CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Unity Care
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Risk assessments were reviewed and staff understood how to protect people from harm. Inspectors found enough suitably skilled staff and safe systems for medicines, recruitment, infection control and learning from incidents.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had relevant training and supervision and understood people's needs. People were involved in their care, received support with food and health appointments, and appropriate applications had been made where people lacked capacity.
- Caring?
- Good
- People and relatives said staff were kind and compassionate. Inspectors saw people involved in daily decisions, with their privacy, dignity and independence respected.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was personalised and staff knew people well. The home supported people's hobbies, relationships, communication needs and involvement in family and community activities.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had effective systems for checking care plans, risk assessments and medicines records. People, relatives and staff were asked for their views, and feedback was used to improve the service.
What inspectors found, July 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with the same rating as in 2016.
This was a planned, unannounced inspection on 3 and 4 July 2019. One inspector spoke with a person living at the home, relatives, care staff and the registered manager. They checked care records, staff files, medicines, training and the home's management records.
The inspectors found that people were safe and received their medicines as prescribed. Staff had suitable training, understood people's needs and supported them to make choices. People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect, and were encouraged to be independent and maintain relationships and interests.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The rating stayed the same as at the previous inspection in December 2016. The report says there was no evidence of serious risks or concerns.
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough staff with the right skills and safe arrangements for giving, recording, storing and disposing of medicines.
“People received their medicines safely and as prescribed and were supported by sufficient numbers of staff to ensure that risk of harm was minimised.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People and relatives described a warm atmosphere. Inspectors saw caring interactions and found that privacy, dignity and personal choices were respected.
“People were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.” from the report
Personalised support
Staff knew people well and supported their interests, relationships and choices. Care plans included people's hobbies, cultural wishes and communication needs.
“We found staff knew people well and were focussed on providing personalised care.” from the report
Support for independence
People were encouraged to make everyday decisions and do things for themselves, including preparing snacks and drinks.
“People were encouraged to be as independent as practicable.” from the report
Open management
People, relatives and staff could raise concerns and give feedback. The provider used audits, meetings and feedback to monitor and improve the service.
“The provider used feedback from people and staff to develop the service.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you assess and review my relative's individual risks and update their care plan?
- 02How will you support my relative to make choices and remain as independent as possible?
- 03What training and supervision will the staff supporting my relative receive?
- 04How will you support my relative with their health appointments, medicines and communication needs?
- 05How can our family give feedback or raise a concern, and how will you show us what action was taken?
This was a planned, unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the accommodation and care provided; the overall Good rating continued from December 2016. This explanation was written from the published report of 20 July 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.
What inspectors found, January 2017
Unity Care was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with improvement since the previous inspection.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 6 December 2016. One inspector spent time with three people living at the home, spoke with two people, a relative, two staff members and the registered manager, and reviewed care, staff and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough suitably recruited staff, safe medicines arrangements, appropriate training, personalised care and respectful support. People were supported with their health, food, choices, independence, activities and relationships.
The previous inspection in December 2015 rated the home Requires Improvement overall. This report says the provider had addressed concerns about recognising when people's liberty might be restricted and had made appropriate DoLS applications. The overall rating had improved to Good.
People were kept safe
Staff understood abuse risks and knew how to report concerns. Inspectors found appropriate risk assessments, emergency procedures and medicines systems.
“People were protected from the risk of harm and abuse because the provider had effective systems in place and staff were aware of the processes they needed to follow.” from the report
Personalised support
Staff knew people well and used different ways to understand what people wanted, including when they could not communicate verbally.
“We saw that staff used a variety of communication techniques, including visual prompts.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People were treated with dignity and respect. Staff supported privacy, independence, choices and involvement in care decisions.
“Everyone we spoke with and observations we made showed us that people were treated with dignity and respect.” from the report
Activities and relationships
People were supported to enjoy hobbies and activities, maintain important relationships and celebrate cultural and religious festivals.
“Throughout our inspection we saw that people had things to do that they found interesting.” from the report
Improved legal safeguards
Since the previous inspection, the provider had recognised possible restrictions on people's liberty and made appropriate DoLS applications.
“Since then we can see that the provider has addressed this issue and appropriate DoLS applications had been submitted to the local authority.” from the report
Supportive management
Staff said they felt supported and valued. The provider used audits, surveys and meetings to monitor and improve the service.
“We saw that quality assurance and audit systems were in place for monitoring the service provision at the location.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What current risk assessments are in place for my relative, and how often are they reviewed?
- 02How will staff communicate with my relative if they cannot explain their needs verbally?
- 03What training and supervision have the staff supporting my relative completed recently?
- 04If my relative may be subject to restrictions, what capacity assessments and DoLS applications are in place?
- 05How are medicines, complaints and care plan changes currently checked and recorded?
This was an unannounced comprehensive rating inspection covering all five questions; inspectors spent time with three people and reviewed three people's care records and three staff recruitment and training records. This explanation was written from the published report of 6 January 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 Unity Care
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- July 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2017GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2016
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 24 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.
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.