CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Wardley Street
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 were assessed and reviewed, staffing levels were sufficient, medicines were managed safely and infection control arrangements were effective.
- Effective?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this visit. The report says ratings for key questions not inspected were carried over from the last inspection.
- Caring?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this visit. The report records positive feedback from people and relatives about the care and support provided.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this visit. The report says ratings for key questions not inspected were carried over from the last inspection.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found clear leadership, regular quality checks and an open culture. Staff understood their responsibilities and records showed that complaints, accidents and safeguarding concerns were investigated.
What inspectors found, April 2023
Wardley Street is Rated Good; inspectors found safe, person-centred respite care, although no registered manager was in post.
This is a short-stay and emergency respite home for people with learning disabilities and autistic people. It can support up to seven people at a time. Four people were staying during the inspection.
The inspection was unannounced. One inspector visited on 23 March 2023 and reviewed care and risk plans, medicines records, staffing and recruitment records, audits and policies. The inspector spoke with four people, three staff members and four relatives.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe and Well-led were both rated Good. The other three areas were not inspected during this visit, so their previous ratings were used to calculate the overall rating. The previous overall rating was Good, published in August 2017.
Detailed risk planning
Care plans included detailed, person-centred risk assessments. Staff reviewed them as people's needs and activities changed.
“People had up to date care plans that contained detailed person-centred risk assessments and management plans to help staff keep people safe.” from the report
Enough trained staff
Inspectors found enough staff on duty, with staffing increased when needed for community activities. Recruitment checks and training records were also reviewed.
“There were enough staff to meet people's needs.” from the report
Safe medicines systems
Medicines were stored, given, disposed of and checked safely. Inspectors found no recording errors or omissions in the medicines records reviewed.
“We found no recording errors or omissions on any medicines administration record (MAR) charts we looked at.” from the report
Person-centred information
Care plans recorded people's strengths, preferences and dislikes. Important information about medicines, spending and emergency evacuation was kept together for staff to access quickly.
“People's care plans were person-centred and contained detailed information about their unique strengths, likes and dislikes, and how they preferred staff to meet their care needs and wishes.” from the report
Regular quality checks
Managers and staff carried out audits and checks covering areas such as medicines, training, fire safety and infection control. They used the results to identify improvements.
“The quality and safety of the service people received was routinely monitored by managers and staff at both a provider and service level.” from the report
Registered manager application ongoing
minorThere was no registered manager in post at the time of the inspection. An acting manager had been in day-to-day charge for five months while another manager's registration application was being assessed.
“At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post.” from the report
- 01Who is currently responsible for the home, and what is the current position on the registered manager application?
- 02How will staff assess and support my relative's communication, sensory, mobility and mental health needs?
- 03How are risk assessments reviewed when my relative's needs, interests or activities change?
- 04How will medicines be administered, including any medicines prescribed to be given when needed?
- 05How will you involve my relative and our family in reviewing their stay and making improvements?
This was an unannounced focused inspection of Safe and Well-led; the other three key question ratings were not inspected and were carried over from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 27 April 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, March 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong infection control arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was a targeted, announced inspection on 10 February 2022. Inspectors looked at infection prevention and control, including visits, testing, protective equipment, cleaning and staffing pressures.
The home was supporting three people at the time, and could support up to seven. Inspectors found that visits followed government guidance, people and staff were tested, protective equipment was available, and staff received infection control training.
Inspectors also found clean premises, regular checks by managers and enough care staff without relying on temporary agency staff. The service was inspected but not rated, so this report does not provide an overall quality rating.
Infection control
Inspectors were assured that the home was following good infection prevention and control guidance, including measures for visitors, testing, protective equipment and outbreaks.
“We were assured that this service met good infection prevention and control guidelines.” from the report
Information for families
The home sent information about COVID-19 procedures to people who used the service and their families. Easy-read pictorial information was also available.
“Information about the services' COVID-19, IPC, PPE and visitor procedure's had been sent to everyone who regularly stayed at the service and their families.” from the report
Management checks
Managers carried out unannounced checks on protective equipment and cleanliness. They kept records of regular protective equipment and infection control audits.
“Managers appropriately maintained up to date records of weekly PPE and monthly IPC audits they conducted at the service.” from the report
Staffing arrangements
The home had its full complement of care staff at the inspection and did not rely on temporary agency staff. Measures were in place to reduce the risks from COVID-19-related staffing pressures.
“The service currently had its full complement of care staff and did not rely on temporary agency staff.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01Are the testing, protective equipment and visiting arrangements described in the report still in place?
- 02How do you now check that staff follow infection prevention and control procedures?
- 03Can you explain how visits are arranged and what requirements visitors must follow?
- 04What staffing pressures are there now, and does the home use temporary agency staff?
- 05Can we see the latest protective equipment and infection control audit findings?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control practices and COVID-19-related staffing pressures; it was not a full inspection of the home's overall quality. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 March 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 Wardley Street
3 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- April 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- December 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2013
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 14 November 2013.
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 Wandsworth
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 £1,260 a week. 77 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”
“Without his support we wouldn't have been able to navigate bringing and keeping Dad at 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.