CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Watermill
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, March 2019
Rated Outstanding overall; inspectors found highly personalised care, strong leadership and good arrangements for safety, effectiveness and kindness.
The unannounced inspection took place on 18 January 2019. One inspector and an Expert by Experience spoke with people, relatives, staff, managers, professionals and community partners. They observed care and reviewed medicines, care records, recruitment, complaints and quality checks.
The home supported 37 people living with dementia, in four smaller house areas. Inspectors found people felt safe, received their medicines as prescribed and were supported by trained staff. People were treated kindly, their choices were respected and their health needs were supported.
Responsive care and leadership were rated Outstanding. Inspectors saw a wide range of meaningful activities, strong community links and a management team focused on learning and improvement. Safe, Effective and Caring were rated Good, meaning the home met the expected standard in these areas.
Personalised activities
Activities were based on people's interests and life histories. Inspectors saw a wide choice of meaningful activities, events and spaces designed to improve wellbeing.
“People were supported by a staff team that knew them well and took time to understand their preferences both in terms of their care and also their personal interests.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff treated people as individuals, supported their independence and involved families. Inspectors found a caring culture that helped people maintain relationships and enjoy special occasions.
“We found care staff and the management team did go the extra mile to ensure that people and their families had positive experiences and their quality of life was enhanced.” from the report
Strong leadership
The management team welcomed feedback and used checks, learning and partnerships to improve the home. Staff said their views were valued and acted on.
“The registered manager was committed to driving improvements and ensuring people were able to live in a service providing excellent service to them.” from the report
Community involvement
The home had links with schools, community groups, gardens and health organisations. These links helped people remain involved in the wider community.
“The registered manager had developed strong links within the local community which gave people the opportunity to remain active parts of the wider community.” from the report
Staff availability at busy times
needs fixingSome relatives and staff said staff might not always be freely available when two staff were needed for personal care. The manager said this would be reviewed.
“Most relatives and care staff told us at certain times, the deployment of care staff could mean staff members may not always be available freely if someone needed two care staff to support with personal care.” from the report
Care plan access
minorThe manager had identified that care plan information could be easier to access. Changes were being made at the time of the inspection.
“The registered manager had identified that improvements could be made to care plans to make information more accessible and were in the process of making these changes.” from the report
- 01How do you make sure two staff are available promptly when someone needs two-person support with personal care?
- 02What changes have been made to make care plan information easier for staff to access?
- 03How are activities matched to my relative's interests, history and changing abilities?
- 04How will my relative and our family be involved in reviewing care plans and decisions?
- 05How do you continue the community links and activities if my relative's health or mobility changes?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions, with observations, discussions and reviews of medicines, care records, recruitment, complaints and management records. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 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 The Watermill
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has improved, from Good to Outstanding.
- March 2019Outstandingcurrent ratingup from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding
- April 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 7 April 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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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.