CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Acorn Village
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and harm, risks were assessed and managed, and staffing levels were considered sufficient. Medicines, equipment, premises and recruitment checks were also managed appropriately.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff received relevant training and regular supervision. People were supported with food, healthcare and decisions under the Mental Capacity Act, and improvements had been made to the storage of DoLS information.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with dignity and respect and understood their individual communication needs. People were encouraged to make choices, maintain independence and keep in contact with family.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans described people's needs and preferences, and people had access to activities at home and in the community. The home had a complaints process and relatives said concerns were dealt with promptly.
- Well-led?
- Good
- There was a clear management structure, staff understood their responsibilities and quality checks were carried out. Staff, relatives and inspectors described the management positively.
What inspectors found, November 2018
Acorn Village was rated Good; inspectors found safe, caring and person-centred support, with some care records still being updated.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 15 and 16 October 2018. Inspectors observed care, spoke with people, relatives, staff and professionals, and reviewed care records, medicines records, staffing information and quality checks.
The inspectors found that people were safe and that there were enough suitably trained staff. Medicines were managed safely. Staff understood safeguarding, mental capacity and liberty protection duties, and people were supported to make choices and stay as independent as possible.
Care was kind and respectful. People had individual care plans, activities and support to keep in touch with family and access health services. The overall rating stayed Good, as did the ratings for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led.
People felt safe
People and relatives told inspectors they felt safe. Staff understood safeguarding and how to manage individual risks.
“People and their relatives told us they felt safe living in the service.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw positive relationships, humour and respectful care. Staff knew how people communicated and supported their choices.
“Staff were caring towards people and treated them with dignity and respect this was evident in our observations.” from the report
Promoting independence
People were supported to do things for themselves, take part in activities and make choices about food and daily life.
“The staff encouraged people to be independent; we observed people using adapted equipment to enable them to eat independently.” from the report
Good management oversight
The home had clear responsibilities, regular audits and ways for staff and people to give feedback.
“The service carried out a range of audits to monitor the quality of the service.” from the report
Some care records were still being updated
minorCare plans were detailed, but the management team was still reviewing documents and archiving information that was no longer current.
“All care plans were in the process of being reviewed by the management team as they were aware that some documents needed archiving to ensure they only held relevant up to date information.” from the report
- 01How will you make sure my relative's care plan contains only current information?
- 02Has my relative discussed and recorded their wishes about future or end of life care?
- 03How would you support my relative to manage medicines independently, if appropriate?
- 04How many staff will usually be available in the house, including for activities and community trips?
- 05How will my relative be involved in choosing activities, meals and decisions about their daily care?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions and the overall rating; the report says the service had been rated Good at the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 24 November 2018 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 Acorn Village
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- November 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 7 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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35 live-in carers within about an hour of Essex
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 £1,020 to £1,260 a week. 25 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Not only was she professional, polite and efficient but she bought a lovely smile and laughter to my parents home.”
“She brought fun and stimulation into mums life.”
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.