CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Highcroft House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that medicines were administered safely, risks were assessed and reviewed, staffing levels were sufficient, and staff understood how to report abuse or neglect.
- Effective?
- Good
- Care plans were individualised and regularly reviewed. Staff had induction, shadowing and refresher training, and supported people with nutrition, healthcare appointments and day-to-day choices.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff knew people well and treated them with kindness, dignity and respect. People were supported to follow their preferred routines and to maintain their independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans covered individual needs, preferences, activities, culture, diet, medicines and mobility. People were supported to go out, use the sensory room and garden, and raise complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had regular audits, surveys and checks. Inspectors found that medicines oversight had improved since the previous inspection and that staff felt supported by the management.
What inspectors found, May 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with improvements to medicines checks since the previous inspection.
This was an unannounced planned inspection on 21 and 26 March 2019. One inspector met all but one person living in the home, observed care, spoke with staff, managers and two relatives, and checked care, medicines, training and management records.
The inspectors rated the home Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. They found people were protected from harm, received their medicines safely, had detailed care plans, and were supported by staff who knew their needs and preferences.
People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. They were supported to make choices, keep their independence, take part in activities and go out into the community. The home was also found to have effective checks and audits.
The home was rated Good at the previous inspection, published in July 2016. Since then, inspectors found that medicines stock checks and the return of unwanted medicines had improved.
Safe medicines management
People received their medicines on time and safely. Inspectors also found that unwanted medicines were returned to the pharmacy and stock checks were robust.
“People's medicines were managed safely and in line with best practice guidelines.” from the report
Detailed risk planning
Risk assessments covered health, personal care, activities, diet, fluids, medicines and mobility. They were reviewed when people's needs changed.
“Risk assessments were comprehensive and covered personal care, health care conditions, activities, diet and fluids, medicines and mobility.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff understood how people communicated and supported their privacy, dignity and wellbeing. People could follow their own routines where possible.
“People were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.” from the report
Personalised support and choice
Care plans reflected people's interests, preferences, culture and support needs. People were supported to take part in activities and go out into the local community.
“People were supported and enabled to enjoy visits out from the home to places of interest” from the report
Positive leadership
Inspectors found regular audits, useful staff supervision and an open approach to concerns. Staff spoke positively about the support available from management.
“The service was consistently managed and well-led.” from the report
Building was not designed around newer guidance
minorThe home was not originally designed in line with Registering the Right Support guidance. The report says this was because the home was registered before the guidance existed, and inspectors found that people were nevertheless given choices and encouraged to be independent.
“The care service had not originally been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance.” from the report
- 01How will you support my relative's specific communication needs and help them make day-to-day choices?
- 02How would you manage my relative's medicines, including any medicines prescribed to be taken as required?
- 03How will you support my relative with their diet, fluids, weight and any specialist eating or drinking guidance?
- 04What activities and trips out would be suitable for my relative, and how would you support their independence?
- 05How will the planned change in management affect the care and support provided?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the premises and care, with the previous overall rating from July 2016 reviewed. This explanation was written from the published report of 9 May 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 Highcroft House
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- May 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2016Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- September 2015Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- July 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 16 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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At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Birmingham
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 £950 to £1,230 a week. 79 can care for a couple. 9 years' experience on average.
“God doesn't make people like her anymore!”
“I have never met a person who is so kind and thinks about others before himself to such an extent as Chris Malagala.”
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.