CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Milliner House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People told inspectors they felt safe. Staff understood safeguarding and risk assessments were in place for areas such as falls, eating and drinking, health needs and emergency evacuation. Medicines and infection control were also found to be safely managed.
- Effective?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
- Caring?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
- Well-led?
- Good
- People and staff felt the home was well managed and supported. Managers responded to complaints and incidents, involved people in decisions and carried out regular audits and quality checks.
What inspectors found, September 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found people safe, medicines well managed and the home well led, but this was not a full inspection.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 16 August 2023. One inspector spoke with people, care staff and managers, and checked care plans, recruitment files and audits.
Inspectors rated Safe and Well-led as Good. They found that people felt safe, staff understood safeguarding, medicines were administered safely and risks were assessed. Infection control arrangements were also found to be suitable.
People and staff said the home was well managed. Inspectors found that managers responded to complaints and incidents, shared learning, involved people in decisions and carried out regular quality checks.
The overall rating was Good. However, this was a focused inspection. The other three key question ratings were not inspected and were carried forward from the previous inspection, which was rated Good in 2018.
People felt safe
People told inspectors they felt safe. Staff understood how to recognise and report abuse, and risk assessments covered important areas of people's care.
“People told us they felt safe living within the service. Staff understood the signs of abuse and how to report them.” from the report
Safe medicines management
Trained staff administered medicines safely. Records were accurate, and an electronic system helped identify possible errors and support audits.
“Medicines were administered safely by staff who were trained to do so. We looked at medicine administration records and found they were accurately completed.” from the report
Supportive management
People and staff described a positive atmosphere. Staff felt supported, understood their roles and felt able to speak openly.
“Staff were positive about their roles within the service and how they were being supported.” from the report
Quality checks and learning
Managers recorded and reviewed accidents, incidents and complaints. Regular audits were used to identify and address issues.
“Regular quality checks and audits took place throughout the service.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are people's risk assessments reviewed when their health, mobility or eating and drinking needs change?
- 02How are medicine administration records checked, and what happens if the electronic system identifies a possible error?
- 03How do people and families give feedback about care, activities, food and the home environment?
- 04What recent improvements have resulted from accident, incident or complaint reviews?
- 05When will the other three key questions be reviewed in a full inspection?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led; Effective, Caring and Responsive were not inspected and their previous ratings were used to calculate the overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 7 September 2023 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, March 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong COVID-19 infection-control measures and enough calm, kind staff.
This was a targeted inspection on 24 February 2022. It looked mainly at infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and whether COVID-19 staffing pressures were affecting care.
Inspectors found daily temperature checks for people and daily COVID-19 tests for staff. Staff used protective equipment correctly, the home had enough supplies, and infection-control training and checks were in place.
The home was clean and had no unpleasant smells. Inspectors saw enough staff supporting people calmly and kindly. They were assured that visiting, testing, admissions, social distancing and infection-control arrangements were safe.
The service was inspected but not rated. This report does not give an overall quality rating or a full rating for all five areas of care.
Good infection-control checks
People's temperatures were checked daily and staff had daily COVID-19 tests. Staff also received extra training and checks on protective equipment and infection control.
“Staff had received additional training on PPE and infection prevention and control (IPC).” from the report
Protective equipment
Staff used protective equipment correctly and the home checked its supplies each week.
“The registered manager completed a weekly PPE stock check to ensure they had enough for the staff.” from the report
Clean environment
Inspectors found the home clean and free from unpleasant smells.
“The home looked clean and there were no malodours.” from the report
Calm support
Inspectors found enough staff and saw people being supported in a calm and kind way.
“There was enough staff who supported people in a calm and kind way.” from the report
Visiting arrangements
The home had safe entry processes for visitors and professionals. Inspectors were shown records of relatives visiting their loved ones.
“The registered manager had developed safe entry processes for professionals, suppliers and visitors.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are staff and residents currently tested for COVID-19 or other infections?
- 02How often are protective equipment supplies checked, and what happens if supplies or training are not up to standard?
- 03How do current staffing pressures affect people's care and support?
- 04What rules currently apply to visitors, and how are visitors kept safe?
- 05How do you check that staff follow the home's infection-control policy in practice?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and COVID-19-related staffing pressures; it was not a full inspection and the service was not rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 18 March 2022 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 Milliner House
4 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- September 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- June 2018Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2017Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- July 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 31 October 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 Luton
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. 81 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“We can all fully relax around Nyarai and she feels like part of our family, which is no mean feat!”
“She handled the new situation in front of her with such professionalism and I felt I could trust her 100%.”
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.