The Mews

This summary outlines the findings of a recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for The Mews, a care service providing accommodation, personal care, and nursing care for young people with disabilities. The report highlights significant improvements since the previous ownership, with the service now excelling in several key areas. It aims to provide families with a clear overview of the home's performance across safety, effectiveness, care quality, responsiveness to needs, and leadership.

On safety, the home has robust procedures and practices in place to protect residents from harm, including clear safeguarding policies and thorough investigations of any concerns raised. Risk assessments are collaboratively developed with residents, balancing potential risks with lifestyle choices and independence, and are supported by comprehensive emergency evacuation plans. Effective systems for equipment maintenance and regular safety checks are in place, ensuring a secure environment.

In terms of how effective the care is, staff receive thorough induction and ongoing tailored training, ensuring they have the skills to meet residents' complex needs. The service pays close attention to dietary requirements and preferences, with residents actively involved in menu planning, and staff collaborate well with health professionals to ensure holistic care.

The service is outstandingly caring, with staff demonstrating a deep commitment to providing high-quality care and an excellent understanding of individual needs. Strong relationships built on trust are evident between residents and staff, who are consistently seen to go above and beyond. Residents and their families are actively involved in all care decisions.

Regarding responsiveness, The Mews excels at ensuring residents are not defined by their disabilities, actively supporting them to achieve an exceptional quality of life. Support plans are proactively developed in partnership with residents, and they are offered meaningful, person-centred choices for activities both within the home and in the wider community.

In leadership, the service is well-led, with a strong focus on ensuring residents feel valued and are encouraged to live as independently as possible. There is high confidence in the management and leadership team, who utilize extensive quality assurance systems to drive continuous improvement and actively seek feedback. While overall findings are very positive, the report notes a few minor points, such as ensuring that all staff have up-to-date mandatory training in line with provider policies.