Your Choice Barnet’s Meadowside Care Home was recently inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), The independent regulator of all health and social care services in England.

Full details of the report can be found on the CQC website: http://www.cqc.org.uk/

The report from the inspection has now been published and the service has been awarded an overall rating of ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), achieving that score in three key categories:

Is the service safe?

This means that the CQC team looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm.

  • People told us they felt safe, and people’s loved ones confirmed this. One person said, “I am absolutely safe, in every way living here.”
  • The registered manager ensured risks were monitored and managed. A resident told us, – “They (carers) all know what they are doing. I rely on them using the hoist to move me. It is always done safely, and I feel confident with them”.
  • Comments included “Staff are really happy people, really nice and friendly and encourage mum to do things for herself.” and “The staff are all lovely”.
  • We observed staff completing the medicines round in line with people’s needs. A resident told us, “I take Parkinson’s’ medication four times a day. I know what the pills are and when they should be taken, it is always administered safely as far as I’m concerned”.

Is the service Effective?

This means that the CQC team looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment, and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.

  • The service used nationally recognised assessment tools, such as the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and Waterlow. Waterlow is a tool used to assess people’s risk of skin pressure damage.
  • An induction programme was in place and all care staff completed the Care Certificate during their induction period. The Care Certificate is an agreed set of standards that define the knowledge and skills for roles in care services. One staff member told us, ” We have lots of training and if we ask for anything, we get it.”
  • Staff told us the registered manager was very supportive. Staff had been encouraged to further their professional development where they wished to do so. They had their competency assessed and regular supervision to continue to review their skills and expand their experiences.
  • People told us they enjoyed the food at the service and were offered choices, Comments included “The food is nice. The food today was really nice”. And “The food is lovely here. There are lots of choices for everyone”.
  • The home was currently undergoing maintenance work in to ensure the home remained safe in the event of a fire outbreak, all the fire doors were in the process of being changed. People told us that disruption had been kept to a minimum and that they had been kept informed.
  • One staff member told us’ ‘We talk to people and try and see how to help them choose what they like to eat. We are very respectful of people’s culture.”

Is the service well-led?

This means that the CQC team looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.

  • Everyone we spoke to praised the atmosphere in the service. It was described by a people as being “very homely.”
  • Relatives were also very positive about the service, one relative told us, “I am very happy with this home, they treat dad so well.”
  • All the people we spoke to were very complimentary about the registered manager. Comments included, “I know the manager yes, he is always floating around”. And “I have no complaints. They (carers/Manager) are all reachable.”
  • The registered manager was supportive of their staff team. A relative told us, “I think that the manager treats the staff very well.”. A staff member said, “We all work together and help each other out. “
  • Staff spoke positively about their roles and were enthusiastic about ensuring people received good care and support.
  • Peoples cultural and religious preferences were fully considered during the care planning process.
  • Staff felt involved in the running of the service and had opportunities to have their say about how the service could improve.