CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Milton Keynes Short Breaks and Shared Lives
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
- Safe?
- Good
- People felt safe, with detailed risk assessments and behaviour support plans in place. Inspectors found enough staff, safe recruitment, suitable medicines systems and arrangements to learn from accidents and incidents.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before support began. Staff and carers had training and supervision, worked with health professionals and supported people's nutrition, health and decision-making.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff and carers respected people's choices, dignity and privacy, and encouraged them to be as independent as possible.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Support was exceptionally personalised and flexible. Staff adapted routines, communication, activities and the environment to each person's needs, preferences and goals.
- Well-led?
- Outstanding
- The service had strong leadership, an open culture and effective quality checks. Feedback from people, relatives, carers and staff was used to make improvements.
What inspectors found, March 2018
Rated Outstanding; inspectors found exceptionally personalised support and strong leadership, while safety, effectiveness and caring were rated Good.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection over four days. Inspectors visited the short breaks service and three Shared Lives placements. They spoke with people, relatives, carers and staff, and reviewed care records, recruitment files, audits, training and complaints.
The inspectors found people were safe, supported by enough suitable staff and given their medicines as prescribed. Staff understood people's health needs, supported access to healthcare and respected people's choices, privacy and independence.
The strongest findings were about personalised support and leadership. People had meaningful activities, flexible routines and support designed around their communication, culture, goals and anxieties. The overall rating improved from Good at the previous inspection in January 2016 to Outstanding.
Personalised support
Support was planned around each person's choices, needs, goals and preferences. Staff adapted routines, activities and the environment to help people have meaningful experiences.
“Support was completely personalised to each individual's needs and choices.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were supported to make decisions and do as much as they could for themselves. Staff took time to understand how each person communicated.
“Everyone gets a choice in all areas of their lives and a chance to show what they can do.” from the report
Safety arrangements
The home had detailed risk and behaviour support plans. Staff understood safeguarding, medicines, infection control and how to learn from incidents.
“People had comprehensive risk management plans in place to mitigate the risks in different areas of their lives.” from the report
Strong leadership
The provider and manager put people at the centre of the service. Staff were supported, listened to and encouraged to improve their practice.
“There was a culture of openness and transparency; the registered manager continually encouraged and supported the staff to provide the best possible person centred care for people and their families.” from the report
Family involvement
People and relatives were involved in planning support and could give feedback or make complaints. Inspectors found that complaints received prompt and detailed responses.
“People and their relatives knew how to make a complaint if they needed and were confident that their concerns would be listened to and acted upon as required.” from the report
Clothing arrangements
minorThe service was working on improving how people's clothing was organised and returned after short breaks. This was an improvement action rather than a stated breach.
“Staff at the short breaks service were currently working on the actions needed to improve the way people's clothing was organised and returned after their stay.” from the report
- 01How will you assess whether the support can meet my relative's specific physical, communication and behavioural needs?
- 02How will my relative be involved in choosing routines, activities, staff or a Shared Lives carer?
- 03What medicines support will my relative need, and how will you record and review it?
- 04How will you support my relative to communicate choices and maintain independence?
- 05What progress has been made with organising and returning people's clothing after short breaks?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering the overall service and all five CQC questions; the previous overall rating was Good in January 2016. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 March 2018 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 Milton Keynes Short Breaks and Shared Lives
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has improved, from Good to Outstanding.
- March 2018Outstandingcurrent ratingup from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding
Read what inspectors found at Milton Keynes Short Breaks and Shared Lives →
- January 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 24 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 Milton Keynes
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. 90 can care for a couple. 11 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 was v competent and confident and we felt our mum was safe in her care. She supported us through a difficult time.”
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.