CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at 127 Longdon Road
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough suitably qualified staff, safe recruitment, personalised risk assessments and safe medicines management. Infection control measures were also assessed as effective.
- Effective?
- Good
- Does the care work? Training, consent, food and drink, working with GPs and nurses.
- Caring?
- Good
- Are people treated with kindness and dignity?
- Responsive?
- Good
- Is care built around the person? Care plans, activities, complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home was described as welcoming, open and person-centred. Management systems were used to monitor quality, learn from incidents and involve people, relatives and staff.
What inspectors found, November 2022
Sunny Mount (Knowle) Limited - 127 Longdon Road was rated Good; inspectors found safe care and strong management, with no evidence of harm from the concerns that prompted the inspection.
The inspection took place on 11 and 17 October 2022. The first visit was unannounced. Inspectors spoke with all four people living in the home, four staff members and reviewed care, medicine, recruitment and management records.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Well-led. Inspectors found enough suitably qualified staff, safe recruitment, safe medicines management and personalised risk assessments. People were supported by staff they trusted and felt safe with.
Inspectors found a welcoming, person-centred home where people were involved in their support and could make choices. The inspection was prompted partly by concerns about management, but inspectors found no evidence that people were at risk of harm from this concern.
Enough staff
Inspectors found enough suitably qualified staff on duty, and people said staff were always available when they needed support.
“People were supported by appropriate numbers of staff on each shift to ensure people's safety and meet their needs.” from the report
Safe medicines
Medicines were given as prescribed. Staff explained medicines to people, and managers regularly checked the records.
“Medicine administration records were accurate and there were regular checks of these by the management team.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were involved in their support and the running of the home. Staff supported people to move around independently and make choices about their lives.
“People were involved in all aspects of support and management of the home.” from the report
Open management
Inspectors found that the manager understood their legal responsibilities and that quality systems were used to improve care.
“The quality and assurance systems in place had been reviewed and embedded throughout the service and were used to continuously improve the service and quality of care provided to people.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are each person's personalised risk assessments reviewed when their needs or decisions change?
- 02How often are medicines records checked, and what happens if a mistake is found?
- 03How do people and relatives give feedback, and what changes have been made as a result?
- 04How do you make sure there are enough suitably qualified staff on every shift?
- 05How will you support people to keep in contact with relatives who live far away?
This was a focused inspection prompted partly by concerns about management and rated Safe and Well-led only; the report does not give new ratings for Effective, Caring or Responsive. This explanation was written from the published report of 15 November 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.
What inspectors found, April 2019
Rated Good in every area; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care with strong support for independence.
This was an unannounced, planned inspection on 11 February 2019. One inspector spent time with people and staff, spoke with one person, and checked care records, medicines, safeguarding records, complaints, incidents and quality checks.
The home supported four people with learning disabilities and/or autism. Inspectors found people felt safe, staff understood their needs, medicines were managed safely and there were enough suitably checked staff. People were involved in decisions, supported to stay healthy and helped to build independence.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The previous comprehensive inspection in April 2016 also rated the home Good. The report says there was no evidence of serious risks or concerns and that the service met the characteristics of a Good rating in all areas.
People felt safe
People appeared comfortable around staff. Staff understood safeguarding and how to manage individual risks.
“People felt safe and were protected from avoidable harm by staff who understood how to keep them safe.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff knew people well and adapted how they communicated to avoid distress. People were involved in decisions and their privacy and dignity were respected.
“We saw staff reassuring people and understood each person and their needs.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were supported to make choices, use public transport, work in the community and develop new skills.
“People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.” from the report
Good understanding of people's needs
The small staff team had worked with people for a number of years. Care plans gave staff guidance about individual needs and preferences.
“Care staff working at the home had worked there for a number of years and described a good understanding of the needs of people living there.” from the report
Good community links
People were supported to build friendships with neighbours and take part in community and work opportunities.
“We saw how people benefitted from their friendships with neighbours and how this helped them feel part of the community.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you match the home's staff team and experience to my relative's specific needs?
- 02How are people supported to make their own decisions and communicate if they find this difficult?
- 03What opportunities would my relative have to develop independence, use public transport, work or take part in the community?
- 04How would you respond if my relative's health or behaviour changed?
- 05How are medicines, risks and care plans reviewed and updated for each person?
This was a planned inspection covering all five rating areas; the previous comprehensive inspection in April 2016 also rated the home Good. This explanation was written from the published report of 13 April 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 127 Longdon Road
3 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- November 2022Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 20 January 2011.
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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At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Solihull
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 £1,250 a week. 78 can care for a couple. 9 years' experience on average.
“If you bump into her in the night on her way to the bathroom she will still inquire how you are and if everything is alright.”
“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.