CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Larches
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Risks, staffing, medicines and infection control were managed safely.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff understood Prader-Willi Syndrome and had the training and support needed to meet people's needs. People received suitable food, healthcare support and opportunities to make choices.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. They and their relatives were involved in care decisions, and staff supported privacy and independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and kept under review. People were supported to communicate, maintain relationships, follow their interests and use local community facilities.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Managers and the provider were described as approachable, open and involved in the day-to-day running of the home. Systems were in place to monitor quality and respond to concerns.
What inspectors found, April 2022
The Larches was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care with strong support for independence and community life.
This was the first inspection since the home registered. Inspectors visited on 10 and 24 March 2022. They spoke with the three people living there, staff, managers and relatives, and checked care, medicines, recruitment and other records.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People were described as happy and safe. Staff understood Prader-Willi Syndrome and supported people to make choices, stay independent and take part in activities.
The home had enough staff, well-kept medicines records and personalised care plans. People helped decide menus, took part in cooking and weekly meetings, maintained family relationships and accessed activities in the community.
This was the home's first rating, so there was no earlier rating to compare it with. CQC said it would continue to monitor information received about the home.
Enough skilled staff
Inspectors found there were consistently enough staff who knew people well. This helped people take part in activities and access the community.
“There were consistently enough staff, who knew people well, to enable them to lead interesting lives and access the community.” from the report
Personalised choices
People helped shape their care, menus and daily lives. They could follow their own interests and take part in cooking and weekly meetings.
“People were able to contribute to their own care records and support in a meaningful way.” from the report
Respectful care
Staff knew people well and supported them in a calm, dignified and person-centred way. Privacy and independence were treated as important.
“People were treated with kindness dignity and respect.” from the report
Community and relationships
People were supported to maintain family relationships and take part in activities such as swimming, badminton, working with animals and litter picking.
“People had regular access to their community.” from the report
Strong condition-specific knowledge
Staff, managers and the provider understood Prader-Willi Syndrome. This supported suitable food planning, risk management and emotional support.
“Staff had received good training and understood the condition of Prader-Willi Syndrome” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you involve my relative in their care plan, risk assessments and regular reviews?
- 02How are restrictions on access to the walk-in larder explained, agreed and reviewed?
- 03What training do staff receive about Prader-Willi Syndrome, and how is their understanding checked?
- 04How will you support my relative to keep family relationships and continue their preferred community activities?
- 05When will the new manager complete registration with CQC, and how will management cover remain organised during the change?
This was the first inspection of the newly registered home and covered all five CQC key questions, including infection prevention and control. This explanation was written from the published report of 21 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 The Larches
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
- January 2021
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 8 January 2021.
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
23 live-in carers within about an hour of Suffolk
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 £1,260 a week. 17 can care for a couple. 7 years' experience on average.
“Not only was she professional, polite and efficient but she bought a lovely smile and laughter to my parents home.”
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.