CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Marika House
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
What inspectors found, August 2017
Marika House was rated Good overall; inspectors found especially responsive, personalised care and no breaches.
This was an unannounced inspection on 26 June 2017. It was planned after concerns had been shared with the CQC. The inspector spoke with the manager and four staff, followed three people's care experiences, and reviewed staff records, rotas and relatives' feedback.
The home was rated Good for Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led. It was rated Outstanding for Responsive. Inspectors found people were safe, received their medicines, had enough staff support, and were cared for by trained staff who understood their individual needs.
The strongest findings were about personalised support. Staff used pictures, symbols and sign language to help people make choices. They carefully recorded and analysed incidents involving challenging behaviour, and the number of physical interventions for one person fell from 168 in 2013 to 29 in 2016. The previous inspection, on 20 November 2014, found no concerns.
Behaviour support
The provider carefully studied incidents and created training specific to people's histories, needs and distress signals. This helped staff respond more safely and reduced the use of physical intervention.
“The provider had outstanding arrangements in place to assess, monitor, analyse and learn from incidents where people's behaviours challenged.” from the report
Choice and independence
People had daily and weekly planners using pictures and symbols. They could change activities to suit their wishes and were supported to take part in outings, hobbies and household tasks.
“People were able to move the activities to a different time or day if they preferred.” from the report
Communication
Staff used individual communication plans, including picture cards, objects and sign language. Inspectors saw staff using these methods to help people express choices and needs.
“The provider had effective arrangements in place to ensure staff were skilled and able to respond to people's communication needs.” from the report
Respectful care
Staff knew people well and communicated in a kind, relaxed way. Inspectors saw people being treated with dignity and personal space being respected.
“We observed staff consistently respecting people's personal space and when care and support was needed staff responded and communicated in a dignified manner.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you assess and record my relative's individual communication methods, interests and preferences before they move in?
- 02How would you support my relative if they displayed behaviour that challenged others, and how would you review any physical intervention?
- 03What staffing levels would be in place for my relative, including during activities and healthcare appointments?
- 04How would you involve my relative, family members and advocates in mental capacity and best-interest decisions?
- 05How would you check that medicines, risk assessments and care plans remain accurate when my relative's needs change?
This was an unannounced inspection of all five CQC questions, carried out after concerns had been shared with the CQC; the previous inspection on 20 November 2014 found no concerns. This explanation was written from the published report of 25 August 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 Marika House
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- August 2017Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
- April 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 7 August 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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26 live-in carers within about an hour of Hampshire
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 £1,020 to £1,260 a week. 23 can care for a couple. 14 years' experience on average.
“I cannot recommend Prisca highly enough, she is one in a million.”
“He stayed with her throughout the pandemic, refusing to visit his own family, who lived nearby, to reduce the risk of infection.”
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.