CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Castle Road
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, February 2018
Castle Road is rated Good; inspectors found kind, personalised care, with some safety procedures needing attention.
This was an unannounced inspection on 14 January 2018. One inspector spoke with 10 people, staff and a health professional. They checked care records, risk assessments, medicines records, training records, meeting minutes and quality checks.
The inspectors found that people were treated with kindness and respect. Care records were personalised and up to date. Staff knew people's needs, supported their independence and contacted health professionals when people's health changed.
People were found to be safe, and medicines were managed correctly. Staff were trained, recruitment checks were completed and there were enough staff. The home had systems for learning from incidents and improving care.
The overall rating was Good, with Good ratings in Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was the same overall rating as at the previous inspection in November 2015.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw positive relationships between people and staff. Staff understood people's individual needs and treated them with dignity.
“Staff exhibited a kind and compassionate attitude towards people.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans reflected people's choices, preferences and needs. People were involved in decisions about their care and daily routines.
“Each person had individualised care plans that reflected their needs, choices and preferences” from the report
Safe medicines support
Medicines were given consistently and on time. Records were completed correctly and staff understood the medicines people took.
“Medicines were administered consistently and safely.” from the report
Support for independence
People were encouraged to develop everyday skills and take part in household tasks, activities and community life.
“People's independence was valued and encouraged.” from the report
Good management and learning
The management was described as approachable. Incidents were recorded and reviewed so lessons could be used to improve care.
“There was a quality assurance system in place to drive continuous improvement within the service.” from the report
Safeguarding guidance
needs fixingThe safeguarding guidance referred to a different local authority. Inspectors recommended that the correct local safeguarding policy should be available to staff.
“We noted during the inspection that the safeguarding guidance in place for staff referred to a different local authority” from the report
Possible ligature points
needs fixingInspectors asked staff to risk assess possible ligature points in the home. Staff agreed to take action after the inspection.
“We spoke to staff about risk assessing potential ligature points within the home which might have the potential to harm.” from the report
Medicine handling
needs fixingInspectors discussed getting pharmacist advice about safer ways to support people with medicines. This was intended to avoid staff transferring medicines from blister packs into dosette boxes.
“This would avoid staff needing to "secondary dispense" medicine from blister packs to dosette boxes.” from the report
Training plans
minorStaff were looking for a provider for breakaway training. The report also said that further mental health and self-harm training was planned for 2018.
“Staff shared with us they were looking for a training provider to deliver breakaway training.” from the report
Quality audits
minorThe service planned to return to quarterly unannounced audits because these checks had become less regular.
“We will go back to quarterly unannounced audits as these have slipped a bit.” from the report
- 01Has the safeguarding guidance been updated so it refers to the correct local authority?
- 02What checks have been completed on possible ligature points, and what changes were made?
- 03How are medicines handled for people who want to become more independent?
- 04Has breakaway training been arranged, and which further mental health training has been completed since the inspection?
- 05Have quarterly unannounced quality audits been restarted?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions, and all five ratings remained Good from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 16 February 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 Castle Road
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- February 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 27 January 2011.
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.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
21 live-in carers within about an hour of Torbay
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 £1,400 a week. 17 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“She looked after my mum, who can be incredibly challenging, so well and so gently, and we always felt confident that my mum was getting the best care available.”
“She was not phased by anything, she was adaptable, kind & gave us complete confidence to go away & not worry about a thing!”
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.