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CQC report explained · a residential care home

What the CQC found at 374 St Helier Avenue

Goodpublished 10 June 2022, 4 years ago

Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Good
Inspectors found enough staff, suitable safeguarding training, regular safety checks and safe medicines systems. People and relatives said they felt safe.
Effective?
Good
Care plans included people’s needs and risks and were reviewed regularly. Staff received relevant training and supervision, and people were supported with food, exercise and healthcare.
Caring?
Good
Staff were described as kind, respectful and compassionate. People and relatives were involved in decisions about care, menus, activities and daily life.
Responsive?
Good
Support was personalised and focused on people’s goals and quality of life. People were supported to take part in activities, maintain relationships and raise concerns.
Well-led?
Good
Inspectors found effective governance, regular audits and a positive culture. Managers sought feedback from people, relatives and staff and had a service development plan.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, June 2022

374 St Helier Avenue was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, but some end-of-life plans were incomplete.

This was the first inspection since the home registered in December 2020. One inspector visited on 10 May 2022. They spoke with two people, three relatives, two support workers and the registered manager. They also checked care records, medicines records, staff files, training and management records.

The home supported seven people with learning disabilities and could support up to eight. Inspectors found that people had choice, control and independence. Staff supported people with their goals, interests, community access and relationships. People and relatives said they felt safe and received kind care.

All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The report says people’s outcomes were consistently good, their needs were met, and the home was consistently managed. Some end-of-life care plans had not been completed.

What inspectors praised
  • Choice and independence

    People were supported to make choices, control their daily lives and develop their independence. They could personalise their rooms and pursue their interests.

    “The service supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence.” from the report
  • Kind and respectful care

    Staff understood people’s needs, preferences and communication. Inspectors found caring relationships and respect for privacy and dignity.

    “People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people's privacy and dignity.” from the report
  • Community and activities

    People were supported to go out, maintain family contact, try new activities and develop skills. Staff adapted support to help people take part.

    “People were supported to participate in their chosen social and leisure interests on a regular basis.” from the report
  • Staffing and oversight

    Inspectors found enough staff and robust recruitment checks. Managers used audits and regular reviews to monitor care, medicines, safety and infection control.

    “Governance processes were effective and helped to hold staff to account, keep people safe, protect people's rights and provide good quality care and support” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Incomplete end-of-life plans

    needs fixing

    Some people’s end-of-life care plans had not been completed. The manager said this could be difficult for people and families to discuss, but encouraged discussion during care reviews.

    “There were end of life care plans in place for people. We saw that some of these had not been completed for people.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01Which parts of my relative’s end-of-life care plan have been completed, and when will any missing sections be discussed?
  2. 02How will my relative be supported to make choices if they find discussions about end-of-life care difficult?
  3. 03How will you review my relative’s goals, communication needs and support plan as their needs change?
  4. 04How many staff would normally be available during the day, evening and night, and how would this change if someone needed extra community support?
  5. 05How can my relative and our family give feedback or raise a concern, and how will we be told what action was taken?

This was the first comprehensive inspection of the newly registered home and covered all five CQC key questions, including infection prevention and control. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 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.

The story over the years

Every inspection of 374 St Helier Avenue

3 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.

  1. June 2022Goodcurrent ratingstayed Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at 374 St Helier Avenue →

  2. March 2019Goodstayed Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
  3. August 2016Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
  4. 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.

Next steps

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At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Merton

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Most charge £980 to £1,230 a week. 78 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.

“She cared for my mum with Alzheimer's with endless patience and kindness, always arriving with a smile and a positive attitude”
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