CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at SENSE Andlaw House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse, medicines were administered safely and staffing was sufficient to meet people's needs. Some risk assessments were out of date and were being reviewed.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had good knowledge and received training, supervision and appraisals. Some staff reported difficulty accessing specialist training, including British Sign Language, and some conflict management training was out of date.
- Caring?
- Outstanding
- The home used creative communication methods to help people express views and make choices. Staff were kind, patient and respectful, and support was highly personalised.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Support plans were comprehensive, person centred and easy to follow. People had individual activity timetables and a clear complaints process, but end of life wishes were not consistently documented.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had improved after a difficult period and worked with the local authority quality assurance and improvement team. Quality monitoring systems were in place, although recruitment and some development work were still ongoing.
What inspectors found, January 2019
Rated Good overall, with Outstanding caring; inspectors found highly personalised support, but some records and training still needed attention.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 3 and 4 December 2018. Inspectors observed care, reviewed five care records, medicines records, staff rotas and training, and spoke with people, relatives and staff.
The home was rated Good for safety, effectiveness, responsiveness and leadership. It was rated Outstanding for caring. Inspectors found that people were treated with kindness and dignity, and were supported to communicate, make choices and take part in decisions.
People were found to be safe and supported by skilled staff. However, some risk assessments were out of date, some staff had difficulty accessing specialist training, and end of life wishes were not consistently recorded.
The overall Good rating means the service met the standards inspectors checked. The report says the home had improved after major staff changes and work with the local authority quality assurance team.
Communication and choice
The home used different communication methods to help people understand information, express their views and take part in decisions. Staff worked creatively around each person's communication needs.
“The service provided exceptional ways to enable people to communicate effectively to ensure they were involved in decisions.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff being patient, attentive and reassuring. People were supported at their own pace, with privacy, dignity and independence respected.
“We saw many positive interactions between people and staff.” from the report
Personalised support
People helped shape their care teams, support plans and activities. Staff understood individual preferences and responded to changes in people's needs.
“The support provided by the service was highly personalised and caring.” from the report
Family involvement
Relatives were welcomed, kept informed and invited to take an active part in reviews and support.
“The relatives we spoke to told us they were invited to play an active role in the support of their family member.” from the report
Improved leadership
The report describes a change in culture, with better openness, communication and teamwork. Managers were visible and quality monitoring systems were in place.
“There had been a 'cultural change', which the registered manager and staff told us had improved communication, openness and honesty, and created a more flexible staff team.” from the report
Some risk assessments were out of date
needs fixingRisk assessments were meant to be reviewed monthly, but inspectors found that some had not been updated. The manager knew about this and said reviews were under way.
“However, we found some were out of date.” from the report
Specialist training access
needs fixingSome staff said funding made it difficult to access specialist training, including British Sign Language. They also said some conflict management training was out of date, although new training had been arranged.
“However, some staff told us they found it difficult to access more specialist training due to funding issues.” from the report
End of life wishes not recorded consistently
needs fixingPeople's end of life wishes were not consistently documented. This created a risk that their wishes might not be known and respected, and the home planned to discuss this at annual reviews.
“People's end of life wishes were not consistently documented in the support plans.” from the report
Permanent staff vacancies
minorThe home was short of three full-time staff members and used consistent agency staff and managers to cover gaps. Inspectors said staffing levels remained sufficient at the inspection.
“There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs and keep them safe, even though difficulties with recruitment meant the team was lacking three full time members of staff.” from the report
Refurbishment and sensory garden delayed
minorMaintenance had been neglected by the building's owner. Refurbishment was in progress, but plans for a sensory garden and integrated trampoline had been slowed by funding issues.
“Plans had been submitted to improve this area with a sensory garden and integrated trampoline, but progress had been slowed by funding issues.” from the report
- 01How often is each person's risk assessment reviewed, and have all the out-of-date assessments now been updated?
- 02What specialist communication training do staff receive, including British Sign Language, and how do you check that their skills remain current?
- 03How are each person's end of life wishes discussed, recorded and reviewed with them and their family?
- 04How many permanent staff vacancies are there now, and how often are agency staff used?
- 05What progress has been made with the refurbishment and the planned sensory garden?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five questions, with ratings given for safety, effectiveness, caring, responsiveness and leadership. This explanation was written from the published report of 16 January 2019 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 SENSE Andlaw House
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- January 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 29 November 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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17 live-in carers within about an hour of Devon
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 £1,270 a week. 15 can care for a couple. 13 years' experience on average.
“She is such a warm and gentle person while being professional and competent at the same time.”
“She looked after my mum, who can be incredibly challenging, so well and so gently, and we always felt confident that my mum was getting the best care available.”
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.