A Carshalton care home has been rated Outstanding overall by the Care Quality Commission.
Wallace Crescent in the London borough of Sutton was rated Outstanding for being effective and responsive. It was rated Good for being safe, caring and well-led, following an inspection in November 2019.
Wallace Crescent is a residential care home providing personal care to eight people with learning disabilities and mental health support needs at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to eight people in self-contained single-occupancy flats within the home, with communal spaces also available for people to use.
Visiting professionals told CQC that staff worked well with them. One professional said although people's needs were very complex, staff were able to meet these effectively because they listened to advice, were very responsive and were very open about what worked well and what did not.
People's living space was highly personalised and adapted to meet their needs.
Decoration was tailored to reflect people's tastes and preferences. Certain colours were very important to some people and they had received support to redecorate their flats in those colours. One person found it anxiety provoking to have strangers in their private space, so staff supported them to paint their own flat rather than hire decorators.
The provider employed their own qualified trainers, who provided bespoke training tailored to the needs of people who used the service.
People were involved in the recruitment and selection process to help ensure staff had the right skills and values to work with them effectively. This included people taking part in interview panels or writing questions for candidates.
Relatives told us the service provided effective care with good outcomes. One relative's view was that since living at the home their loved one’s "self-esteem, sense of well-being and level of functioning have grown."
The provider used new technology in an innovative way to promote good outcomes for people in line with recommendations. For example, they used non-intrusive sensors to gather data about one person's sleep pattern and help them understand why the person found it difficult to settle at night.
Staff monitored people's weight and diet to make sure they stayed healthy. If people were not at a healthy weight, staff worked with them to produce diet and exercise plans.
People received support to overcome barriers that had previously prevented them from following their ambitions or trying new things. We heard about some people receiving support to go to Disney World.
The provider dealt with complaints promptly and appropriately. As part of handling complaints, they created action plans that showed how they planned to improve the service in response to each complaint.
Leadership was visible. CQC saw people interacting with the registered manager and the operations manager and it was clear they knew one another well. The registered manager sometimes worked at weekends or overnight so they could get to know all staff well and make sure service quality was consistent.
The provider encouraged and rewarded adherence to the organisation's key values. People and staff told us about 'Party in the Park,' an event the provider had organised. They rented out a holiday park so every person and staff member within the organisation had the opportunity to take a holiday paid for by the provider.
CQC’s Adult Social Care’s Interim Head of Inspection for London, Neil Cox, said:
“I am always pleased to see improvement in the care providers give to people. Wallace Crescent’s rating has gone from Good overall to Outstanding and I congratulate the staff and leadership team on this admirable achievement.
“I was particularly impressed with the attention to detail shown by staff to residents inside their own living space.”
Wallace Crescent’s rating has gone from Good overall to Outstanding and I congratulate the staff and leadership team on this admirable achievement
Neil Cox, Interim Head of Adult Social Care Inspection for London