CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Echo Square House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Staff understood safeguarding procedures, risk assessments were reviewed and there were enough staff to support the three people living at the home. Medicines and emergency arrangements were also managed safely.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had relevant training, supervision and appraisals. People received support with healthcare, eating and drinking, and staff understood consent and the Mental Capacity Act.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff had known people for many years and treated them with kindness and respect. People's privacy, independence, personal relationships and individual communication needs were supported.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans described people's routines, preferences, communication and support needs in detail. People were offered choices about activities, holidays, food and how they spent their time.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The manager was approachable and staff understood the home's aims. Regular audits, meetings and feedback from families were used to monitor the service.
What inspectors found, April 2018
Echo Square House is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with no breaches reported.
Inspectors visited on 22 February 2018. The visit was announced 48 hours beforehand because the home is small and people are often out. They spoke with one person, observed interactions, spoke with staff and the manager, and checked care plans, medicines records, staffing records and quality checks.
The home supported three adults with autism. Inspectors found that people were safe, received their medicines as prescribed and had enough staff support. Staff were trained, knew people well and understood their communication needs, choices and routines.
Care was judged Good in all five areas: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. The home had also been rated Good at the previous comprehensive inspection, although safe had then required improvement because of staff recruitment checks. A focused inspection in February 2017 found no breaches and improved safe to Good.
Safeguarding and risk
Staff had safeguarding training and knew how to report concerns. Risk assessments supported people to do activities safely and maintain their independence.
“People were kept safe by staff that had received training and understood how to protect people from abuse and harm.” from the report
Safe medicines
Medicines were securely stored and staff were trained and checked as competent to give them. Records showed people received medicines at the right times.
“Medicines were stored securely and kept at the correct temperature to make sure they were safe for use.” from the report
Kind, respectful care
Inspectors found that staff knew people well and supported their privacy and independence. People were encouraged to do tasks for themselves where possible.
“People's independence was promoted and their privacy respected.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's histories, preferences, communication methods and the ways autism affected them. Staff adjusted their approach to each person.
“Care plans were personalised and each person's individual needs were identified, together with the level of staff support that was required to assist them.” from the report
Teamwork and leadership
Staff communicated through handovers and records, and said they could contact the manager for support. The manager and staff carried out regular checks on the quality of care.
“Staff said there was good communication within the team that staff meetings took place to discuss best practice, recommendations and people's well-being.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you support my relative if they communicate through body language, facial expressions or physical actions rather than speech?
- 02How do you make sure staffing levels remain enough when one member of staff is supporting three people?
- 03How are risk assessments reviewed if my relative wants to go out or spend time without staff support?
- 04How would you support my relative's health needs and record appointments, recommendations and changes in their condition?
- 05How can my relative and our family raise a complaint or give feedback in an accessible format?
This was an announced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions, and the report says the care home, its premises and the care provided were looked at. This explanation was written from the published report of 11 April 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.
What inspectors found, April 2017
Rated Good; inspectors found that people were safe, with suitable staffing, risk checks, recruitment and medicines arrangements.
This was a focused inspection. The inspection checked whether the home had improved its recruitment arrangements after a legal breach found at the previous inspection.
The inspector reviewed safety records, fire safety, medicines records, staffing rotas and safeguarding documents. They also spoke with a support worker, a relative and the registered manager.
Inspectors found that people were safe. Risk assessments were up to date, staffing met people's needs, medicines were managed safely and recruitment checks had improved. The overall rating was Good, but this visit only assessed the Safe question.
Safer recruitment
The home had improved its recruitment checks. Staff had employment histories, identity and right-to-work checks, references and criminal records checks before starting work.
“At this inspection, improvements had been made and the service was now compliant with the regulations.” from the report
Risk management
Risk assessments covered people's personal safety, the environment, emergencies and activities. They were in date and included actions to reduce hazards.
“All risk assessments were in date and had effective control measures in place to reduce potential hazards.” from the report
Enough staff
Inspectors found staffing levels met people's needs safely. The rota showed a three-to-one ratio between people and staff.
“There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs and people told us that there were sufficient staff to support people.” from the report
Medicines
Medicines were stored, administered and recorded safely. Medicine profiles included doses, allergies and other relevant information.
“There were safe medication administration systems in place and people received their medicines when required.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you now check every new staff member's employment history, references, identity and criminal records before they start?
- 02What staffing levels are normally in place, including at weekends and overnight?
- 03How do you check that medicines are given and recorded correctly?
- 04When were the current risk assessments last reviewed for the person who may use the home?
- 05What ratings apply to Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led, as this inspection did not assess them?
This was a focused inspection of Safe only, to check improvements after a previous recruitment breach; the other four key questions were not assessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 5 April 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 Echo Square House
4 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- April 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: Good
- February 2016Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2015Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- December 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 23 December 2010.
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.