CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at 60 Carlton Avenue
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found robust safeguarding systems, suitable risk plans, enough staff and safe medicines management. Infection prevention arrangements were also found to be effective.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff were trained and supported, and people's care plans were reviewed. People were supported with food, healthcare appointments, communication needs and consent.
- Caring?
- Good
- People and relatives said staff were kind and caring. Inspectors saw staff respecting people's dignity, privacy, decisions and independence.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Support was highly individualised and regularly changed as people's needs and wishes changed. The home used communication technology and other tools to help people express themselves and take part in decisions.
- Well-led?
- Outstanding
- Inspectors found strong, open and inclusive leadership. The home used feedback, audits and partnerships with other organisations to improve people's care and outcomes.
What inspectors found, October 2023
Norwood - 60 Carlton Avenue was rated Outstanding overall; inspectors found highly personalised support, strong leadership and safe, caring care.
This was an unannounced inspection over two days. One inspector spoke with a person living at the home, relatives and staff. They observed care and checked care plans, staffing, medicines and other records.
The home supports up to eight people with learning disabilities and autistic people. Inspectors found people were safe, treated with kindness and supported by staff who understood their needs. Medicines, staffing, infection control and risk management were all found to be safe.
Responsive care and leadership were rated Outstanding. Inspectors found the home helped people communicate, build relationships, take part in activities and achieve personal goals. The overall rating improved from Good at the previous inspection, published in 2017.
Personalised support
Staff knew people extremely well and built support around their abilities, wishes and goals. People were supported to take positive risks and become more independent.
“Staff understood people extremely well and there was a strong focus on promoting people's independence and providing the maximum choice” from the report
Communication support
The home used communication apps, pictures, symbols, voice commands and other technology to help people express their needs and make choices.
“The service worked extremely hard in ensuring that people were heard, and their communication needs were met.” from the report
Community life
People were supported to maintain relationships and take part in a wide range of social, educational, cultural and leisure activities.
“Activities included colleges and day centres, cinema, bowling, discos, shopping, walks in the park, annual holidays chosen by people” from the report
Strong leadership
Inspectors found an open and empowering culture. Staff, relatives and people were encouraged to give their views and help improve the home.
“The home's culture was exceptionally positive, person centred, open, inclusive, empowering and achieved outstanding outcomes for people.” from the report
Safe staffing and medicines
There were enough staff during the inspection, safe recruitment checks were completed and medicines records were appropriately completed and audited.
“We evidenced medicine administration records were completed appropriately and regularly audited.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you assess and regularly update my relative's communication needs and preferences?
- 02Which activities and community opportunities could my relative take part in, based on their interests and goals?
- 03How would you support my relative to manage distress, anxiety or behaviours in the least restrictive way?
- 04How would relatives be involved in care plan reviews, risk planning and decisions about healthcare?
- 05How would you support my relative if they needed end of life care, given that the home is not specifically designed for this?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection of the care home, including the premises, care provided and infection prevention and control arrangements; all five ratings were assessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 13 October 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, December 2017
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, but end-of-life planning was not yet formal.
The main inspection was unannounced on 7 November 2017. Inspectors returned on 15 November to check staff files. They reviewed three care plans, three staff files, training records and management records. They also spoke with a person using the service, relatives, staff, a manager and a care professional.
The home supported seven people with learning disabilities and was registered for up to eight people. Inspectors found people appeared relaxed and comfortable. Staff were respectful and understood people's needs, preferences and abilities.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was the same overall rating as the previous inspection in November 2015.
Personalised care
Care plans covered people's preferences, routines, communication and support needs in detail. Staff knew how to support people as individuals.
“Care plans were person-centred, specific to people's needs and detailed the support people needed in all areas of their care.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
People appeared comfortable with staff, who communicated patiently and respected privacy, dignity and choice.
“We saw people being treated with respect and dignity.” from the report
Activities and independence
People had individual activity timetables and were supported with daily living skills, meal preparation, sensory activities and community involvement.
“The home had a varied activities programme and each person had their own activities timetable which was devised based on their individual interests.” from the report
Good oversight
Management used audits, meetings and checks to monitor care, medicines, safety, training and safeguarding.
“Management undertook a range of checks and audits of the quality of the service and took action to make improvements where necessary.” from the report
End-of-life planning
minorNo person living at the home had a formal end-of-life care plan at the time of inspection. Funeral wishes were recorded, but the report does not describe full end-of-life plans.
“Currently none of the people living at the home had a formal end of life care plan in place.” from the report
- 01How would you create and review a formal end-of-life care plan for my relative?
- 02What additional checks were introduced after the two medicine errors, and how are medicines monitored now?
- 03How would you adapt activities and daily support to match my relative's interests, communication and abilities?
- 04How would you involve my relative and family in best-interest decisions if my relative could not make a specific decision?
- 05How do you make sure cultural, religious and dietary needs are recorded and followed?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions, with a further visit to check staff files; the previous inspection in November 2015 had also rated the home Good. This explanation was written from the published report of 22 December 2017 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 60 Carlton Avenue
3 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has improved, from Good to Outstanding.
- October 2023Outstandingcurrent ratingup from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding
- December 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 20 December 2010.
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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What to check when you visit
At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Harrow
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 £1,270 a week. 75 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“The interaction she gives my mother is incredible, singing, dancing, taking her to groups, on plenty of walks which mum always loves.”
“I can truly say that Peter always put Dad at the centre of everything and I know that they found a great friendship in difficult times.”
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.