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Inspection on 14/06/10 for 32 Ringstead Road

Also see our care home review for 32 Ringstead Road for more information

This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 14th June 2010.

CQC found this care home to be providing an Excellent service.

The inspector made no statutory requirements on the home as a result of this inspection and there were no outstanding actions from the previous inspection report.

What follows are excerpts from this inspection report. For more information read the full report on the next tab.

What the care home does well

All the written feedback we received from the people who use the service and their professional representatives was overall extremely positive about the standard of care provided at 32 Ringstead Road: All three of the people using the service who completed our questionnaires with support from their keyworkers told us:- they could always make decisions about what they did during the day, evenings, and the weekend; knew who they could speak to if they were unhappy about anything at their home; and, that their home was always kept fresh and clean. The majority also told us care staff and the manager always treated them well and listened to what they had to say. Similarly, the two social care professionals who completed our surveys told us the services assessment arrangements always ensured accurate information was gathered and that the right service is planned for the people they represent; the social and health care needs of the people who use the service were always properly monitored, reviewed and met; the service always supports people to administer their own medication, or manage it correctly where this is not possible; staff always respect peoples privacy and dignity, support individuals to live the life they choose; and, have the right skills and experience to meet peoples assessed needs. The service has developed some excellent arrangements to enable all the people who live their to express their views and influence the day-to-day running of their home. For example, people who use the service have the opportunity to regularly participate in residents meetings, where they can help plan what meals they eat, social activities they participate in and where they go on holiday. The providers have also introduced regular `listen to me` group forums which are held at Care UKs headquarters and are open to everyone who uses a Care UK service. A member of staff we spoke at length with told us the `listen to me` meetings were providing very popular with the people who use the service and had been a great success.The manager confirmed that as she had stated in the services AQAA Care UK were continuing to `pilot` a new care plan format which was being developed with the help of the `listen to me` group. A draft copy of the new care plan format looked far more person centred that than the plans currently in use and much easier to read. Staff we met told us they were looking forward to the new plans being introduced. It was positively noted that in line with best mental capacity practice the service has arranged for an independent advocate to represent an individual who lives at the home and have initiated a number of `best interest` meetings for all the relevant parties to attend and discuss how best to support this individual in the future. Staff we met told us people who use the service have more opportunities to participate in community based activities. Social activity records maintained by staff revealed the people who use the service regularly engage in age appropriate and interesting activities, such as shopping, ten pin bowling, cinema, and lunches out. The staff duty rosters also revealed the manager is quite flexible in her approach to planning them and always bases them on the social needs of the people who use the service. The food served at lunch at the time of this inspection looked appetising. The manager and staff we met all confirmed that as stated in the AQAA people who use the service can always choose the gender of the staff providing them personal care. The manager confirmed that as she had stated in the AQAA no major accidents or incidents involving any of the people who use the service had occurred since the last inspection. The services complaints log revealed that they had not received any formal concerns about how they operated. Staff we spoke with during this site visit demonstrated a good understanding of what constituted abuse and/or neglect, and what their reporting responsibilities were if they suspected and/or witnessed its occurrence within the home. The support worker we spoke at length with confirmed they had recently received safeguarding training. The manager confirmed that as she had stated in the AQAA the service had not experienced any safeguarding issues within the past twelve months. All seven of the staff who completed our surveys were also very positive about the service and told us there were always given enough up to date information about the needs of the people they supported; their employer had carried out satisfactory checks on them, such as Criminal Record Bureau and references, before they had started working there; their manager regularly met with them to discuss their working practises and offer them support; and, all felt they had enough experience and knowledge to meet the different needs of all the people they supported, and to deal with complaints and safeguarding issues. Furthermore, the majority of these staff also told us their induction covered most things they needed to know about their role as support workers, and there were usually enough of them on duty to effectively meet the individual needs of all the people who lived at 32 Ringstead Road. All the staff we met, including the manager, were observed interacting with the people who use the service in a very kind, respectful and professorial manner throughout the course of this site visit. The manager told us she has a full compliment of staff and has only needed to recruit two new members of staff in the past three years. We agree with the comments made by themanager about the benefits of experiencing such low rates of staff turnover because it ensures the people who use the service receive continuity of care from staff who are familiar with their unque needs, strengths, and preferences. It was evident from comments made by the manager and staff records we look at that the on-going training staff receive ensures they continue to have the right mix of knowldge and skills to carry out their care duties effectivley. Sufficient numbers of staff have achieved a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in supporting people with learning disabilities (level 2 or above); fire safety, first aid; food hygiene; moving and handling; safeguarding adults; managing behaviours that challenge; and, infection control. It was evident from the comments made by both the social care professionals who returned our surveys that they were impressed with the managers approach to running the service.

