CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at 1 The Avenue Knaresborough
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from avoidable harm, medicines were managed safely and staffing matched people's needs. Some risk and support documentation was not always up to date, although inspectors said nobody was put at risk.
- Effective?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's health, communication and sensory needs. Staff were trained and supported, and people were helped with meals, healthcare, education and employment.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with compassion, dignity and respect. People were supported to communicate in their preferred ways and to develop independence and new skills.
- Responsive?
- Good
- People were supported to follow their interests, maintain relationships and take part in social activities. Inspectors said documentation did not always clearly show people's individual goals, and more could be done to help one person find a culturally appropriate hairdresser.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Managers were visible and approachable, and staff felt supported to raise concerns. The provider sought feedback and worked with health and social care organisations.
What inspectors found, June 2022
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, with some care records needing updating.
Inspectors visited the home without notice on 21 April 2022. They spoke with a person using the service, relatives and staff. They also reviewed care records, medicines records, staff files and management records.
The home supported four people with learning disabilities and autistic people, and could support up to five. Inspectors found that people were safe, treated with kindness and supported to make choices and live independently.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The inspection found some records did not always reflect people's current support and goals. The home also needed some maintenance and more support for one person to access a culturally appropriate hairdresser.
This was the first inspection of the newly registered service under the new provider. The previous provider had also been rated Good, and the overall rating remained Good.
Choice and independence
People were supported to make choices, control their own lives and develop independence. Staff helped people take part in work, leisure and community activities.
“The service (or staff) supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence be independent and they had control over their own lives.” from the report
Understanding communication
Staff understood individual communication styles, including body language, sounds, pictures and sign language. Inspectors saw staff use communication well to prevent emotional distress.
“We witnessed effective communication preventing emotional distress.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors found a warm and inclusive atmosphere. Staff respected people's privacy, dignity and emotions.
“Staff saw and treated people as their equal and created a warm and inclusive atmosphere.” from the report
Consistent staff team
Staff turnover was very low, helping people receive consistent care from staff who knew them well.
“Staff turnover was very low, which supported people to receive consistent care from staff who knew them well.” from the report
Care records were not always current
needs fixingSome documentation did not fully reflect people's current support, goals or individual aims. Inspectors said staff knew people well and nobody was put at risk, but the records still need improving.
“Documentation wasn't always up to date and did not always reflect the current support and goals of people.” from the report
Some property maintenance needed
minorThe home needed some repairs and maintenance because of the age of the property and furnishings. The provider had plans to renovate and redecorate.
“The service required some maintenance and repair due to the age of the property and the furnishings.” from the report
Culturally appropriate hairdresser
minorInspectors found that more work was needed to help one person access a culturally appropriate hairdresser.
“However, we identified more work could be done to support one person with accessing a culturally appropriate hairdresser.” from the report
- 01How have you updated care records so they clearly reflect each person's current support, goals and aims?
- 02What maintenance and renovation work has been completed since the inspection, and what remains outstanding?
- 03How will you help a new resident access culturally appropriate personal care services, including a hairdresser?
- 04How would staffing levels change if people's needs or weekend activities increased?
- 05How are people supported to keep using their preferred communication methods, including pictures, gestures or sign language?
This was an unannounced inspection of the newly registered service covering all five CQC questions, including infection prevention and control; the previous provider's last rating was Good in 2017. This explanation was written from the published report of 22 June 2022 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of 1 The Avenue Knaresborough
3 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- June 2022Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2020
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 December 2020.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
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28 live-in carers within about an hour of North Yorkshire
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £1,010 to £1,290 a week. 27 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“Carla has been a god send with the implementation of bringing mum back home from respite care.”
“She was always 'just present enough': attentive, available, kind and engaging, but without ever over-stepping any boundary”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.