CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Abbotsford Residential Care Home.
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People told inspectors they felt safe. Risk assessments, safeguarding systems, staffing, medicines management, infection control and accident monitoring were all found to be suitable.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before they moved in, and care plans recorded their preferences. Staff were trained and supported, and people received help with nutrition, oral care and access to healthcare.
- Caring?
- Good
- Inspectors saw staff treating people with kindness, patience, dignity and respect. People were involved in choices about their care and daily routines.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was personalised and records were reviewed when people's needs changed. The home offered varied activities, supported contact with relatives and had systems for handling concerns.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The registered manager had good oversight of the home. Audits, staff training records, meetings and feedback systems were in place, with an open and supportive culture.
What inspectors found, July 2022
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some refurbishment work still to complete.
This was the first inspection since the service registered with CQC. The visit took place on 16 June 2022 and was unannounced. Inspectors spoke with people, relatives, staff and a health professional. They also reviewed care records, medicines records, staff recruitment files and management records.
The home was rated Good overall and Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough trained staff, safe medicines systems, good infection control and suitable risk assessments. People were supported with food, drink, healthcare, communication and activities.
People and relatives described staff as kind, respectful and caring. Inspectors saw positive interactions and found that care was personalised. The home had strong management oversight, regular audits and an open culture. Some refurbishment and maintenance work was still in progress, and CQC said it would monitor this.
Kind and respectful staff
People and relatives praised the staff, and inspectors observed warm, meaningful interactions. Staff knew people well and respected their choices, privacy and dignity.
“People and relatives praised the friendly atmosphere in the home and described staff as kind, caring and respectful.” from the report
Safe care systems
Inspectors found suitable systems for managing risks, safeguarding, medicines, accidents and infection control. Medicines records checked during the inspection were accurate.
“We found there were appropriate arrangements in place for ordering, storing, administering and recording medicines, which helped to ensure they were given to people safely.” from the report
Personalised support and activities
Care plans included people's preferences, interests and communication needs. The home offered activities such as exercises, quizzes, crafts, trips and time in the garden.
“The home had a varied monthly activities programme which was devised based on people's interests.” from the report
Strong management oversight
The manager used audits, action plans, training records, meetings and feedback to monitor the service and support improvement.
“The registered manager had good oversight of the home and an open culture was evident.” from the report
Refurbishment still in progress
minorSome areas of the home were still on the maintenance list during the inspection. Bedrooms were being redecorated and CQC said it would monitor progress.
“Some areas of the care home remained on the provider's maintenance to-do list and was in the process of being carried out during the time of this visit.” from the report
- 01Which refurbishment and maintenance jobs were still outstanding after the inspection, and when were they expected to be completed?
- 02How would you assess and support my relative's individual needs before they move in?
- 03How would you support my relative with eating, drinking, oral care and any dietary or swallowing needs?
- 04What activities would be suitable for my relative, and how would you support contact with family and the wider community?
- 05How would you involve my relative and our family in decisions about their care and respond if we raised a concern?
This was a comprehensive first inspection of all five key questions, including infection prevention and control; the service had registered with CQC on 3 March 2021 and had previously been owned by a different provider. This explanation was written from the published report of 7 July 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.
What inspectors found, March 2022
Abbotsford Residential Care Home was inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control and visiting arrangements.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 9 February 2022. It focused on infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and whether COVID-19 staffing pressures affected care.
Inspectors found safe visiting arrangements, including visitor screening, temperature checks, lateral flow testing and personal protective equipment. Staff were tested daily and had training and checks on infection control and protective equipment.
The home had updated infection control guidance, regular audits, cleaning schedules and supplies of protective equipment. Inspectors were assured about infection control in the areas they checked, but this visit did not provide an overall quality rating.
Safe visiting
Visitors were screened, tested and risk assessed. They also had temperature checks and used protective equipment.
“Visiting procedures included ensuring visitors had a confirmed negative lateral flow test.” from the report
Staff infection control training
Staff had training in infection control, hand washing and protective equipment. Their infection control skills were also checked.
“Staff had received training about Covid19, infection control, hand washing and in the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).” from the report
Regular checks and supplies
The home carried out regular infection control audits and had protective equipment available around the building.
“Regular audits of infection prevention and control (IPC) practice were carried out to assure the provider that people were protected and safe.” from the report
Updated infection control arrangements
The home had an up-to-date infection control policy and procedures that were updated as government guidance changed.
“There was an up to date infection control policy in place and there were standard operating procedures that were regularly updated in line with changes in government policy.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What infection prevention and control arrangements from the inspection are still in place?
- 02How are staffing pressures caused by COVID-19 currently affecting the service?
- 03How often are staff infection control skills checked now?
- 04How do you manage visiting, testing and protective equipment when someone may have an infection?
- 05How do you keep cleaning schedules and infection control procedures up to date?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and COVID-19 staffing pressures; it did not rate the other key questions or the service overall. This explanation was written from the published report of 2 March 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 Abbotsford Residential Care Home.
5 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- July 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Abbotsford Residential Care Home. →
- March 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at Abbotsford Residential Care Home. →
- November 2017Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2017Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvement
- November 2016Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- November 2015Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- March 2021
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 2 March 2021.
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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At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Harrow
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Most charge £980 to £1,270 a week. 75 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“The interaction she gives my mother is incredible, singing, dancing, taking her to groups, on plenty of walks which mum always loves.”
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