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Inspection on 27/07/09 for 5 High Beech Close

Also see our care home review for 5 High Beech Close for more information

This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 27th July 2009.

it is an annual review prepared by CQC after examining previous reports and information from the provider. At the time of this report, CQC judged the service to be Good.

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.

Annual service review Name of Service: 5 High Beech Close The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: two star good service 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 We do an annual service review when there has been no key inspection of the service in the last 12 months. It does not involve a visit to the service but is a summary of new information given to us, or collected by us, since the last key inspection or annual service review.   Has this annual service review changed our opinion of the service?   No You should read the last key inspection report for this service to get a full picture of how well outcomes for the people using the service are being met. The date by which we will do a key inspection: Name of inspector: Michele Etherton Date of this annual service review: 2 4 0 7 2 0 0 9 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 7 Information about the service Address of service: 5 High Beech Close St Leonards-on-sea East Sussex TN37 7TT 01424850785 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:   www.eastviewhousing.co.uk East View Housing Management Ltd Name of registered provider(s): Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : learning disability Conditions of registration: Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 4 0 The maximum number of service users to bew accommodated is 4 The registered person may provide the following category 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 category : Learning disability (LD) Have there been any changes in the ownership, management or the Yes service’s registration details in the last 12 months? If yes, what have they been: YES previous registered manager has left, a new manager has been appointed and is due to commence employment in August 2009. The service is currently being managed by the deputy manager with support from the area managers Date of last key inspection: Date of last annual service review (if applicable): Brief description of the service 5 High Beech Close is owned and managed by East View Housing Management Limited (EVH) and is home to 4 younger adults with learning disabilities and at present are all female. The house is a modern executive style and has four bedrooms. It provides spacious accommodation for four female residents, with a kitchen, utility room off the kitchen, dining and lounge areas. It has a reasonable sized back garden and driveway Annual Service Review Page 2 of 7 to the front of the house. The house is situated off the main road, which has bus routes to Hastings and Battle. The service users attend various day services during the week and are supported to pursue leisure opportunities in the evenings and weekends. Annual Service Review Page 3 of 7 Service update since the last key inspection or annual service review: What did we do for this annual service review? We looked at all the information that we have received, or asked for, since the last key inspection or annual service review. This included: The annual quality assurance assessment (AQAA) that was sent to us by the service. The AQAA is a self-assessment that focuses on how well outcomes are being met for people using the service. It also gave us some numerical information about the service. Surveys have been distributed to people who live at the home and staff but these are still to be returned, and will be taken into consideration if received prior to finalizing of the report. Information we have about how the service has managed any complaints. What the service has told us about things that have happened in the service, these are called notifications and are a legal requirement. The previous key inspection and the results of any other visits that we have made to the service in the last 12 months. Relevant information from other organizations. What other people have told us about the service. What has this told us about the service? Since the last inspection the registered manager has left and a new manager has been recruited and appointed, they will commence work as the manager in August 2009, and are currently undergoing a period of induction. In the absence of a registered manager the service has been managed by the deputy manager. The home did not send us their annual quality assurance assessment AQAA when we asked for it. This would seem to be an oversight following the departure of the previous manager, the service were able to send us a copy as soon as we requested it. This had been completed to a reasonable standard only, and did not provide us with all the information we needed. We discussed shortfalls in the AQAA content with the deputy manager, as this would benefit from improved detail and content in future versions; to more fully illustrate the day to day operation of the service and recent and planned improvements. At the last key inspection we issued four requirements for improved practice, these related to the frequency of electrical installation servicing, evidence of monthly provider visits to monitor quality, improvements in the induction and mandatory training of staff, and the content of staff files. Annual Service Review Page 4 of 7 The AQAA makes no reference to what actions the service has taken in addressing these requirements. We have contacted the service and spoken with the deputy manager who has confirmed that: the electrical installation was serviced on 29/7/2008. A review of the AQAA dataset completed by the home indicates that, the frequency of fire alarm servicing has drifted, this has been drawn to the attention of the deputy manager who has agreed to pursue this. In discussion with both the deputy manager and a member of staff we are satisfied that regulation 26 visits are being robustly undertaken on a monthly basis. The AQAA informs us that there has been a period of staff turnover but this has now stabilised. The recruitment of more experienced staff, has improved continuity for residents. Discussion with the deputy manager indicates that recruitment of new staff is being undertaken comprehensively, the content of staff files has also been improved upon. The AQAA dataset informs us that 75 of the staff team have attained NVQ2. New staff receive induction, but, it remains unclear if this is compliant with skills for care. There is a need for the service to ensure that staff induction is sufficiently compliant to fully address the outstanding requirement. Residents are supportedd to maintain contacts with family and friends and the service has been proactive over the last twelve months in improving these contacts for one resident in particular. Residents have developed an active social life, and are actively involved in decision making about activities and choices of holiday. Residents have indicated a wish to visit Euro Disney for next years holiday and this is under consideration. Finances permitting the service is planning to introduce monthly day trips. The AQAA informs us that residents play an active role in the household tasks and take pride in the appearance of their home. They are offered opportunities to express views and opinions about furnishing and decor requirements. They are encouraged to maintain a community presence and to use public transport where possible to travel to activities. New life plan formats that incorporate a health plan section have been implemented, these require greater involvement by residents. The AQAA tells us that the service ensures that residents receive all primary health checks and are supported to access health appointments. The service has worked hard to develop positive relationships with health and social care professionals to aid and support their understanding of specific residents and their needs. Through these contacts the staff team has developed an improved awareness and understanding of when and who to refer health matters to. Some minor improvements to the garden environment have provided better access to the clothes line for residents. Raised flower beds have enabled some residents to continue to enjoy gardening activities. The AQAA dataset informs us that no complaints have been received by the service, we have checked this with the deputy manager who confirms this to be the case. Annual Service Review Page 5 of 7 Improved communication has enabled residents to have a better understanding of the complaints procedure. There are plans to provide an audio format of policy and procedure information to better inform those residents who would benefit from this. A new health and safety officer has been appointed by the company and has developed new policy and procedure files in regard to health and safety and fire safety. Monthly health and safety audits of the service are undertaken. Residents are actively involved in fire drills and are encouraged to attend heath and safety courses at Reilly House day centre, these have included food hygeiene, fire safety, and first aid. One resident has obtained a certificate of attendance for a fire safety and first aid course. We looked at the information in the AQAA and our judgement is that the home is still providing a good service and that they know what further improvements they need to make. What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? We are not going to change our inspection plan, and will do a key inspection by 28Th July 2010. However we can inspect the service at any time if we have concerns about the quality of the service or the safety of the people using the service. Annual Service Review Page 6 of 7 Reader Information Document Purpose: Author: Audience: Further copies from: Annual service review CQC General Public 0870 240 7535 (national contact centre) Our duty to regulate social care services is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000. The content of which can be found on our website. Helpline: Telephone: 03000 616161 Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk Web: www.cqc.org.uk We want people to be able to access this information. If you would like a copy of the findings in a different format or language please contact our helpline or go to our website. Copyright © (2009) Care Quality Commission (CQC). 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