CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at IOTA CARE
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks were assessed and managed, staffing levels met people's needs, medicines were administered safely and the home was clean. Staff had safeguarding training and incident records were reviewed for patterns and lessons.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before they moved in and care plans were reviewed when needs changed. Staff had relevant training, supported people's diet and health, and worked with health and social care professionals.
- Caring?
- Outstanding
- Staff treated people with kindness and respect. Inspectors found exceptional support for privacy, dignity, independence, cultural needs and communication, including innovative ways for people to express their views.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Care was tailored to individual needs, wishes, goals and communication styles. People were supported to follow interests, maintain family relationships, use the community and raise concerns in ways they could understand.
- Well-led?
- Outstanding
- Inspectors found strong, open leadership and a clear focus on improvement. Audits, feedback, incident reviews and work with other agencies were used to maintain and improve care.
What inspectors found, January 2020
Rated Outstanding; inspectors found exceptionally caring, responsive and well-led support, with safe and effective care rated Good.
Inspectors visited on 3 and 4 December 2019. The first day was unannounced. They spoke with two people, five staff members, two relatives and four health and social care professionals. They also reviewed care, medicines, staffing, recruitment, incident and management records.
The home supported two people with learning disabilities and/or autism. Inspectors found highly personalised care. Staff understood people's communication, health, behaviour, culture and preferences. People were supported to make choices, build independence, keep relationships and take part in community life.
Safe and effective care were rated Good. Caring, responsive and well-led were rated Outstanding. The overall rating was Outstanding. This was an improvement from the previous overall rating of Good, published on 1 June 2017.
Highly personal care
Care plans and daily support reflected people's individual needs, wishes, goals and past experiences. Staff worked with families and professionals to support positive outcomes.
“People received care and support that was exceptionally personalised, taking into account their specific needs, wishes, goals and aspirations.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Staff knew people well and supported their dignity, privacy, independence, equality and cultural needs. Inspectors saw consistently kind interactions.
“We observed without exception staff treating people with the utmost kindness and respect.” from the report
Accessible communication
The home used pictures, social stories, communication aids, notes and other approaches to help people understand information and make choices.
“The provider, management and staff were exceptional at understanding and responding to people's communication needs.” from the report
Strong leadership and improvement
The home had regular audits, action plans and feedback from people, relatives, staff and professionals. Leaders worked closely with other services and encouraged learning.
“There was a positive, open and inclusive culture within the service.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you make sure the staff team remains consistent and familiar to my relative?
- 02How would you communicate with my relative if they use non-verbal communication or find changes difficult?
- 03How are medicines that affect mood or behaviour reviewed, and what alternatives are used first?
- 04How will you support my relative to take positive risks while keeping them safe and independent?
- 05What is the current manager's registration status, and who is responsible for the home if management arrangements change?
This was a planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, including both the care and the premises; the first day was unannounced. This explanation was written from the published report of 25 January 2020 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.
What inspectors found, June 2017
IOTA CARE was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and highly personalised care in a well-managed home.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 27 April 2017. One inspector spoke with staff and the management team, met the people living there, observed care, and checked care, medicines, recruitment and quality records. The inspector also contacted relatives and professionals after the visit.
The home supported up to four people with learning disabilities. Inspectors found enough skilled staff, safe medicines management, detailed risk assessments and good safeguarding knowledge. People were supported to stay healthy, make choices and live as independently as possible.
Care was described as personal and compassionate. Staff understood people's communication, preferences and behaviour, and involved people and families in decisions. The home had strong leadership, clear records and quality checks that were used to improve care.
The overall rating was Good. Each of the five areas was also rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led.
Personalised care
Care plans reflected people's choices, preferences and communication needs. Staff knew how each person wanted to be supported.
“Each person had individualised care plans that reflected their needs, choices and preferences, and gave detailed guidance to staff on how to make sure personalised care was provided.” from the report
Kind relationships
Staff built trusting relationships and treated people with kindness and compassion. They respected privacy, dignity and independence.
“People were well cared for by staff that had a caring attitude and treated them with kindness and compassion.” from the report
Safe support
Staff understood safeguarding and risk management. Staffing levels and arrangements supported people to take part in activities safely.
“People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff to keep them safe because safety was a priority.” from the report
Strong management
The management team had clear responsibilities and actively looked for ways to improve. Staff felt supported and motivated.
“There was an effective and robust quality assurance system in place to drive continuous improvement within the service.” from the report
Good communication
Staff used pictures, written information and other individual methods to help people express choices and understand events.
“People were supported by staff who invested time to understand individual communication skills, preferences and abilities.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you communicate with and involve my relative if they have limited verbal communication?
- 02What staffing level would my relative receive during the day, including any one-to-one or two-to-one support?
- 03How would you identify and respond to changes in my relative's mood, behaviour, sleep or health?
- 04How are medicines checked, recorded and reviewed, including any medicine needed for anxiety or sleep?
- 05How would our family be involved in care planning, reviews and decisions about risks or treatment?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions and the overall quality of the home. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 June 2017 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 IOTA CARE
3 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has improved, from Good to Outstanding.
- January 2020Outstandingcurrent ratingup from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding
- June 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2012
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 7 October 2012.
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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9 live-in carers within about an hour of Plymouth
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.
8 can care for a couple. 9 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.