them ‘uncertain how to manage risks going forward’.
When updates were received, these were ‘usually limited’, resulting in ‘inadequate understanding and delayed coordinated action to reduce risks’.
Transitions from children’s services into the department were ‘not seamless’ with inconsistent pathways and delays, the CQC said. Families were ‘often unclear’ on what to expect and ‘worried about their future’.
However, the CQC did recognise that improvements were underway at the council, acknowledging that waiting times were reducing and people were accessing care and support more quickly.
The council has a ‘senior leadership team who had the vision and passion to improve services for the people of Trafford’, the report added. ‘Clear improvements’ have been made since January 2025 when a new interim director was appointed for the service, it continued.
Leaders say they ‘accept the findings’ and ‘know there is more to do’. Further measures have been introduced since the inspection, including improved access to support efforts to reduce occupational therapy waiting lists, the council added.
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