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CQC report explained · a nursing home, run by Sanctuary Care

Athlone House Nursing Home

Athlone House, 7a Woodfield Road, London, W9 2BA

Goodpublished 18 November 2023, 2 years ago

Rated Good: inspectors found the service performing well and meeting their expectations.

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Good
Inspectors found people were protected from abuse and that risks were assessed and reviewed. Medicines, infection control, recruitment and accident reporting were also found to be managed safely, although some people reported long waits for help in the mornings.
Effective?
Good
People's needs and choices were assessed before admission and care plans were regularly reviewed. Staff had training and supervision, people received suitable food and drink, and staff worked with healthcare professionals.
Caring?
Good
Inspectors observed staff treating people with kindness, dignity and respect. People were involved in decisions about their care and their equality, privacy and independence were supported.
Responsive?
Good
Care was personalised to people's complex nursing needs, communication needs and preferences. People were supported with activities, relationships, complaints and end-of-life care.
Well-led?
Good
Inspectors found visible and approachable leadership, a positive staff culture and effective checks on care quality. The home used feedback, audits and learning from incidents to improve care.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, November 2023

Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, but some people reported long waits for help in the mornings.

This was an unannounced inspection on 17 October 2023. The inspection team spoke with six people, five visiting relatives and a GP. They observed care, checked six people's records, medicines, staff training, audits, the building and infection control.

The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough qualified staff overall, safe medicines systems, suitable premises, person-centred care and good support for people with complex nursing and end-of-life needs.

A few people said staffing did not always feel adequate in the mornings. One person said they had waited more than an hour for help after pressing the call bell. The report did not record any breaches of regulations or enforcement action.

What inspectors praised

  • Personalised care

    Inspectors found that care plans reflected each person's needs, choices and preferences. Their observations matched the written care plans.

    “Our observations in all areas confirmed that care and support was completely person centred.” from the report

  • Kind and respectful staff

    Staff were observed giving people time, attention and reassurance. They protected privacy during personal care and encouraged independence.

    “We observed staff consistently treating people with dignity and respect.” from the report

  • Safe medicines

    Qualified nurses administered medicines. Records were up to date and the electronic system and audits helped reduce the risk of errors.

    “The service had a robust auditing system, which provided assurances that medicines were being given safely and as prescribed.” from the report

  • End-of-life support

    The home recorded people's end-of-life wishes and worked with palliative care professionals. Families were also offered support as a person's condition worsened.

    “The whole staff team worked closely with palliative care teams and other professionals to provide personalised support to people who were at end-of-life.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

  • Morning response times

    needs fixing

    A few people felt staffing levels were not always right in the mornings. One person reported waiting more than an hour after pressing the call bell.

    “I have been waiting for more than 1 hour... Sometimes it can be longer when I press the button.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How many staff and qualified nurses are on duty in the mornings, and how do you monitor response times to call bells?
  2. 02How would you meet my relative's particular nursing needs if they require palliative care, a feeding tube or a syringe driver?
  3. 03How are care plans reviewed when a person's health, choices or communication needs change?
  4. 04What individual activities and one-to-one support are available for someone who cannot leave their room or bed?
  5. 05How will the home involve our family in end-of-life decisions and keep us informed about changes in health?

This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions; the previous inspection in 2018 had also rated all five areas Good. This explanation was written from the published report of 18 November 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.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Athlone House Nursing Home

4 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.

  1. November 2023Goodcurrent rating
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Athlone House Nursing Home →

  2. February 2022Inspected but not rated
    Safe: Inspected but not rated

    We are reading this report · the original is on cqc.org.uk

  3. September 2020Inspected but not rated
    Safe: Inspected but not rated

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. May 2018Goodstayed Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. September 2016Goodstayed Good
    Safe: Requires improvement

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  6. March 2016Good
    Safe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  7. August 2015

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 24 August 2015.

Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission. A service can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections, not every contact the CQC has had with the service.

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