CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Newcroft
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Risks such as choking, moving and positioning, behaviour and fire safety were assessed and reviewed. Medicines were stored, administered and audited safely, and there were enough staff.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before each short break and care plans were updated with relatives' involvement. Staff had relevant training, supervision and guidance about people's health, communication and support needs.
- Caring?
- Good
- Inspectors observed kind and respectful interactions. Relatives said people were well looked after, and staff supported privacy, dignity, choice and independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans recorded people's preferences, backgrounds and communication needs. People were supported to choose activities, maintain relationships and raise concerns.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Relatives and staff were positive about the management, and quality checks were in place. However, the manager had not always known when incidents and safeguarding concerns needed to be reported to CQC.
What inspectors found, April 2020
Newcroft was rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe care, but CQC was not always notified about incidents when required.
This was an unannounced inspection of the home on 3 and 4 February 2020. One inspector spoke with one person, three relatives and five staff. Records about care, medicines, recruitment and management were also checked.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines procedures, suitable care plans and staff who understood people's needs. People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect.
The home was larger than recommended by best practice guidance, but inspectors still rated it Good overall. The manager was unclear about when CQC should be notified of some incidents and safeguarding concerns. The home made immediate arrangements to improve this and was given a recommendation to seek further guidance.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff speaking kindly and respectfully to people. Relatives gave consistently positive feedback about how people were treated.
“We observed people were treated with care and kindness by staff.” from the report
Individual support
Care plans included people's preferences, communication methods, health needs and risks. Staff used pictures, objects and other approaches to help people take part in decisions.
“People's communication needs had been identified, recorded and highlighted so that staff had access to relevant information about how people should be supported with these.” from the report
Safe staffing and medicines
Staffing was based on people's needs. Recruitment checks, medicines training, competency checks and medicines audits were in place.
“There were enough staff to support people safely and to ensure people's needs could be met, including staff support for participating in activities and outings.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were supported to make choices and take part in everyday activities such as cooking and cleaning. The service followed the least restrictive approach when people needed support with decisions.
“People were encouraged to do what they could for themselves including participating in cooking and cleaning.” from the report
CQC notifications
needs fixingThe manager was not always clear about which incidents and safeguarding concerns had to be reported to CQC. The home made immediate arrangements to address this, but inspectors recommended reviewing the guidance.
“However, the registered manager was unclear at what point to notify CQC.” from the report
Size of the service
minorThe home was registered for up to eight people at a time. Inspectors said it was larger than recommended by best practice guidance, although they still rated the service Good overall.
“The service is larger than recommended by best practice guidance.” from the report
- 01How do you now decide which incidents and safeguarding concerns must be reported to CQC?
- 02How will you make sure the home remains suitable for my relative, given that it is larger than recommended by best practice guidance?
- 03How will you assess and update my relative's care plan and risk assessments before each short break?
- 04How do staff support my relative's communication, choices and independence?
- 05How are medicines checked, including any medicines prescribed to be taken as and when required?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five rating areas, including the premises and care provided; the previous rating was Good and had been published on 22 December 2016. This explanation was written from the published report of 22 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.
Every inspection of Newcroft
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- April 2020Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2019
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 24 February 2019.
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.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
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.