Skip to content
CQC ExplainedEvery inspection report, in plain English

CQC report explained · a residential care home, run by Seva Care (Respite And Residential Services)

Northwick House

16 Northwick Park Road, Harrow, HA1 2NU

Goodpublished 20 January 2024, 2 years ago

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

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Good
Inspectors found safe medicines management, suitable risk assessments, enough staff and effective safety and infection-control arrangements. Some instructions for medicines given when needed were not initially in the medicines file, but this was corrected after the inspection visit.
Effective?
Good
People's needs and choices were assessed and care plans were personalised. Staff had relevant training and supervision, and people were supported with food, healthcare, communication and decisions.
Caring?
Good
Inspectors saw warm and respectful interactions. Staff supported people patiently, respected privacy and dignity, and helped people express choices using their preferred communication methods.
Responsive?
Good
Care was adjusted to people's needs and preferences. People were supported with chosen activities, relationships and communication, and the home had systems for handling complaints and learning from them.
Well-led?
Good
Inspectors found approachable management, a positive culture and clear staff roles. Audits, meetings and feedback systems were used to monitor and improve the service.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, January 2024

Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised respite care, with one medicines-record issue corrected during the inspection.

This was an unannounced inspection on 23 October 2023. One inspector visited the home, observed care, spoke with people, relatives, staff, the manager and a care professional, and checked care, medicines, recruitment and quality records.

The home supports up to 5 people with learning disabilities who need personal care and provides respite care. Inspectors found people were safe, treated with kindness and dignity, and supported by staff who understood their needs and communication styles.

Care plans were personalised and people were supported to make choices, take part in activities and access healthcare. Medicines were managed safely, although some instructions for medicines given when needed were not initially kept in the medicines file. The manager put them there after this was raised.

The overall rating was Good, with Good ratings for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was unchanged from the previous Good rating published in 2018.

What inspectors praised

  • Kind and respectful care

    Inspectors observed positive interactions and found that staff treated people with warmth, patience and respect.

    “People were supported by kind, caring and attentive staff.” from the report

  • Personalised support

    Care plans reflected people's needs, preferences and aspirations. Staff knew people well and adjusted support as their needs changed.

    “People received personalised care which met their needs and reflected their preferences.” from the report

  • Choice and communication

    Staff supported people to make choices, including through facial expressions, body language and other preferred communication methods.

    “Staff knew how people communicated and were observed responding to people's facial expressions and body language.” from the report

  • Activities and community links

    People were supported to take part in activities they enjoyed and to attend places such as a day centre.

    “People were supported to participate in their chosen social and leisure interests.” from the report

  • Good oversight

    The home had regular audits, staff meetings and feedback systems. Inspectors found the manager approachable and staff comfortable raising concerns.

    “Systems and processes helped ensure managerial oversight of the service.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

  • Medicines instructions were not initially filed correctly

    minor

    Instructions for medicines given when needed were available but had not been included in the medicines file, so they were not as easy for staff to access. The manager said this was an oversight and confirmed it had been corrected after inspectors raised it.

    “However, we found these protocols were not included in the medicines file and raised this with the registered manager.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How will you make sure instructions for medicines given when needed remain complete and easy for staff to access?
  2. 02How will you assess and support my relative's preferred way of communicating?
  3. 03What activities and community outings could my relative take part in during respite stays?
  4. 04How will you review my relative's care plan and respond if their needs or wishes change?
  5. 05How will you keep me informed about my relative's health, daily progress and any incidents?

This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection of the care and premises, covering all five key questions; all five ratings remained Good from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 20 January 2024 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 Northwick House

2 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.

  1. January 2024Goodcurrent ratingstayed Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Northwick House →

  2. February 2018Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

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

  3. January 2017

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 15 January 2017.

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.

Another option

Or stay at home with a private carer

Many people who look at care homes end up staying at home with a carer who comes in for a few hours a day, or lives in. PrimeCarers introduces you to self-employed carers you choose yourself: interviewed, ID and DBS checked, from about £20 an hour or £1,120 a week live-in.

About live-in careHow PrimeCarers works
Same provider

Other services run by Seva Care (Respite And Residential Services) Limited

1 other service on the CQC register. A pattern across a group tells you more than one report.

Gayton House

Harrow, HA1
Good
Residential
Rated 5 years agocare home
Nearby

Other care homes near Harrow

All in Harrow

Gayton House

Harrow, HA1 · 0.1 km
Good
Residential
Rated 5 years agocare home

Manor Lodge

London, HA1 · 0.3 km
Good
ResidentialDementia
Rated 4 years agocare home

60 Carlton Avenue

Kenton, HA3 · 0.7 km
Outstanding
Residential
Rated 2 years agocare home