Random inspection report
Care homes for older people
Name: Address: Burcot Grange 23 Greenhill Blackwell Bromsgrove Worcestershire B60 1BJ 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: Lucy Bland Date: 1 6 0 6 2 0 1 0 Information about the care home
Name of care home: Address: Burcot Grange 23 Greenhill Blackwell Bromsgrove Worcestershire B60 1BJ 01214455552 01214478111 staff@burcotgrange.com Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Mr Stewart Mark Bales Type of registration: Number of places registered: Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Mrs Karen Beverley Bales,Mr Stewart Mark Bales care home 40 Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 0 40 40 dementia old age, not falling within any other category physical disability Conditions of registration: 40 0 40 The home may accomodate up to two service users, with needs in the above categories and who were aged between 50 and 65 years, for respite care only. The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is: 40 The registered person may provide the following category of service only: Care Home Only (Code PC); To service users of the following gender: Either; Whose primary care needs on admission to the home are within the following categories: Old age, not falling within any other category (OP) 40 Dementia (DE) 40 Physical Disability (PD) 40
Care Homes for Older People Page 2 of 9 Physical Disability -over 65 years of age (PD(E)) Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Burcot Grange is a large, detached Victorian building located in a rural setting in the village of Burcot. The premises have been developed and upgraded for their purpose as a residential care home for older people. A number of the rooms provide extensive views of the surrounding countryside. The home has two passenger lifts to enable the service users to access the accommodation above ground floor level more easily. The home has attractive, well-maintained gardens and external areas where the service users and their visitors can sit in warmer weather. Car parking facilities are provided at the front of the premises. The current owners have operated the home successfully since 1990. The home is registered to provide personal care for a maximum of forty older people who are frail and unable to live independently. The service users may also have a physical disability, sensory disability or mental health needs. The home is also able to accommodate up to three people with low dependency needs in two ground floor suites adjacent to the main building. Extensive roof space in the eaves of the premises has been utilised to provide three large, self-contained units that can accommodate a maximum of five people, who are primarily self-caring, but may also require support from staff. The home provides a respite care service and two rooms are used for this purpose. A day care service for a limited number of people can also be provided on request. The stated aim of the home is to provide high quality care by dedicated professional staff within a friendly, safe and comfortable environment where everyone has the opportunity to enjoy supportive independence with home comforts, freedom of choice and an individual life style. The reader is advised to contact the home directly for the most up to date information about fees. Care Homes for Older People Page 3 of 9 What we found:
We undertook this visit as a random inspection. This is when we visit the service to undertake a shorter inspection focused on a small number of areas. We did not let the provider know we were coming. Before undertaking the inspection, we asked the provider to send us some information about what they were doing to continue to develop the service. They provided this on time. This visit took place over one day and involved looking at a random sample of care plans, reviewing their monitoring arrangements of medication records, looking at complaints and safeguarding. Prior to this the service last had full key inspection which covered all the core standards in June 2007. At this inspection, this service was awarded an excellent, 3 star rating. During the visit we were guided through the communal areas of the home by one of the people who live there. We met with three other residents, one of whom was stayed there for respite. We also had the opportunity to speak to a relative. They were able to give us a useful insight as to what it was like to live/or have a relative live at Burcott Grange. What the care home does well:
When we arrived, we saw the gardeners working hard to maintain the grounds. The mobile library had just arrived which visits regularly. We were welcomed by the staff and introduced to a few of the people who live there. The home is set in grounds which are very well looked after. People we spoke to enjoyed making use of the patio area and outdoor areas generally, particularly in finer weather. We were told by a person who lived there that the gardeners had made raised beds to enable people with an interest in gardening to look after and grow their own vegetables. The building and environment is exceptionally maintained and reflects the character of the building. All of the people who live at the home were complimentary about the catering, activities and the majority of care staff, stating that they were kind and helpful. Throughout the inspection we observed staff to speak with people in a respectful manner. One relative told us that they were impressed with the level of communication when an event occurred in their relatives life. When talking to one person she said there is too much in terms of activities but sometimes chooses not to be involved and this is respected. This person told us about her progress in learning to use the computer and email. We spoke briefly to a staff member about the range of activities. There are monthly social diaries which involve activities in the communities as well as in-house activities. There is a clear commitment to bring the community into the home as well as get people who live in the home living as part of the wider community in Burcot. There are regular meetings for people who live at the service and they feed back issues of concern to the provider or manager for them to action. This person said that action is always taken to address and resolve matters. Two people made reference to the fact that they were always accompanied to
Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 9 appointments and this was included within the fees, which they found to be a great relief. There was evidence on the files of show how people were supported to attend healthcare appointments. There is a visiting chiropody service which people can use if they wish to. Within the grounds there is a separate hairdressing salon which is open on certain days of the week. One of the people we spoke to enjoyed visiting the hairdresser as it was an important part of their daily living. We were told that the hairdressing service is included in the fees when staying on respite. During our visit we saw that a marquee had been put up in readiness for the annual garden party. During the week that it is there, the provider told us that they were keen to make as much use of it as possible and therefore offered it out to other professionals or the local community such as local schools which the home maintain good links with. They saw this as a way of bringing the community into Burcot Grange as well as being involved in the community activities as well. One of the people who live there was particularly looking forward to the teddy bears picnic which brought the local school children to the home to make use of the outdoor facilities. This person went on to tell us that she regularly visits the school to listen to the children read which she thoroughly enjoyed. The home encourages people to maintain their independence and we saw evidence of good interaction between the staff and people who live at the service. All staff were observed to be obliging of any requests made by people and we were told that it was always that way. Everyone we spoke to felt that the would have no hesitation in speaking to the manager if they were unhappy, and all said that she would listen, respond and act on any concerns they had. The medication systems apart from one development area were robust. This means that people are properly safeguarded and receive their medication when they need it. During the inspection we had an opportunity to sit and talk to the provider about their future development of the service. Information shared with us at the the visit indicates that this a clearly a progressive provider who sees a clear link to involve the community in supporting service development. The provider is clear about the limitations given the layout of the building and the current service provision. What they could do better:
We saw a random sample of care plans. Where people have needs such as dementia or diabetes, there were was no specific care plan in place to support this. Additionally there was no recorded evidence of how the person was involved in the review of their plans. The manager acknowledged these as areas for development. Where people are prescribed as and when medication, a protocol should be developed for the use of this drug. This will enable the service to demonstrate how they monitor the effectiveness and use of the drug. This will ensure people are further safeguarded. There were two examples of safeguarding incidents which have occured recently. Whilst there is evidence to support that the person was safeguarded, the manager had not
Care Homes for Older People Page 5 of 9 referred these through to the safeguarding team. There was also evidence of where they had investigated a matter which should have been investigated by another body, such as the police. We therefore asked to look at their procedures. These were not detailed enough and did not provide the staff with enough guidance. The manager acknowledged that both these incidents were a learning curve for the management team and that they were always keen to do the right thing. We have since received written communication from the provider telling us that they have secured managers training on safeguarding in July 2010 and have requested a copy of Worcesters safeguarding procedures. They also sent us a revised copy of their safeguarding procedures. We are confident that the home will learn from these recent experiences and their referral and investigation processes in the future will be more robust. 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 Older People Page 6 of 9 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 Older People Page 7 of 9 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 7 Care plans should be developed around specific needs such as diabetes or dementia care. This will ensure that all staff follow consistent guidelines for supporting the person. Where people are prescribed as and when medication, a protocol for the use of this medication should be developed. 2 8 Care Homes for Older People Page 8 of 9 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 Older People 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. Online ordering from the Stationery Office is also available: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop 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 summary in a different format or language please contact our helpline or go to our website. © Care Quality Commission 2010 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any format or medium for noncommercial purposes, provided that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a derogatory manner or in a misleading context. The source should be acknowledged, by showing the publication title and © Care Quality Commission 2010. Care Homes for Older People Page 9 of 9 - Please note that this information is included on www.bestcarehome.co.uk under license from the regulator. Re-publishing this information is in breach of the terms of use of that website. Discrete codes and changes have been inserted throughout the textual data shown on the site that will provide incontrovertable proof of copying in the event this information is re-published on other websites. The policy of www.bestcarehome.co.uk is to use all legal avenues to pursue such offenders, including recovery of costs. You have been warned!
