CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Highwater House
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
- Safe?
- Good
- People said they felt safe. Inspectors found suitable safeguarding, risk management, staffing, medicines and infection control systems.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs and choices were assessed and reviewed. Staff were well trained, people received support with food and healthcare, and the home worked with other agencies.
- Caring?
- Outstanding
- Inspectors found exceptional kindness, compassion and respect. People were fully involved in decisions and staff built strong, trusting relationships.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and people had access to many activities and communication support. People knew how to complain and felt able to raise concerns.
- Well-led?
- Outstanding
- The home had strong leadership, a stable and motivated staff team, regular audits and a clear focus on improvement. People, staff and outside professionals were involved in shaping the service.
What inspectors found, March 2019
Highwater House was rated Outstanding overall, with exceptionally caring and well-led support and Good ratings in the other areas.
Inspectors visited on 1 March 2019 without giving notice. They spoke with people using the service, staff, managers and a cook. They reviewed care plans, risk assessments, medicines records, training, activities, meals and quality checks. They also contacted healthcare professionals after the visit.
People told inspectors they felt safe and received their medicines as prescribed. Staff knew how to manage risks, staffing levels were sufficient, and the home was clean. Care plans were developed with people, staff were well trained, and the home worked closely with health and other services.
Inspectors found exceptionally kind and respectful care. People were involved in decisions about their care and the running of the home. There was a wide range of activities, strong support for health and wellbeing, and a stable staff team.
The overall rating was Outstanding. Safe, Effective and Responsive were rated Good. Caring and Well-led were rated Outstanding. The previous overall rating was Good, so the overall rating improved.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors found staff were exceptionally kind, compassionate and respectful. People were treated as individuals and supported to make choices.
“People using the service praised the exceptional kindness of the staff.” from the report
Strong relationships
Staff knew people well and built trusting relationships. Keyworkers supported people to set and work towards personal goals.
“The service promoted a kind, caring and empathetic culture using a new initiative Psychological Informed Environment (PIE) approach.” from the report
Involvement and choice
People helped write and review their care plans and could influence how the home was run. Their feedback had led to changes such as new activities and food choices.
“People were fully involved in making decisions about the service and their lives.” from the report
Skilled and stable staff
Staff had substantial experience and received training and supervision. Inspectors found staffing levels were sufficient and staff turnover was extremely low.
“The staff team was extremely stable and highly motivated and as a result, people were cared for by competent and enthusiastic staff who knew them well.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How have the staffing levels and staff team changed since the inspection?
- 02How would you support my relative's particular mental health, drug or alcohol needs?
- 03Which activities are currently available, and how are people supported to take part in them?
- 04How are care plans reviewed with residents, and how are families involved when appropriate?
- 05How are medicines, risks and incidents checked and reviewed now?
This inspection looked at the care home, its premises and care provided, and assessed all five CQC questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 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 Highwater House
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has improved, from Good to Outstanding.
- March 2019Outstandingcurrent ratingup from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: Outstanding
- May 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 20 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.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
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13 live-in carers within about an hour of Norfolk
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 £990 to £1,120 a week. 9 can care for a couple. 14 years' experience on average.
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.