CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Brondesbury Road
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks were assessed and reviewed, medicines were given and recorded safely, and there were enough staff to provide support. Infection prevention measures were also in place.
- Effective?
- Good
- People received support with health checks, treatment, food and drink. Care plans reflected people's health needs and goals, although staff reported difficulties with online training and administrative workload.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Staff supported independence, cultural and religious needs, and used communication methods suited to each person.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and regularly reviewed. People were supported with communication, everyday living skills, interests and personal goals, and there was a complaints process.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found visible and approachable management, effective checks on quality and an open culture where staff and relatives could share their views.
What inspectors found, June 2023
Brondesbury Road is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, but staff raised concerns about workload and online training.
This was the first inspection of the newly registered home. One inspector visited on 21 November 2022, with support from a British Sign Language interpreter. The inspection was announced with 24 hours' notice.
Inspectors spoke with four people who used the home, two relatives and five staff. They examined five people's care records, four staff files and records about how the home was managed.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that people were supported to make choices, stay independent and achieve their goals. Medicines, risks, infection control and health care were managed safely.
Staff said paperwork and other administrative duties sometimes reduced the time available for care. Staff also said online training was less interactive and difficult for deaf people and people who are hard of hearing. The registered manager said workload was being reviewed and that improvements had been made to the training platform.
Choice and independence
People were supported to make choices, take reasonable risks and develop everyday skills. Staff focused on what people could do and their personal goals.
“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; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors found that staff understood people well and protected their privacy, dignity and independence.
“People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people's privacy and dignity.” from the report
Personalised communication
The home used different communication methods for individual needs, including British Sign Language interpreters and communication aids.
“People's preferred methods of communication were highlighted in their care plans. There were a range of communication formats, each personalised to the specific needs of the person.” from the report
Safe medicines and risk management
Inspectors found that medicines were recorded properly and that risks were assessed, reviewed and managed without unnecessarily limiting people's choices.
“There were no gaps in the MARs we reviewed which provided assurance medicines were being given as prescribed.” from the report
Staff workload
needs fixingStaff said they had many administrative duties as well as care duties. They said this sometimes meant they did not have enough time for care work. The registered manager said this would be reviewed.
“However, discussions with staff showed that they had many administrative duties in addition to their care duties which meant they did not always have enough time to complete their care duties.” from the report
Accessible training
needs fixingStaff said training was mostly online after the COVID-19 pandemic. They reported that it was less interactive and harder for deaf people and people who are hard of hearing because sign language was not always available.
“The training is more online and less interactive. It is difficult to take everything on board.” from the report
- 01What has been done to reduce the paperwork and administrative workload reported by staff?
- 02How is staff training now made accessible to deaf people and people who are hard of hearing?
- 03How will British Sign Language interpreters or other communication support be provided for my relative?
- 04How will my relative's personal goals, choices and independence be recorded and reviewed?
- 05What end of life training would staff receive if my relative needed this support?
This was the first inspection of the newly registered home and covered all five key questions, including infection prevention and control; no one was receiving end of life care at the time. This explanation was written from the published report of 3 June 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.
Every inspection of Brondesbury Road
3 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- June 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2021
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 30 June 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 Brent
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 £1,260 a week. 74 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“The quality of life that she's given my parents has been priceless. The peace of mind she's given my sisters and I, through a very difficult time, has been invaluable.”
“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.”
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.