CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Chitty Barn
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and discrimination, and risks had detailed plans to reduce them in the least restrictive ways. Staffing, premises checks, recruitment and medicines arrangements were found to be safe.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff were trained and understood people's needs. People received support with health appointments, nutrition and decisions about their care.
- Caring?
- Good
- People had positive relationships with staff and were treated with dignity, respect, empathy and kindness. Staff encouraged independence and involvement in care.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Care was highly personalised and regularly reviewed. People were supported to access the community, try new activities, maintain relationships and work towards greater independence.
- Well-led?
- Outstanding
- The home had strong leadership, an open culture and robust checks on care, medicines, finances and the premises. People, relatives, staff and professionals were encouraged to give feedback.
What inspectors found, March 2018
Rated Outstanding; inspectors found highly personalised care and excellent leadership, while safety, effectiveness and kindness were rated Good.
This was an unannounced inspection on 19 December 2017. One inspector spent time with people, spoke with staff and managers, and received feedback from health and social care professionals. Records checked included care plans, risk assessments, medicines, recruitment, training and audits.
The home supported two people with complex learning disabilities. Inspectors found enough trained staff, safe medicine arrangements, detailed risk plans and good support with health, food and decision-making. People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect.
Responsive care and leadership were rated Outstanding. The home had introduced a paperless recording system, which reduced anxiety and helped people take part in more activities. The overall rating changed from Good at the last inspection to Outstanding.
Personalised support
Care plans were detailed and tailored to people's emotional, behavioural and physical needs. Staff regularly reviewed them with people and health professionals.
“Each person had a detailed pictorial/easy read care plan based on their tailored needs, including their emotional, behaviour, health care needs, goals and aspirations.” from the report
Greater independence
Consistent staffing and work with health professionals helped people reduce restrictive routines and take part in community activities, GP visits and new opportunities.
“With the help of health care professionals, individual behaviour training sessions and consistent staffing people's behaviour had been reduced and they were now able to access the community, and visit their local GP.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff knew people well and supported their choices, privacy and independence. They responded calmly when someone became anxious.
“People were treated with equality, dignity and respect.” from the report
Strong leadership
Managers used audits, feedback and electronic records to monitor care and make improvements. Staff described good support, teamwork and morale.
“Robust auditing procedures were in place to assess the quality of care being provided.” from the report
A repair was still being completed
minorOne person's flooring was being replaced because of an unpleasant smell. The report says this was being rectified, but families may want to check that it has been completed.
“Staff told us that one person's flooring was being replaced as there had been an unpleasant smell which was being rectified.” from the report
End-of-life wishes were not yet recorded
minorThe home was not providing end-of-life care at the inspection. Staff said further discussions would take place and people's wishes would then be recorded.
“Staff told us that further discussions of how people would like to be supported at the end of their life would take place in the near future and their wishes would be recorded in care plan.” from the report
- 01Has the flooring replacement and the unpleasant smell described in the report now been fully resolved?
- 02How would you support my relative if they became anxious or showed behaviour that may challenge?
- 03How are people and their families involved in reviewing the pictorial or easy-read care plan?
- 04How does the electronic recording system reduce time spent recording care and improve time available for activities?
- 05How would you record and review my relative's wishes about end-of-life care?
This was an unannounced inspection of the overall quality of the home and all five CQC questions, including care, premises, records, staffing, medicines and leadership. This explanation was written from the published report of 17 March 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 Chitty Barn
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has improved, from Good to Outstanding.
- March 2018Outstandingcurrent ratingup from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding
- December 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2014
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 10 August 2014.
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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39 live-in carers within about an hour of Kent
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. 33 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“Always on time and with a lovely smile for my mum. Theresa is kind and sensitive to my mum's needs.”
“Irene was a very kind and empathetic carer who knew just the right words to say to put a smile on my face.”
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.