What the care home could do better:

We have no major concerns about this service and consequently have not made any new requirements for the provider to address, although we have made two good practise recommendations for the manager to consider implementing: The majority of the social care professionals and staff who feedback to us expressed some concern about the overall interior decor of 32 Ringstead Road. Typical written comments, included - `the home needs to pay more attention to the decor, and replace some of its worn out furniture and fittings`, and the home needs to be renovated from top to bottom to make it a more homely and comfortable place to live in`. We agree with the overall sentiment of these statements and agree with the services manager that the hallway and main lounge all need redecorating. These negative comments about some of the homes communal areas notwithstanding all the bedrooms we viewed were decorated to a reasonable standard. The manager and staff we met also told us that since the last inspection new sofas for the lounge and double beds for all the bedrooms had been purchased. During a tour of the premises wenoted new double beds in all the bedroom we viewed and agree with the managers comments that they will enhance the lives of the people who use the service. Staff we met told us they have a one-to-one supervisions with the homes manager at least once a month, but staff meetings were held less frequently. The manager provided us with the minutes of the last staff meeting, which was carried out over four months ago in January 2010. The manager acknowledged staff meetings should be held at more regular intervals and has promised to start holding them at least once every two months in line with recommended best practice.

Random inspection report Care homes for adults (18-65 years) Name: Address: 32 Ringstead Road 32 Ringstead Road Sutton Surrey SM1 4SJ three star excellent service The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: A quality rating is our assessment of how well a care home, agency or scheme is meeting the needs of the people who use it. We give a quality rating following a full review of the service. We call this review a ‘key’ inspection. This is a report of a random inspection of this care home. A random inspection is a short, focussed review of the service. Details of how to get other inspection reports for this care home, including the last key inspection report, can be found on the last page of this report. Lead inspector: Lee Willis Date: 1 4 0 6 2 0 1 0 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: 32 Ringstead Road 32 Ringstead Road Sutton Surrey SM1 4SJ 02086427725 02086427725 manager.ringsteadroad@careuk.com Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Charlotte Anne Louise Payne Type of registration: Number of places registered: Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Care Solutions Limited care home 6 Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 0 learning disability Conditions of registration: 6 The maximum number of service users to be accommodated is 6. The registered person may provide the following category/ies of service only: Care home only - (PC) to service users of the following gender: Either Whose primary care needs on admission to the home are within the following categories: Learning disability (LD). Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home 32 Ringstead Road provides residential care for up to six people with learning disabilities. The home is run by Care U.K. The home is a large property with accommodation provided over three floors. It is situated in a quiet residential road within walking distance of Sutton town centre. Each person has a single bedroom and Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 2 of 10 Brief description of the care home the communal facilities are adapted to meet individual needs. Information about the service is available in the Statement of Purpose and User Guide. Fees for the service are currently £1, 400 per week. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 3 of 10 What we found: From all the evidence gathered as part of the inspection process we still judge 32 Ringstead Road to be an excellent service which ensures the people who live there continue to experience excellent outcomes. A person who uses the service gave us a thumbs up when we asked them if they liked living at 32 Ringstead Road. We spent two hours at the service during which time we met three people who live there, the registered manager, and two support workers; looked at various records and documents held by the service on behalf of the people who use it; and, toured the premises. As part of the inspection process we have also used a lot of the written feedback we received from major stakeholders who returned our have your say comment cards and the Annual Quality Assurance Assessment (AQAA), which the services manager completed when we asked for it. We would like to thank all the people who contributed to this inspection for their time and feedback. What the care home does well: All the written feedback we received from the people who use the service and their professional representatives was overall extremely positive about the standard of care provided at 32 Ringstead Road: All three of the people using the service who completed our questionnaires with support from their keyworkers told us:- they could always make decisions about what they did during the day, evenings, and the weekend; knew who they could speak to if they were unhappy about anything at their home; and, that their home was always kept fresh and clean. The majority also told us care staff and the manager always