CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Meadowside Residential Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People felt safe and risks such as falls, personal care and behaviours were assessed and managed. Staffing, recruitment, medicines and infection control were found to be safe.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had training, supervision and support to meet people's needs. People were supported with food, healthcare, consent and least restrictive care.
- Caring?
- Good
- People and relatives said staff were kind and caring. Staff respected privacy, dignity, independence, cultural needs and people's choices.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Care was highly personalised. People chose their routines and activities, and staff supported them to achieve goals, stay connected with the community and plan for the future.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had an open, person-centred culture, stable staff team and systems to monitor quality. The manager worked with other professionals and acted on improvements.
What inspectors found, May 2019
Rated Good overall; inspectors found kind, safe care and exceptionally personalised support.
This was an unannounced inspection on 1 April 2019. One inspector spoke with six people, two relatives, staff, managers and healthcare professionals. They looked at care records, staff recruitment files and records about quality and safety.
The home was rated Good for Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led. It was rated Outstanding for Responsive. Inspectors found that people were safe, treated with kindness and involved in decisions about their care.
People were supported to make choices, stay independent and take part in community life. Staff helped people achieve personal goals, enjoy activities and maintain friendships. The home had systems to check the quality of care.
The overall Good rating means the home met the CQC standards inspected, although it was not rated Outstanding overall. The previous rating was also Good, published on 5 October 2016.
Personalised daily life
People helped design their own routines and chose when to get up, eat and spend their day. Staff knew people's wishes and aspirations.
“Staff worked individually with people to support them to design their own daily schedules and routines.” from the report
Community involvement
People took part in local activities, maintained friendships and used community facilities. Staff supported people to achieve personal ambitions.
“In line with 'registering the right support' people were part of their communities, which meant they lived ordinary lives.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People and relatives consistently described staff as kind and caring. Staff promoted privacy, dignity and independence.
“Without exception, people and their relatives told us staff were kind and caring.” from the report
Good support for choices
People were involved in care planning, menu planning and decisions about the home. Communication needs were identified and supported, including through easy-read documents.
“People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible.” from the report
Strong relationships with other services
The home worked with healthcare professionals and other agencies to support people's health and care needs.
“The registered manager had developed effective working relationships with other professionals and agencies involved in people's care.” from the report
Larger than current best practice guidance
minorThe home was registered for 11 people and was larger than current best practice guidance for this type of service. Inspectors said the design and setting reduced the negative impact.
“This is larger than current best practice guidance.” from the report
- 01How would you match my relative's needs and personality with the people already living here?
- 02How would you support my relative to choose their daily routine, activities and personal goals?
- 03What training and experience do staff have in meeting my relative's specific needs?
- 04How would you support my relative's communication needs, including access to easy-read information if needed?
- 05How have the lift and accessible bathing facilities improved support for people whose needs have changed?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions, and the previous overall rating was Good. This explanation was written from the published report of 2 May 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.
What inspectors found, October 2016
Meadowside Residential Home was rated Good; inspectors found kind, personalised care, with some worn areas of the building still needing refurbishment.
This was an unannounced inspection on 7 and 9 September 2016. One inspector spoke with people, relatives, staff and healthcare professionals. They observed care, checked the building and reviewed care plans, medicines records, staff files and quality checks.
The home supported 11 adults with learning disabilities and complex communication and care needs. Inspectors could not speak in detail with everyone, so they also relied on observations and feedback from relatives and professionals. They found people appeared relaxed and comfortable, and that staff understood their individual needs.
All five areas were rated Good: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Inspectors found enough trained staff, safe medicines practices, good support with food and healthcare, respectful care, personalised activities and clear management.
Kind and respectful care
Staff were patient and compassionate. They respected privacy, dignity and people's choices, and gave emotional support when people were upset.
“People were treated with great kindness and their right to privacy and dignity was respected.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans described people's communication, health needs, preferences and routines in detail. Staff knew how to support complex needs safely.
“People's individual needs and preferences were understood and acted on.” from the report
Safe medicines
Inspectors observed medicines being given safely. Staff were trained and medicines records were complete.
“Medicines administration records (MAR) were fully completed with no gaps in recording.” from the report
Enough staff
There were enough staff to provide care, reassurance and activities. Staffing levels were reviewed when people's needs increased.
“There were sufficient numbers of staff working at Meadowside to meet people's care needs and to keep them safe.” from the report
Good leadership
The manager was approachable and visible. Quality checks and reviews were used to identify and follow up improvements.
“The provider's quality assurance systems were effective in maintaining and promoting service improvements.” from the report
Worn parts of the building
minorThe dining room carpet and kitchen units were worn and needed replacement or repair. A refurbishment programme was under way, but the work was not complete at the inspection.
“Some areas of the home were worn and needed refurbishing or replacing.” from the report
Pending liberty safeguards assessments
needs fixingThe home had applied for assessments for most people who might be under continuous supervision. The assessments had not yet been completed because of a large local authority backlog.
“Due to the large number of applications being processed by the local authority the service was still waiting for these assessments to be completed.” from the report
- 01What refurbishment has been completed since the inspection, particularly the dining room carpet and kitchen units?
- 02Have the pending Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards assessments now been completed, and are any conditions attached to them?
- 03How will you understand and involve a person who cannot communicate verbally in care planning and reviews?
- 04How do you adjust staffing when someone's health changes or they want to go out into the community?
- 05How are medicines records and audits checked now?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions and the overall quality of the home. This explanation was written from the published report of 5 October 2016 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 Meadowside Residential Home
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- May 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
- October 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 10 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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17 live-in carers within about an hour of Devon
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 £1,270 a week. 15 can care for a couple. 13 years' experience on average.
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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.