CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Aram House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People felt safe and risks to their safety and wellbeing were assessed and managed. Staff supported people to manage risks linked to the community, money, cooking, cleaning products and knives.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed and reviewed, and staff worked with other professionals. People were supported with their health, diet, appointments and independent living skills.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, patience, dignity and respect. They were involved in decisions about their care and choices about how they spent their time.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was personalised and reflected people's needs and preferences. People were supported with activities, work, qualifications and moves to more independent settings.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had a positive, person-centred culture and effective systems for checking and improving quality. Staff worked closely with professionals and the registered manager was directly involved in day-to-day support.
What inspectors found, May 2023
Aram House rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care that supported people towards greater independence.
This was an unannounced inspection on 15 May 2023. One inspector met four people living at the home, the registered manager and another staff member. They also spoke with three professionals and one relative, looked at care records and observed support with medicines.
The inspectors found that people were safe, happy and well supported. Staff managed risks carefully while helping people make informed choices and become more independent. People received support with their mental and physical health, medicines, meals, activities and relationships.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The rating in every area remained Good from the previous inspection, published on 11 December 2019.
Managing risk
Staff helped people understand and manage risks while still supporting them to make choices and become more independent.
“The risks to people's safety and wellbeing were assessed, monitored and planned for.” from the report
Support for independence
The home supported people to build confidence and skills, including cooking, managing medicines, using the community, gaining qualifications and finding work.
“People were supported to be independent and to gain confidence and skills.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff speaking with people in a kind, patient and caring way, while offering choices and respecting privacy.
“We observed the staff treating people well, speaking with them in a kind, patient, and caring way.” from the report
Personalised support
Staff understood people's individual needs and preferences. People took part in regular reviews of their care and decided how they wanted to be supported.
“People received personalised care which met their needs and reflected their preferences.” from the report
Staffing and partnerships
There were enough suitable staff, with absences covered by the provider's own staff or the registered manager. Staff also worked promptly with outside professionals when needs changed.
“There were enough staff to keep people safe and meet their needs.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you assess and manage my relative's particular mental health risks and respond if their condition changed?
- 02How would you support my relative to take responsibility for their medicines, and what checks would remain in place?
- 03How would you support my relative to become more independent with cooking, money, community access or work?
- 04How would you manage any legal conditions or house rules that applied to my relative?
- 05Who would support my relative during staff absence or a mental health crisis, and how would you maintain familiar staffing?
This was an unannounced inspection of the care home covering all five CQC questions, including infection prevention and control, the premises and the care provided. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 May 2023 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, December 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, respectful and personalised care, with further work planned on end-of-life support.
This was an unannounced inspection on 03 December 2019. One inspector met two people living at the home, the manager and one support worker. They checked care records, staff recruitment and training, medicines, incidents and other management records. They also sought views from four healthcare professionals and received two responses.
People told inspectors they felt safe and were happy with their support. Staff treated people with respect and helped them make decisions, manage medicines, build daily living skills and prepare for greater independence. Care plans were clear and people were involved in setting goals and reviewing their support.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This means inspectors found the service was consistently meeting the standards they checked. The overall Good rating was unchanged from the previous inspection in April 2017.
Personalised support
People helped plan their own care and set goals for recovery and greater independence. Staff adapted support to individual needs and preferences.
“People were involved in planning and reviewing their own care.” from the report
Respect and dignity
Inspectors found a calm, friendly setting where people were treated as individuals. Staff respected privacy and asked permission before entering bedrooms.
“People were treated with respect by the staff.” from the report
Support for independence
People were supported to plan meals, prepare food, manage medicines, clean their rooms and use the community. This was linked to plans for moving on.
“People were supported to develop and enhance their independent living skills.” from the report
Safe medicines practice
Medicines were stored safely and records were checked. People were supported to take increasing control of their medicines through risk assessments and plans.
“People received their medicines in a safe way and as prescribed.” from the report
Strong teamwork
Staff had regular handovers, meetings, training and competency checks. The home also worked closely with healthcare professionals and services supporting people after they moved on.
“The staff were well supported and communicated well with each other.” from the report
End-of-life planning
minorNo one was receiving end-of-life care during the inspection. The manager said this area needed further development, although some people found it difficult to discuss.
“The registered manager told us this was an area they wanted to develop further but some people found the subject hard to discuss.” from the report
- 01How would you support my relative during a mental health crisis, and how would their crisis and recovery plans be updated?
- 02How do you decide when someone is ready to take more control of their medicines?
- 03What daily living skills would my relative be expected to practise, and what support would staff provide?
- 04How would you support my relative to move on to a less supported setting, and what help would continue after they leave?
- 05How are you developing end-of-life planning for people who may need it in future?
This was an unannounced, planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the premises and care, with records sampled for two people and two staff members. This explanation was written from the published report of 11 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.
Every inspection of Aram House
3 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- May 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2017GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 3 March 2016.
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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Fees, photos and reviews from families
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What to check when you visit
At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Hillingdon
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 £980 to £1,320 a week. 81 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“I can truly say that Peter always put Dad at the centre of everything and I know that they found a great friendship in difficult times.”
“She has an unusual combination of kindness and firmness, is quite unflappable, physically strong, extremely savvy”
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.