CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at L'Arche Kent The Rainbow
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Staff understood safeguarding responsibilities, risks were assessed and there were enough staff for people's needs and activities. Medicines were given by trained staff and the home was clean.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were reviewed monthly and staff received relevant training. Staff worked with health professionals and supported people with eating, drinking, healthcare and communication.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. They and their loved ones were involved in care planning, and people were supported to make daily choices and become more independent.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was person-centred and based on people's preferences. People took part in activities, maintained important relationships and could receive information in formats they understood.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The manager and staff shared a clear focus on people having a fulfilled life and a home for life. Audits, feedback and action plans were used to monitor and improve the service.
What inspectors found, April 2020
Rated Good in all five areas; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care with strong support for choice and independence.
This was an unannounced inspection on 9 March 2020. One inspector spoke with two people, five staff and reviewed care, medicines, recruitment and management records. They also observed care and checked information from professionals and the local authority.
The home supported five people with learning disabilities and could support up to six. Inspectors found people were safe, treated kindly and supported to make choices, build skills, take part in activities and keep relationships with family, friends and community groups.
Staff were trained and recruited safely. Medicines, risks, nutrition and health needs were managed well. The home was clean, had enough staff and used audits, feedback and action plans to monitor its quality.
The home was rated Good overall and Good in Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was the same as the previous rating, published on 27 September 2017.
Choice and independence
People were involved in decisions about their care and daily lives. Staff supported them to build skills and take part in household tasks where possible.
“People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff knew people well and supported their privacy, dignity and relationships. People were encouraged to take part in activities and communities that mattered to them.
“People were supported by staff who treated them with kindness and compassion.” from the report
Safe support
Risk assessments gave staff clear guidance, including for moving people safely. Recruitment checks, medicine procedures and staffing arrangements were also found to be suitable.
“Risks to people were assessed and plans were in place to give staff the guidance they needed to keep people safe.” from the report
Good health support
Staff worked with health professionals and followed their advice. They also used clear guidance to support people with nutrition, swallowing risks and health conditions.
“Staff worked with health professionals to manage people's health needs.” from the report
Activities and relationships
People were supported to keep important relationships and join activities they enjoyed, including gardening, swimming and community groups.
“People took part in a range of activities which were tailored to each person.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you support my relative's particular communication needs, including the use of Makaton or other communication tools?
- 02What activities and community links could my relative take part in, based on their interests?
- 03How would you support my relative to make choices and become more independent?
- 04How would you manage my relative's health, nutrition, swallowing or mobility needs?
- 05How does the arrangement of some assistants living at the home affect staffing and daily support?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the premises and care provided; all five ratings remained Good. This explanation was written from the published report of 3 April 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, September 2017
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with all five areas rated Good.
Inspectors visited on 30 June 2017. They spent time with all six people, observed daily care and activities, reviewed three people's records, looked around the home and spoke with staff and managers.
The home was safe and well organised. Risk assessments and care plans were up to date. There were enough trained staff, medicines were managed safely, and people were supported to make choices and stay as independent as possible.
People were treated with kindness and respect. Their care was tailored to their needs, and they were supported with health, meals, activities, friendships and community life. Complaints could be made in accessible ways, and people's views helped shape improvements.
The home had been rated Requires Improvement at the November 2015 inspection and was in breach of two regulations then. The report says all required actions had been completed and all regulations were met at this inspection. Good means inspectors judged the service to be performing well in each of the five areas checked.
Up-to-date risk planning
Inspectors found that risks in people's daily lives had been reviewed and that staff had clear guidance. This supported people to try activities while keeping avoidable harm as low as possible.
“Risk assessments were clear and detailed so that staff had the guidance necessary to protect people as far as possible from accidents or harm whilst still encouraging independence.” from the report
Kind, respectful relationships
Staff knew people well and respected their individuality, communication needs and preferred routines. People were supported to make choices and do more for themselves.
“Staff spoke with people, and each other, with kindness and patience.” from the report
Meaningful activities
People were supported to take part in activities, hobbies, work-like projects and local community life. The activities were linked to people's interests and independence.
“Activities were meaningful and people were supported to develop a work ethic and be valued members of the local community.” from the report
People's views shaped the home
People, families, friends and professionals could give feedback through meetings and surveys. This feedback was used in a longer-term development plan.
“People's views and interests were taken into account in the running of the service.” from the report
Improvement since the last inspection
The two breaches found in 2015 had been addressed. Inspectors found that the required actions were complete and that the regulations were met at this inspection.
“The registered manager and team had completed all the actions on the action plan and at this inspection all the regulations were met.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you make sure risk assessments and care plans remain up to date when someone's health or abilities change?
- 02How are staffing levels adjusted around people's activities, appointments and one-to-one support needs?
- 03How are medicines reviewed, recorded and checked for errors?
- 04How will my relative be involved in planning their care, activities and longer-term goals?
- 05How can my relative or our family raise a complaint, including through accessible formats or an independent advocate?
This was a full inspection covering the overall service and all five CQC questions, including care records, activities, staffing, the environment and management systems. This explanation was written from the published report of 7 September 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 L'Arche Kent The Rainbow
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- April 2020Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2017Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2016Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- November 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 14 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.
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39 live-in carers within about an hour of Kent
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 £980 to £1,260 a week. 33 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“Always on time and with a lovely smile for my mum. Theresa is kind and sensitive to my mum's needs.”
“Irene was a very kind and empathetic carer who knew just the right words to say to put a smile on my face.”
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.