CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Epwell rd.
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found suitable safeguarding, risk assessment, staffing, medicine and infection control arrangements. Incidents were recorded and reviewed to reduce the chance of them happening again.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before stays, and staff had relevant training. People were supported to make choices, eat and drink well, and access healthcare when needed.
- Caring?
- Good
- Relatives consistently described staff as kind and respectful. Care plans reflected people's wishes, and staff supported privacy, dignity, independence and personal choices.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was updated to reflect changing needs and communication methods were adapted to each person. Relatives were kept informed, although transport for activities was not available and was being reviewed.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The registered manager carried out audits, checked staff competency and provided supervision and training. Relatives and staff said they felt listened to and supported.
What inspectors found, April 2022
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised respite care, with transport for activities still being reviewed.
This was the first inspection since the home registered in December 2020. The visit took place on 23 March 2022 and was announced because respite stays are not always taking place.
The inspector met one person staying at the home, spoke with relatives and staff, observed care, and checked care, medicine, recruitment and management records. One inspector carried out the visit.
Inspectors found systems to protect people from abuse and avoidable harm. Medicines, staffing, infection control and risk assessments were managed safely. Staff understood people's needs and supported their choices, communication, dignity and independence.
All five areas were rated Good: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. This was a planned inspection of a newly registered service, and the CQC will continue to monitor information before its next inspection.
Careful introductions
People were assessed before admission and could visit in stages to become familiar with the staff and home.
“The phasing is absolutely fantastic and quite comforting for [person].” from the report
Kind, personal care
Relatives and the inspector's observations found staff warm, attentive and familiar with people's needs.
“Our own observations on the day saw staff were genuinely warm, kind and clearly enjoyed the company of the person they supported.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were supported to make decisions, personalise their rooms and develop their independence as far as practicable.
“The model of care and the accommodation maximised people's choice and control, independence.” from the report
Safe medicines practice
Medicine records were accurate, staff had training and competency checks, and clear instructions were in place for medicines taken when needed.
“Peoples' medicines were administered and managed safely.” from the report
No transport for outings
minorA relative said the lack of a vehicle limited the range of activities outside the home. The manager said this was being reviewed.
“They [provider] don't have transport to take people out.” from the report
- 01Has the home obtained transport for outings, or arranged another way for people to take part in different activities?
- 02How will you assess and phase my relative's admission before their first respite stay?
- 03How will you communicate with my relative if they do not communicate verbally?
- 04How will you update care plans and risk assessments when my relative's needs change?
- 05How will you involve our family in planning and reviewing the respite care?
This was the first planned inspection of the newly registered care home and covered all five CQC questions, including infection prevention and control. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 April 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 Epwell rd.
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- April 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2020
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 14 December 2020.
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
At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Birmingham
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 £950 to £1,230 a week. 79 can care for a couple. 9 years' experience on average.
“God doesn't make people like her anymore!”
“I have never met a person who is so kind and thinks about others before himself to such an extent as Chris Malagala.”
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.