CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Cardinals Way
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found clear risk assessments, suitable staffing and safe recruitment. Staff understood safeguarding and supported people with their medicines safely.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had suitable training, supervision and experience. People received support with food, healthcare and decisions about their care.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff knew people well and treated them with dignity and respect. People were involved in decisions and encouraged to remain independent.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was personalised to people's needs, choices and goals. Staff supported improvements in mental wellbeing, mobility, daily living skills and community involvement.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found open communication, effective quality checks and a positive culture. People and staff said their views were listened to.
What inspectors found, May 2020
Cardinals Way is rated Good; inspectors found safe, caring and personalised support, with some record-keeping issues addressed after the inspection.
The inspection was unannounced and looked at the home, the care provided and its records. The inspector spoke with all three people living there, staff, the manager and the provider. They also reviewed care files, medicines records, staff records and quality checks.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough trained staff, safe medicines support and clear arrangements for managing risks. People were treated with kindness and respect, involved in their care and supported to make choices.
The report describes strong personalised support for people with long-term mental health needs. Staff helped people improve their independence, mobility, daily living skills and mental wellbeing. Some record-keeping deficiencies were found, but the manager gave details of action taken to address them.
Personalised support
Care was tailored to each person's needs, preferences and goals. Staff supported people to build independence and improve their quality of life.
“The service demonstrated how well they provided for person centred care that was tailored towards each person's specific needs.” from the report
Mental wellbeing
Staff helped people maintain their mental health and avoid relapses that had previously led to hospital treatment.
“This achieved an outstanding degree of success as no one, since living at the home, had experienced a relapse requiring admission for treatment to any mental health treatment facilities.” from the report
Kind relationships
Inspectors saw trusting and considerate relationships between people and staff. People said they were respected and involved in their care.
“There were caring and considerate relationships between people using the service and the staff that supported them.” from the report
Improved independence
Staff supported people with mobility, cooking, budgeting, laundry and going out in the community. This helped people do more for themselves.
“This work had significantly benefitted each of these people and resulted in these people increase their independence to a greater extent than they had previously experienced.” from the report
Good teamwork
Staff understood their roles and worked openly with managers and healthcare professionals. Quality checks were found to be effective.
“The team was not hierarchal and there was open and professional communication, which we observed throughout our time at the home.” from the report
Record keeping
needs fixingInspectors found deficiencies in some records. The manager later provided details of action taken to address them.
“The manager supplied us with details of action they had taken to address the deficiencies we found in some record keeping.” from the report
- 01What record-keeping deficiencies were found, and what has been done to make sure records remain accurate?
- 02How would staff support my relative if their mental health began to worsen?
- 03How would the home support my relative with their medicines, including questions about whether those medicines are helping?
- 04How would staff help my relative build independence with cooking, budgeting, mobility or going out?
- 05How would the home work with healthcare professionals if my relative's health or support needs changed?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five key questions, and the previous Good ratings were reviewed and remained unchanged. This explanation was written from the published report of 6 May 2020 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, July 2017
Cardinals Way was rated Good; inspectors found safe, caring and well-managed support for two adults with mental health needs.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 16 June 2017. One inspector reviewed care records, risk assessments, medicines records, staff files and information about the home. They spoke with the provider, manager and two care workers, and observed both people living there.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that risks and medicines were managed safely, staff were trained and supported, and people received help with their health and daily choices.
Care plans were detailed and tailored to each person. Staff supported people's independence, relationships and activities. The manager used regular audits and feedback to monitor the service.
The home had also been rated Good at the previous inspection on 9 April 2015, so this inspection found that the overall rating remained Good.
Safe staffing
There were two live-in care workers for two people at all times. Inspectors said this provided one-to-one support and continuity of care.
“At all times there were two live in care workers to support people at the service.” from the report
Detailed care plans
Care plans were individual and covered health, personal care, activities, social interaction and financial matters. They encouraged people to have control over their daily lives.
“Care plans were very detailed and covered areas relating to personal care, social interaction, life histories, mental health, activities and financial matters.” from the report
Respectful support
Inspectors observed calm and considerate interactions. Staff knew people's preferences and supported privacy, dignity, independence and relationships.
“These interactions were relaxed and considerate and staff demonstrated that they knew the people they were supporting.” from the report
Good oversight
The manager used regular medicines, care planning and health and safety audits, as well as spot checks, to review the service.
“These audits demonstrated that the registered manager was effectively and regularly reviewing the performance of the service” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are the two live-in care workers arranged now, and does the current staffing still provide one-to-one support?
- 02How are mental capacity assessments, best-interest decisions and any Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards arrangements currently reviewed?
- 03How often are each person's care plan, risk assessments and mental health goals reviewed with them and their relatives or representatives?
- 04How are medicines checked now, including the medicine administration records and any medicines prescribed to be taken when required?
- 05What feedback, complaints or changes have been recorded since this inspection?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five questions, carried out by one inspector on 16 June 2017. This explanation was written from the published report of 29 July 2017 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 Cardinals Way
3 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- May 2020Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2013
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 8 January 2013.
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 Islington
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.”
“The interaction she gives my mother is incredible, singing, dancing, taking her to groups, on plenty of walks which mum always loves.”
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.