CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Northwick House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found safe medicines management, suitable risk assessments, enough staff and effective safety and infection-control arrangements. Some instructions for medicines given when needed were not initially in the medicines file, but this was corrected after the inspection visit.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs and choices were assessed and care plans were personalised. Staff had relevant training and supervision, and people were supported with food, healthcare, communication and decisions.
- Caring?
- Good
- Inspectors saw warm and respectful interactions. Staff supported people patiently, respected privacy and dignity, and helped people express choices using their preferred communication methods.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was adjusted to people's needs and preferences. People were supported with chosen activities, relationships and communication, and the home had systems for handling complaints and learning from them.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found approachable management, a positive culture and clear staff roles. Audits, meetings and feedback systems were used to monitor and improve the service.
What inspectors found, January 2024
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised respite care, with one medicines-record issue corrected during the inspection.
This was an unannounced inspection on 23 October 2023. One inspector visited the home, observed care, spoke with people, relatives, staff, the manager and a care professional, and checked care, medicines, recruitment and quality records.
The home supports up to 5 people with learning disabilities who need personal care and provides respite care. Inspectors found people were safe, treated with kindness and dignity, and supported by staff who understood their needs and communication styles.
Care plans were personalised and people were supported to make choices, take part in activities and access healthcare. Medicines were managed safely, although some instructions for medicines given when needed were not initially kept in the medicines file. The manager put them there after this was raised.
The overall rating was Good, with Good ratings for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was unchanged from the previous Good rating published in 2018.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors observed positive interactions and found that staff treated people with warmth, patience and respect.
“People were supported by kind, caring and attentive staff.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans reflected people's needs, preferences and aspirations. Staff knew people well and adjusted support as their needs changed.
“People received personalised care which met their needs and reflected their preferences.” from the report
Choice and communication
Staff supported people to make choices, including through facial expressions, body language and other preferred communication methods.
“Staff knew how people communicated and were observed responding to people's facial expressions and body language.” from the report
Activities and community links
People were supported to take part in activities they enjoyed and to attend places such as a day centre.
“People were supported to participate in their chosen social and leisure interests.” from the report
Good oversight
The home had regular audits, staff meetings and feedback systems. Inspectors found the manager approachable and staff comfortable raising concerns.
“Systems and processes helped ensure managerial oversight of the service.” from the report
Medicines instructions were not initially filed correctly
minorInstructions for medicines given when needed were available but had not been included in the medicines file, so they were not as easy for staff to access. The manager said this was an oversight and confirmed it had been corrected after inspectors raised it.
“However, we found these protocols were not included in the medicines file and raised this with the registered manager.” from the report
- 01How will you make sure instructions for medicines given when needed remain complete and easy for staff to access?
- 02How will you assess and support my relative's preferred way of communicating?
- 03What activities and community outings could my relative take part in during respite stays?
- 04How will you review my relative's care plan and respond if their needs or wishes change?
- 05How will you keep me informed about my relative's health, daily progress and any incidents?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection of the care and premises, covering all five key questions; all five ratings remained Good from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 20 January 2024 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, February 2018
Northwick House rated Good; inspectors found kind, personalised care, with some records and checks needing improvement.
This was an unannounced first inspection on 19 December 2017. Inspectors observed care, reviewed three care plans and three staff files, checked training and management records, and spoke with relatives, staff, a care professional and the manager.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found people were treated with kindness and respect. Care plans were detailed and personal, risks were assessed, medicines systems were in place, and people were supported with health, food and activities.
There were some issues to improve. One medicines record had two missing entries. The home needed to review whether one night worker was enough, and some audits and incident records did not consistently show completed actions. These issues did not change the Good ratings.
Staff support and training
Staff received an induction, relevant training and regular supervision. Staff told inspectors this helped them in their roles.
“Staff received training to ensure that they had the skills and knowledge to effectively meet people's needs.” from the report
Food and health support
People's dietary needs were assessed and specialist advice was followed. The kitchen was clean and food was within its expiry dates.
“People's nutritional needs had been assessed and guidance for staff on the dietary needs of people was in place.” from the report
Missing medicines entries
needs fixingOne of three medicines administration records had two missing entries for the morning of the inspection. The home said the medicines had been given but not signed for correctly.
“During the inspection we reviewed three MAR charts and found that one had two gaps for the morning of 19 December 2017.” from the report
Night staffing needed review
needs fixingThere was one waking worker during the night when three people were staying. The manager said staffing would be reviewed depending on occupancy and people's needs.
“The registered manager said that they would review whether one member of staff at night was sufficient to meet people's needs.” from the report
Action records were incomplete
needs fixingIncident records did not always show the remedial action taken. Some premises checks also recorded the action needed but not when it was completed.
“However, we noted that the remedial action following the incident was not consistently documented.” from the report
Some checks missed key details
minorMedicine audits did not check storage temperatures, and the infection control policy did not include Health Protection Unit details. The manager agreed these points would be addressed.
“However, we noted that the audits failed to check medicine storage temperatures.” from the report
- 01What changes were made after the missing medicines entries, and how are medicines records now checked?
- 02How do you decide whether one night worker is enough for the number and needs of people staying?
- 03How do you record and check that actions from incidents, audits and premises checks have been completed?
- 04What communication support is available for people who cannot communicate verbally, including pictorial menus or Makaton?
- 05How will you keep families informed about changing needs, reviews, concerns and complaints during respite stays?
This was the home's first, unannounced inspection and all five CQC areas were assessed and rated Good. This explanation was written from the published report of 2 February 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 Northwick House
2 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- January 2024Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2018GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2017
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 15 January 2017.
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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Most charge £980 to £1,330 a week. 81 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
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