CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Highgate Lodge Care Home
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
What inspectors found, April 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, with some improvements still in progress.
This was the first inspection of the newly registered home. It was unannounced. Inspectors visited on 28 February 2023 and completed inspection activity on 16 March 2023. They spoke with people, relatives, staff, the provider and manager, and reviewed care, staff and management records.
Inspectors rated the home Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. They found enough staff, safe medicines support, suitable risk assessments and effective infection control. People and relatives said they felt safe and were treated well.
The home assessed people's needs, supported their eating and drinking, worked with health professionals and provided personalised care. Staff were described as kind and supportive. The home had complaints and monitoring systems, and sought views from people and staff.
Some work was still underway. This included replacing a bathroom with a wet room, producing information in different languages and recruiting an activities coordinator. These points did not prevent an overall Good rating.
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough staff to keep people safe. Medicines were administered in line with people's individual needs, with staff training and competency checks.
“Medication was administered safely and in line with people's individual requirements.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff treated people kindly and respectfully. The home supported privacy, dignity, independence and involvement in care decisions.
“We observed staff being kind and caring to people throughout the inspection.” from the report
Personalised support
Care records contained clear information about people's needs, preferences and oral health. The home considered communication, cultural and religious needs.
“People received personalised care; care records contained clear information for staff on how to support people's needs.” from the report
Positive management
Staff felt supported and able to suggest improvements. The provider used audits, surveys, meetings and supervisions to monitor quality.
“The provider had effective governance systems in place and audits were regularly completed.” from the report
Activities staffing
minorThe home was recruiting an activities coordinator at the time of the inspection. It was still providing some activities, including an external entertainer.
“We were informed during the inspection they were currently recruiting an activities coordinator.” from the report
Communication information
minorThe manager was still producing information in different languages. Families should check how the home will communicate with a person who does not use English as their first language.
“The registered manager was in the process of producing information in different languages.” from the report
Bathroom improvement
minorOne bathroom was being replaced and converted into a wet room. Families may wish to check whether this work has been completed.
“There was an ongoing process of improvement in place replacing one of the bathrooms and turning it into a wet room.” from the report
- 01Has the bathroom replacement and wet room work now been completed?
- 02Has an activities coordinator been recruited, and what activities are available each week?
- 03How will information and care discussions be provided if my relative does not speak English as their first language?
- 04How will you assess and review my relative's care needs before admission?
- 05How will my relative and our family be involved in care plan reviews and complaints?
This was an unannounced first inspection of the newly registered home covering all five CQC key questions, including infection prevention and control. This explanation was written from the published report of 15 April 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.
Every inspection of Highgate Lodge Care Home
7 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has improved, from Inadequate to Good.
- April 2023Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2019Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- June 2018Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- October 2017Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- June 2017Requires improvementup from InadequateSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- January 2017Inadequatestayed InadequateSafe: InadequateEffective: InadequateCaring: InadequateResponsive: InadequateWell-led: Inadequate
- October 2016InadequateSafe: InadequateEffective: InadequateCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: InadequateWell-led: Inadequate
- June 2022
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 20 June 2022.
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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What to check when you visit
At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Walsall
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 £1,200 a week. 85 can care for a couple. 9 years' experience on average.
“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.