CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at York Road
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Inspectors found suitable staffing, safe recruitment, effective risk plans, safe medicines systems and appropriate infection control.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed and care plans were updated when needs changed. Staff supported healthy eating, access to health professionals and progress towards less supported accommodation.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were kind, respectful and compassionate. People were involved in decisions about their care and the running of the home, with their privacy, dignity and independence promoted.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's needs, choices, backgrounds and goals. Staff supported relationships, community activities, education, volunteering, work and complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had a person-centred culture, regular audits and a quality improvement plan. Inspectors found good communication with relatives, health and social care professionals and community organisations.
What inspectors found, June 2023
York Road rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care that supported people to become more independent.
Inspectors visited on 17 and 21 April 2023. They spoke with five people, four staff members, managers and four visiting health professionals. They observed the home and checked care, medicines, staff and management records.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People told inspectors they felt safe, were treated well and were involved in decisions about their care.
Inspectors found suitable staffing, safe medicines systems, good infection control and clear care plans. Staff supported people with health care, meal preparation, education, work and other steps towards greater independence.
The overall Good rating means the home was meeting the relevant standards and providing consistently good care at the time of this inspection. The previous inspection, published in January 2019, was also rated Good.
Personalised risk support
Care plans and risk plans were developed with people and professionals. They aimed to keep people safe while helping them achieve more independence.
“Care and support plans were developed to ensure people's needs and risks were met appropriately.” from the report
Building independence
People were supported to plan meals, budget, shop, cook, study, volunteer, work and take part in community activities.
“People had completed further education courses, undertaken vocational training and gained employment.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw staff treating people with kindness and compassion. People said staff respected them and helped them make their own decisions.
“People told us they received good care and were well treated and respected.” from the report
Safe medicines and staffing
Medicines records were clear and accurate, and checks showed stock levels matched the records. Inspectors also found enough staff to meet people's needs.
“Our checks of medicines stocks and records showed that stocks matched recorded levels and they were stored at the required, safe temperatures.” from the report
Good teamwork and oversight
The home worked closely with health professionals and had regular audits, handovers, meetings and quality improvement work.
“There was a comprehensive and effective governance system in place.” from the report
More specialist training may be needed
minorStaff said they wanted additional training in areas including substance misuse and drugs. The manager knew about this and agreed to add it to the training programme.
“Staff told us they would appreciate additional training to cover some areas not included in the training scheme for staff” from the report
- 01What specialist training do staff now have for substance misuse and drugs?
- 02How will you assess and manage my relative's specific risks while supporting their independence?
- 03How will my relative be involved in care plan reviews and decisions about their goals?
- 04How do you coordinate care with mental health teams, GPs and other professionals?
- 05How will you support my relative with meal planning, budgeting, education, work or community activities?
This inspection looked at all five key questions and included infection prevention and control measures; the previous overall and key question ratings were also Good. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 June 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, January 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with major improvements since the previous inspection.
This was an unannounced inspection on 3 December 2018. Inspectors spoke with people using the home, staff, the acting manager and health and social care professionals. They reviewed care records, staff files, medicines systems, complaints and quality checks.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that risks were assessed and managed, medicines were handled safely, staffing levels were suitable and staff were properly checked and trained.
The home had previously been rated Requires Improvement and had breached regulations about safe care and treatment and good governance. Inspectors found that care plans, risk assessments, medicines checks, audits and the condition of the building had improved. The home supports up to 14 people with forensic mental health needs, and 11 people were living there at the inspection.
Improvements since the last inspection
The provider had completed the improvements promised after the previous inspection. Inspectors found the home was now Good overall.
“At this inspection we found the provider had made the necessary improvements and we rated the service Good.” from the report
Safe medicines support
Medicines systems had improved, with staff competency checks and regular audits. Inspectors found that prescribed medicines, including controlled drugs, were available and properly accounted for.
“Since our last inspection the provider audited medicines records weekly to check people received their medicines as prescribed.” from the report
Involvement and independence
People helped plan their care and were supported to develop life skills and work towards more independent living.
“People were empowered to be actively involved in making decisions about their care and this contributed more effectively to people achieving their maximum potential.” from the report
Respectful care
People told inspectors they were treated well. Staff respected privacy, dignity and personal boundaries.
“We saw that people's right to privacy and dignity was respected.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What is the current position on the acting manager's application to register with the CQC?
- 02How will management cover and oversight be maintained following the recent departure of the registered manager?
- 03How often will my relative's risk assessments and care plans be reviewed and updated?
- 04How will my relative be involved in setting care goals and planning for more independent living?
- 05How can my relative and family raise a complaint, and how will the home show what action was taken?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions, and it also included a detailed review of support for people's oral health. This explanation was written from the published report of 9 January 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 York Road
4 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- June 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2019Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2018Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- September 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 6 December 2010.
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.