treated them well and listened to what they had to say. Similarly, the two social care professionals who completed our surveys told us the services assessment arrangements always ensured accurate information was gathered and that the right service is planned for the people they represent; the social and health care needs of the people who use the service were always properly monitored, reviewed and met; the service always supports people to administer their own medication, or manage it correctly where this is not possible; staff always respect peoples privacy and dignity, support individuals to live the life they choose; and, have the right skills and experience to meet peoples assessed needs. The service has developed some excellent arrangements to enable all the people who live their to express their views and influence the day-to-day running of their home. For example, people who use the service have the opportunity to regularly participate in residents meetings, where they can help plan what meals they eat, social activities they participate in and where they go on holiday. The providers have also introduced regular listen to me group forums which are held at Care UKs headquarters and are open to everyone who uses a Care UK service. A member of staff we spoke at length with told us the listen to me meetings were providing very popular with the people who use the service and had been a great success. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 4 of 10 The manager confirmed that as she had stated in the services AQAA Care UK were continuing to pilot a new care plan format which was being developed with the help of the listen to me group. A draft copy of the new care plan format looked far more person centred that than the plans currently in use and much easier to read. Staff we met told us they were looking forward to the new plans being introduced. It was positively noted that in line with best mental capacity practice the service has arranged for an independent advocate to represent an individual who lives at the home and have initiated a number of best interest meetings for all the relevant parties to attend and discuss how best to support this individual in the future. Staff we met told us people who use the service have more opportunities to participate in community based activities. Social activity records maintained by staff revealed the people who use the service regularly engage in age appropriate and interesting activities, such as shopping, ten pin bowling, cinema, and lunches out. The staff duty rosters also revealed the manager is quite flexible in her approach to planning them and always bases them on the social needs of the people who use the service. The food served at lunch at the time of this inspection looked appetising. The manager and staff we met all confirmed that as stated in the AQAA people who use the service can always choose the gender of the staff providing them personal care. The manager confirmed that as she had stated in the AQAA no major accidents or incidents involving any of the people who use the service had occurred since the last inspection. The services complaints log revealed that they had not received any formal concerns about how they operated. Staff we spoke with during this site visit demonstrated a good understanding of what constituted abuse and/or neglect, and what their reporting responsibilities were if they suspected and/or witnessed its occurrence within the home. The support worker we spoke at length with confirmed they had recently received safeguarding training. The manager confirmed that as she had stated in the AQAA the service had not experienced any safeguarding issues within the past twelve months. All seven of the staff who completed our surveys were also very positive about the service and told us there were always given enough up to date information about the needs of the people they supported; their employer had carried out satisfactory checks on them, such as Criminal Record Bureau and references, before they had started working there; their manager regularly met with them to discuss their working practises and offer them support; and, all felt they had enough experience and knowledge to meet the different needs of all the people they supported, and to deal with complaints and safeguarding issues. Furthermore, the majority of these staff also told us their induction covered most things they needed to know about their role as support workers, and there were usually enough of them on duty to effectively meet the individual needs of all the people who lived at 32 Ringstead Road. All the staff we met, including the manager, were observed interacting with the people who use the service in a very kind, respectful and professorial manner throughout the course of this site visit. The manager told us she has a full compliment of staff and has only needed to recruit two new members of staff in the past three years. We agree with the comments made by the Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 5 of 10 manager about the benefits of experiencing such low rates of staff turnover because it ensures the people who use the service receive continuity of care from staff who are familiar with their unque needs, strengths, and preferences. It was evident from comments made by the manager and staff records we look at that the on-going training staff receive ensures they continue to have the right mix of knowldge and skills to carry out their care duties effectivley. Sufficient numbers of staff have achieved a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in supporting people with learning disabilities (level 2 or above); fire safety, first aid; food