CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at 17 Walsworth Road
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People's risks were assessed and staff knew how to support them safely. Medicines, fire safety, infection control and recruitment were checked and found to be managed appropriately.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before they moved in, and staff had relevant training and support. People received suitable food, healthcare and support that respected their choices and legal rights.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were kind, attentive and respectful. People were involved in decisions about their care and staff supported their privacy, dignity and independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's needs, preferences and communication methods. Activities were available and people were supported to go out, although some outings had to be rearranged when staff schedules changed.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Relatives and staff spoke positively about the management. Audits, meetings and provider visits were used to monitor quality and act on identified shortfalls.
What inspectors found, December 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, with some outings rearranged and end of life plans still being developed.
The unannounced inspection took place over 2, 3 and 5 December 2019. One inspector spoke with people, relatives, the manager and staff. They observed care and checked care records, medicines records, recruitment files, training records and management information.
The home supported six people with learning or physical disabilities and/or autism. Inspectors found that people were safe, treated kindly and supported to make choices. Care plans were person-centred, staff understood people's communication needs, and people had activities and opportunities to go out.
There were some areas to improve. Changes in staff schedules sometimes meant outings had to be rearranged. End of life care plans were not yet in place for everyone, although the manager had started work on them.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. This was unchanged from the previous Good rating published on 30 June 2017.
Kind relationships
Inspectors saw positive and reassuring interactions. Staff knew people well and spent time talking and laughing with them.
“Staff engaged with people frequently and spent time with them chatting and laughing.” from the report
Safe medicines support
People received medicines as prescribed. Records matched the stock, and the home carried out regular checks and audits.
“People received their medicines when needed and in accordance with the prescriber's instructions.” from the report
Choice and control
Staff asked people what they wanted throughout the day and supported them in the least restrictive way possible.
“People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests” from the report
Person-centred care
Care plans recorded what mattered to people and how they preferred to be supported. Staff understood people's communication needs, including the use of Makaton by some people.
“They were person centred, easy to follow and captured what was important to people.” from the report
Outings could be disrupted
needs fixingStaff sickness and changes to the staff schedule sometimes meant planned activities outside the home could not go ahead. The manager said alternatives were offered and recorded.
“At times when staff are off sick it means an activity can't go ahead” from the report
End of life plans incomplete
needs fixingEnd of life care plans were not in place for everyone. The manager had added this to the improvement plan and was discussing the issue with relatives.
“End of life care plans were not in place for everyone living at the home.” from the report
- 01How do you make sure staff sickness or schedule changes do not regularly prevent planned outings?
- 02What alternative activities are offered when an outing cannot go ahead, and how are these recorded?
- 03Has an end of life care plan now been discussed and agreed for my relative?
- 04How will my relative and our family be involved in reviewing the care plan and daily activities?
- 05How do staff communicate with my relative if they use gestures, Makaton or another communication method?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, including care, the premises, records, medicines, staffing and management systems. This explanation was written from the published report of 20 December 2019 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.
What inspectors found, June 2017
17 Walsworth Road was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with all five areas remaining Good.
This was a comprehensive, unannounced inspection. The inspector visited on 24 May 2017, observed staff and people, spoke with people, relatives and staff, and checked care, medicine, staff and management records.
The home supported five people at the time, although three were away on holiday. Inspectors found enough suitably skilled staff, safe medicine systems, regular training, personalised support plans and respectful care.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The home was also rated Good at the previous inspection.
Staffing and safety
Inspectors saw enough staff with different skills to support people's activities and individual needs. Recruitment checks were completed before staff started work.
“It was obvious from our observations that there were enough staff of varying skills on duty to support people with their chosen activities.” from the report
Medicine management
Medicine storage, stock checks and administration records were found to be safe. Each person had information about their medicines and how they preferred to take them.
“Medicines were managed safely. The medication cupboard was in a locked room.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff knew people's likes, dislikes and interests. Inspectors saw people being treated calmly, privately and with dignity.
“We observed positive interactions between staff and people who used the service. People were at ease and comfortable in the presence of staff.” from the report
Personalised support
Support plans reflected each person and were reviewed. People were supported to take part in activities, go on holiday and keep in touch with family.
“Support plans were personalised and written for each individual and had been reviewed regularly.” from the report
Quality checks
The registered manager and provider carried out audits covering areas such as medicines, health and safety and care plans. Action plans were used where issues were found.
“A number of quality audits had been carried out by both the registered manager and the provider.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you make sure there are enough staff with the right skills for my relative's individual support and community activities?
- 02How would you explain and review my relative's medicines, including their preferred way of taking them?
- 03How would you involve my relative and our family in reviewing their personalised support plan?
- 04What activities, holidays and family visits could you support my relative to take part in?
- 05How would you support my relative's health appointments and use their health passport if they needed hospital care?
This was a comprehensive, unannounced inspection on 24 May 2017; three of the five people using the home were away on holiday, and some people were unable to communicate verbally with the inspector. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 June 2017 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 17 Walsworth Road
3 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 20 December 2010.
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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