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Inspection on 14/01/10 for Apton Road

Also see our care home review for Apton Road for more information

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

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: Apton Road The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: two star good service 1 5 1 2 2 0 0 8 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: Alison Butler Date of this annual service review: 1 1 1 2 2 0 0 9 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 6 Information about the service Address of service: 34 Apton Road Bishops Stortford Hertfordshire CM23 3SN 01279755656 01279505939 lizoreilly@hertscc.gov.uk Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:   Name of registered provider(s): Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : learning disability Hertfordshire County Council Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 4 0 Have there been any changes in the ownership, management or the No service’s registration details in the last 12 months? If yes, what have they been: Date of last key inspection: Date of last annual service review (if applicable): Brief description of the service 34 Apton Road is a four-bedroom two storey house standing within the 32-40 Apton Road supported living complex of buildings operated by Hertfordshire County Council. Number 34 has been separately registered as a care home providing respite care to a maximum of four adults with learning disabilities at any one time. The house is fully equipped with lounge, dining room, kitchen, utility room, bathroom with large walk in shower and toilets. On the first floor there are four single bedrooms a bathroom and an office. There is a large garden to the rear with a patio and terraced lawn area accessed by some steps. The house is only able to accommodate fully ambulant residents as it is not wheelchair accessible as it has no lift. The Apton Road complex is effectively in a cul-de-sac, located very close to the centre of Bishops Stortford with its shops, amenities and mainline railway station. The site offers easy access to all public transport and community facilities and there is a day centre in the same road. 1 5 1 2 2 0 0 8 Annual Service Review Page 2 of 6 The fees are variable and are assessed by Hertfordshire Social Services according to individual incomes. Information about the service is available in the statement of purpose and service user guide. These and the most recent inspection report are available from the service. Annual Service Review Page 3 of 6 Service update since the last key inspection or annual service review: What did we do for this annual service review? We looked at the information that we have received, or asked for, since the last key inspection on 15 December 2008. This included :- The Annual Quality Assurance Assessment (AQAA) that was sent to us by the manager. 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 - these are sent to the home to get the views of those living their about the care and support they receive. - Information we have about how the service has managed any complaints. - What the service has told about the 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 organisations. What has this told us about the service? The manager returned the completed Annual Quality Assurance Assessment (AQAA) and we looked at the information provided. In our judgement the home is still providing a good service. The manage states that they seek the views of the people who use the service through surveys which they give to the people who live at Apton Road. hey conduct care practice audits which are based on the Care Standards Act 2000, they record both compliments and complaints and act on anything they feel will improve the service for the residents. The residents are included in the selection of staff. The residents have been involved in the welcome pack for the home and this has been produced in an easy read format. The AQAA states that they have made changes as a result of listening to people and these include the purchasing of a flat screen TV, more recreational activities for the winter months, they have refurbished the kitchen, laundry and downstairs toilet, they have made the patio area in the garden much larger. To promote equality and diversity the manager states within the AQAA that where areas are identified or known they would recorde then on the support plans for the residents. Policies and procedures in place which include areas relating to race, sexism and ageism to ensure staff are clear on what is acceptable behaviour. They have a calendar in place to provide them with dates of religious festivals to ensure they celebrate where appropriate. The manager states that the barriers they have found over the last 12 months which have hindered some improvements were poor information from referring social workers, issues with transport which resulted in residents not always getting to their regular day activities, the speed for redecoration has been slow. They have tried to reduce the impact on the residents by offering a day time service and negotiating with the local multi purpose day centre. The manager states the improvements for the coming year which have been identified include ensuring that support plans are changed as required and they continue to identify residents needs. To complete training for all staff in person centred planning, Annual Service Review Page 4 of 6 Mental Capacity & Safeguarding. Comments received from staff, resident and professional surveys what the service does well includes friendly warm environmenttreat everyone as individuals promote independence service users are well cared for staff respond promptly when an emergency arises I am relaxed and can do what I want in my room spend time to chat they take us out I like going to respite. Improvements that have been commented on include more support from the management training to use computers need further decoration in the home increase staff levels when everyone at home to allow people to go out. What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? We can inspect the service at any time if we have any concerns about the care provided but there is no indication at this time that an inspection is required in the immediate future. The next key inspection of this service will be undertaken in line with our methodology unless information received suggests that an earlier visit is necessary. As with all care services, information will continue to be gathered over the intervening period. The home;s performance will be subject to a process of continual assessment and evaluation in the light of any information received, with appropriate regulatory action being taken as indicated. Annual Service Review Page 5 of 6 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. 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