CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Walton House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough suitably skilled staff, safe recruitment, good risk management and safe medicines systems. Staff understood safeguarding and how to report abuse.
- Effective?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and based on people's needs and goals. Staff had relevant training, supported healthcare access and followed the Mental Capacity Act principles.
- Caring?
- Good
- People received kind and compassionate care. Staff respected privacy, dignity, equality, cultural preferences and people's choices.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Support was tailored to people's communication needs, interests and goals. People were supported to maintain relationships, attend activities and develop skills.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Management was visible and approachable. Inspectors found effective audits, updated care records and a culture focused on learning and improvement.
What inspectors found, October 2023
Walton House is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care across all five areas.
This was an unannounced inspection on 7 September 2023. One inspector met all seven people living at the home, spoke with two people, three relatives and three staff, and reviewed care records, staffing records and management records.
The home supports up to eight adults with learning disabilities and/or autism. Inspectors found that people were safe, treated with kindness and supported to make choices, build skills and follow their interests.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The overall rating was also Good. This was unchanged from the previous rating, published in 2017.
Choice and independence
Staff focused on people's strengths and helped them make choices, learn daily living skills and work towards personal goals.
“Staff supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors found that staff understood people's individual needs and communicated with them in a respectful way.
“People received kind and compassionate care from staff who used positive, respectful language which people understood and responded well to.” from the report
Safe staffing and medicines
There were enough staff to support activities and visits, and medicines were administered, recorded and stored safely.
“The service had enough staff, including one-to-one support, for people to take part in activities and visits how and when they wanted.” from the report
Personalised communication
People had individual communication plans, and staff understood how each person communicated and provided information in accessible formats.
“People had individual communication plans that detailed effective and preferred methods of communication, including the approach to use for different situations.” from the report
Positive leadership
Managers were visible, knew the people using the service and used audits and feedback to oversee quality.
“Governance processes were effective and helped to hold staff to account, keep people safe, protect people's rights and provide good quality care and support.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you support my relative's individual communication needs and preferred way of receiving information?
- 02What activities, education or skills teaching could my relative take part in?
- 03How would you support my relative's health needs, including any specialist dietary or healthcare needs?
- 04How would you involve my relative and our family in reviewing their care and support plan?
- 05How would you respond if my relative became distressed or their needs changed?
This inspection assessed all five CQC key questions and looked at both the care provided and the care home premises. This explanation was written from the published report of 5 October 2023 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, October 2020
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control and support for family contact during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was a targeted inspection on 14 October 2020. It looked at infection prevention and control measures during the coronavirus pandemic, rather than reviewing the whole service.
Inspectors found examples of good practice. People were supported to keep in touch with relatives through safe visits and video calls. Staff also supported people to stay safe in the community and helped them manage anxiety about face masks.
The inspectors were assured that the home was using protective equipment safely, arranging testing, managing visitors and admissions, and keeping its premises clean. The home had infection control audits, policies and business continuity plans.
The home was inspected but not rated. The report does not give a new overall rating or review the other care areas.
Keeping families in touch
The home used safe visits and video calls to help people stay in contact with their relatives. Some people were also supported to stay with family for short periods with planned isolation.
“Staff supported people to remain in contact with their families, through safe visiting arrangements at the service and video calling facilities.” from the report
Individual support during isolation
People had personalised plans explaining how isolation would work for them. These plans took account of whether staying in their room would be suitable.
“People had individualised behaviour intervention plans in place in regards to isolation.” from the report
Support in the community
Staff accompanied people outside, used distraction techniques to help with social distancing and used badges to explain when someone was exempt from wearing a mask.
“People were supported to stay safe in the community.” from the report
Infection control systems
The home had processes for infection control, including audits, policies and plans for continuing the service during disruption.
“Clear management processes were in place regarding covid. Including comprehensive infection prevention and control audits, policies and business continuity plans.” from the report
Testing and protective equipment
Staff were having weekly tests, and people were supported to have monthly tests when they could consent. Inspectors were assured that protective equipment was used safely.
“We were assured the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are visits and video calls with relatives arranged now?
- 02How would you support my relative if they needed to isolate, and would their plan be tailored to their needs?
- 03How often are staff and residents tested now, and what happens if someone cannot consent to testing?
- 04How do staff support residents who find face masks or social distancing difficult?
- 05When were the infection control policy, audits and business continuity plans last reviewed?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic; it did not review the whole service or provide ratings for the other key questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 October 2020 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 Walton House
3 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- October 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2020Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- October 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 12 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 Sutton
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 £1,230 a week. 81 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“She cared for my mum with Alzheimer's with endless patience and kindness, always arriving with a smile and a positive attitude”
“Terry has been of invaluable help to our family while working as a part-time live-in carer for our mother for approximately 6 months”
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.