CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Heatherington House
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
- Safe?
- Outstanding
- People were helped to understand and manage risks, including risks linked to food, medicines, fire safety and going out alone. Staffing was described as consistent, and people were involved in recruiting new staff.
- Effective?
- Outstanding
- Inspectors found significant improvements in people's health, activity levels and behaviour around food. Staff had specialist training and worked with health professionals to provide tailored support.
- Caring?
- Outstanding
- People consistently praised staff and said they were treated with respect. Staff supported privacy, personal relationships, cultural needs and individual hopes and goals.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Care plans were personalised and created with the people using the service. People were supported with communication, employment, finances, community activities and personal goals.
- Well-led?
- Outstanding
- Inspectors found a clear culture of inclusion, independence and continuous improvement. People, relatives and staff were involved in feedback and quality checks.
What inspectors found, March 2019
Rated Outstanding; inspectors found exceptional personalised support, improved health outcomes and strong leadership.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 28 November 2018. One inspector spoke with five people living at the home, four care staff, managers and two local authority commissioners. The inspector also reviewed care records, staff records, medicines information, training, complaints and quality checks.
The home supports people with Prader-Willi syndrome and learning disabilities. Inspectors found that people were supported to make choices, manage risks, improve their health, build independence and achieve personal goals. Staff were described as skilled, caring and committed.
The home was rated Outstanding overall and Outstanding in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was an improvement from the previous rating of Good. The Responsive rating remained Outstanding, while the other four areas improved.
Personalised independence
People were supported to make choices, take positive risks and achieve goals that mattered to them. This included going out independently, travelling and taking on work.
“Without exception, people were supported to achieve their goals.” from the report
Support with food and health
The home helped people understand food, activity and health without unnecessarily restricting them. Inspectors saw major improvements in people's weight, health and wellbeing.
“People were supported to manage their weight and food choices with sensible decision making and this had seen huge benefits to people's health and wellbeing.” from the report
Skilled staff
Staff received specialist training and were not expected to support people alone until managers were satisfied they were competent. Staff worked with health professionals when people's needs changed.
“Staff were extremely skilled, knowledgeable and experienced in supporting people at the home.” from the report
Respect and relationships
People's privacy, relationships, beliefs and cultural needs were respected. Staff helped people maintain important relationships and supported personal choices sensitively.
“Staff went the extra mile to support people with their relationships, and were sensitive and discrete to ensure people were supported to have the intimacy they wished.” from the report
Home size
minorThe home accommodated more than six people. Inspectors noted this was an exception to the best practice guidance mentioned in the report, although they found that the home still promoted independence and inclusion.
“The care service had been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance, with the exception that the home accommodated more than six people.” from the report
- 01How would you support my relative to manage food choices and the risks linked to Prader-Willi syndrome?
- 02What opportunities would my relative have to go out independently, use local facilities and take positive risks?
- 03What specialist training do staff have in Prader-Willi syndrome, learning disability, autism and positive behaviour support?
- 04How would you support my relative's privacy, relationships, religious or cultural needs and communication preferences?
- 05How are people and families involved in care plan reviews, staff recruitment and checking the quality of the home?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five rating areas; the inspector reviewed one person's care plan and one staff file, alongside other service records and discussions. This explanation was written from the published report of 7 March 2019 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 Heatherington House
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has improved, from Good to Outstanding.
- March 2019Outstandingcurrent ratingup from GoodSafe: OutstandingEffective: OutstandingCaring: OutstandingResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding
- July 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
- October 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 21 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.
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89 live-in carers within about an hour of North Northamptonshire
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. 76 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“If you bump into her in the night on her way to the bathroom she will still inquire how you are and if everything is alright.”
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.