hygiene; moving and handling; safeguarding adults; managing behaviours that challenge; and, infection control. It was evident from the comments made by both the social care professionals who returned our surveys that they were impressed with the managers approach to running the service. Typical feedback we received about the manager, included she is a very good advocate for the service users - shes exceptional, and the service is led by a competent manager with the ability to set up packages of care suited to individual needs. Staff we met told us the manager was very approachable. The manger told us she is half way through her registered managers award which she hopes to have achieved by the end of the year (2010). The manager provided us with documentary evidence on request that showed us that in line with recommended best fire safety practice the fire alarm system was being tested on a weekly basis and most staff were regularly participating in fire evacuation drills (i.e. at least once every six months or so). The temperature of hot water emanating from a first floor bath was found to be a safe 43 degrees Celsius when we tested it at midday. Up to date Certificate of worthiness were made available on request that showed us the homes gas installations, portable electrical appliances, and electrical circuits - had all been tested by suitably qualified engineers in the past year in accordance with the manufactures guidelines. What they could do better: We have no major concerns about this service and consequently have not made any new requirements for the provider to address, although we have made two good practise recommendations for the manager to consider implementing: The majority of the social care professionals and staff who feedback to us expressed some concern about the overall interior decor of 32 Ringstead Road. Typical written comments, included - the home needs to pay more attention to the decor, and replace some of its worn out furniture and fittings, and the home needs to be renovated from top to bottom to make it a more homely and comfortable place to live in. We agree with the overall sentiment of these statements and agree with the services manager that the hallway and main lounge all need redecorating. These negative comments about some of the homes communal areas notwithstanding all the bedrooms we viewed were decorated to a reasonable standard. The manager and staff we met also told us that since the last inspection new sofas for the lounge and double beds for all the bedrooms had been purchased. During a tour of the premises we Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 6 of 10 noted new double beds in all the bedroom we viewed and agree with the managers comments that they will enhance the lives of the people who use the service. Staff we met told us they have a one-to-one supervisions with the homes manager at least once a month, but staff meetings were held less frequently. The manager provided us with the minutes of the last staff meeting, which was carried out over four months ago in January 2010. The manager acknowledged staff meetings should be held at more regular intervals and has promised to start holding them at least once every two months in line with recommended best practice. If you want to know what action the person responsible for this care home is taking following this report, you can contact them using the details set out on page 2. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 7 of 10 Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection? Yes £ No R Outstanding statutory requirements These are requirements that were set at the previous inspection, but have still not been met. They say what the registered person had to do to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 8 of 10 Requirements and recommendations from this inspection: Immediate requirements: These are immediate requirements that were set on the day we visited this care home. The registered person had to meet these within 48 hours. No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Statutory requirements These requirements set out what the registered person must do to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must do this within the timescales we have set. No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Recommendations These recommendations are taken from the best practice described in the National Minimum Standards and the registered person(s) should consider them as a way of improving their service. No Refer to Standard Good Practice Recommendations 1 24 The provider should establish a time specific rolling programme to have the services hallway and lounge redecorated. This will ensure the overall appearance of these communal areas are improved and will make 32 Ringstead Road a more homely and aesthetically pleasing place to live. The services manager should ensure staff meetings are held at more regular intervals (i.e. at least once every two months). This will ensure staff have far greater opportunities to share with their fellow peers and the manager experiences of both poor and best care practice. 2 36 Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 9 of 10 Reader Information Document Purpose: Author: Audience: Further copies from: Inspection Report Care Quality Commission General Public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) Our duty to regulate social care services is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000. Copies of the National Minimum Standards –Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or got from The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. 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