CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Forest Haven
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from avoidable harm. Inspectors found suitable staffing, safe recruitment, reviewed risk assessments, correctly completed medicines records and effective infection control.
- Effective?
- Good
- People had personalised assessments and support plans, suitable staff training and help with food, healthcare and communication. Staff supported people to make decisions in line with the Mental Capacity Act.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Staff listened to people, used their preferred communication methods and supported independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was planned around people's choices, needs and goals. People had communication plans, activity plans and support to maintain relationships and access the community.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had a positive culture and staff felt supported to raise concerns. Audits, surveys and reviews of incidents were used to monitor quality and make improvements.
What inspectors found, June 2023
Forest Haven was rated Good overall; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with all five areas rated Good.
This was an unannounced inspection. One inspector visited the home on 19 May 2023, and inspection activity continued until 1 June 2023. The inspector spoke with one person, two relatives and three care staff, and reviewed care plans, risk assessments, medicines records, recruitment files, audits and other records.
The home supports up to five people with learning disabilities. Four people were living there during the inspection. Inspectors found suitable staffing, safe recruitment, good medicines management and effective infection control. People were supported to make choices, stay in contact with others, access the community and receive healthcare.
Inspectors found that people were treated with kindness, privacy and dignity. Support plans were personalised and staff knew people's needs well. The home had systems to check quality and learn from incidents. The overall rating was Good, and all five key questions were also rated Good.
Familiar staff
Staff turnover was low, so people received consistent care from staff who knew them well.
“The staff turnover at the service was very low, which supported people to receive consistent care from staff who knew them well.” from the report
Personalised support
Support plans and risk assessments reflected people's individual needs, choices and goals. People and relatives were involved in reviewing them.
“During our inspection we review people's support plans, which we found them to be person centred and personalised to people's needs.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were supported to make choices, express their views and develop everyday skills. Staff used different communication methods when needed.
“People were empowered to make choices for themselves, and staff ensured they had the information they needed.” from the report
Safe medicines
Medicines records were correctly completed, staff were trained and medicines were reviewed by health professionals.
“We reviewed people's medicine administration records (MAR) and saw these had been correctly completed.” from the report
Community involvement
People were supported with social interests, relationships, holidays and accessing the wider community.
“People were supported to participate in their chosen social and leisure interests.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you support my relative's preferred way of communicating, including any use of pictures, written information or technology?
- 02How often would my relative's care plans, risk assessments and medicines be reviewed, and how would we be involved?
- 03What activities and community opportunities would be available for my relative based on their interests and goals?
- 04How do you involve people and families in choosing new staff and in raising concerns or making complaints?
- 05How would you support my relative if their health needs, behaviour or ability to make decisions changed?
This was an unannounced inspection prompted by a review of information held by CQC; it included infection prevention and control checks and gave ratings for all five key questions, while no end of life care was being provided at the time. This explanation was written from the published report of 9 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.
What inspectors found, June 2018
Forest Haven was rated Good overall; inspectors found safe, caring and personalised support, with some disruption linked to not having a vehicle.
This was an announced inspection on 30 May 2018. Inspectors spoke with one person living at the home, staff and the registered manager. They reviewed care files, medicines records, staff files, meeting records and quality checks. They also received feedback from three relatives.
The home supported four people at the time, although it could accommodate five. Inspectors found that people were safe, staff were trained and staffing levels met people's needs. Medicines, recruitment, fire safety and financial records were managed safely.
People received personalised care that respected their choices, communication needs, privacy and independence. Staff supported people with food, healthcare, activities and complaints. The registered manager and quality checks were viewed positively. All five areas were rated Good, continuing the overall Good rating from March 2016.
Personalised risk planning
Risk assessments described each person's risks and the steps staff should take to reduce them. Staff understood what to do in emergencies.
“Risk assessments were detailed and robust and contained personalised information about each person's risk factors and how to mitigate them.” from the report
Safe medicines practice
Medicines were stored securely and records were up to date. Staff needed training and an assessment before administering medicines, and weekly audits were completed.
“Medicines were managed and stored safely and records were contemporaneous and up to date.” from the report
Individual communication
Care plans and communication passports gave staff detailed guidance about how each person communicated and how to respond when they were upset.
“Each person had a communication passport that contained detailed information for support workers to use in order to communicate with each person in a personalised way.” from the report
Strong management checks
The home used regular medication, financial, safety and quality audits. It also held meetings with residents, staff and managers.
“The service completed regular and robust quality assurance practices in order to learn, improve and maintain the sustainability of the home.” from the report
Loss of the home vehicle
needs fixingInspectors were told that incidents had increased because the home did not have a vehicle for outings. The change had affected some people's routines, although the home had increased other activities and was looking for a replacement.
“We've had a recent increase in incidents due to not having a vehicle to take people out, mainly in relation to behaviours.” from the report
Team meeting attendance
minorThe registered manager said staff attendance at team meetings had not always been good. The home had taken steps to improve attendance.
“There wasn't always a good turn out so I asked staff what would increase attendance and they said a bucket of chicken!” from the report
- 01Has the home obtained a replacement vehicle, and how are outings and community activities being managed now?
- 02Have incidents reduced since the vehicle problem was identified, and what changes were made in response?
- 03How will staff cover support if there are unexpected absences, and how often are agency or bank staff used?
- 04How are care plans and communication passports updated when a person's needs, preferences or communication change?
- 05How are medicines audits, DoLS authorisations and other important reviews kept up to date?
This was an announced inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the care provided and the home environment; four people lived at the home during the visit. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 June 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 Forest Haven
3 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- June 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2013
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 24 June 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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At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Waltham Forest
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Most charge £980 to £1,200 a week. 77 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
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