Inspection on 15/12/09 for FCH Southbrook Road

This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 15th December 2009.

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.

Other inspections for this house

FCH Southbrook Road 23/11/05

FCH Southbrook Road 06/06/05

FCH Southbrook Road 25/11/04

FCH Southbrook Road 30/06/04

FCH Southbrook Road 18/03/04

Similar services:

Polesworth Group Friary Road

Polesworth Group Pooley Heights

Polesworth Group 32 Station Road

Polesworth Group 70 Long Street

Breme

Polesworth Group 64 Long Street

Polesworth Group 68 Long Street

10 Whitfield Avenue

Extracts from inspection reports are licensed from CQC, this page was updated on 10/04/2010.

Key inspection report Care homes for adults (18-65 years) Name: Address: FCH Southbrook Road 3/4 Southbrook Road Rugby Warwickshire CV22 5NS     The quality rating for this care home is:   three star excellent service A quality rating is our assessment of how well a care home 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 full review a ‘key’ inspection. Lead inspector: Justine Poulton     Date: 0 5 0 1 2 0 1 0 This is a review of quality of outcomes that people experience in this care home. We believe high quality care should • • • • • Be safe Have the right outcomes, including clinical outcomes Be a good experience for the people that use it Help prevent illness, and promote healthy, independent living Be available to those who need it when they need it. The first part of the review gives the overall quality rating for the care home: • • • • 3 2 1 0 stars - excellent stars - good star - adequate star - poor There is also a bar chart that gives a quick way of seeing the quality of care that the home provides under key areas that matter to people. There is a summary of what we think this service does well, what they have improved on and, where it applies, what they need to do better. We use the national minimum standards to describe the outcomes that people should experience. National minimum standards are written by the Department of Health for each type of care service. After the summary there is more detail about our findings. The following table explains what you will see under each outcome area. Outcome area (for example Choice of home) These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. that people have said are important to them: They reflect the things This box tells you the outcomes that we will always inspect against when we do a key inspection. This box tells you any additional outcomes that we may inspect against when we do a key inspection. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: This box tells you our opinion of what we have looked at in this outcome area. We will say whether it is excellent, good, adequate or poor. Evidence: This box describes the information we used to come to our judgement. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 2 of 30 We review the quality of the service against outcomes from the National Minimum Standards (NMS). Those standards are written by the Department of Health for each type of care service. Copies of the National Minimum Standards – Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or bought 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 The mission of the Care Quality Commission is to make care better for people by: • Regulating health and adult social care services to ensure quality and safety standards, drive improvement and stamp out bad practice • Protecting the rights of people who use services, particularly the most vulnerable and those detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 • Providing accessible, trustworthy information on the quality of care and services so people can make better decisions about their care and so that commissioners and providers of services can improve services. • Providing independent public accountability on how commissioners and providers of services are improving the quality of care and providing value for money. Reader Information Document Purpose Author Audience Further copies from Copyright Inspection report Care Quality Commission General public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) © Care Quality Commission 2010 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any format or medium for non-commercial 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. www.cqc.org.uk Internet address Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 3 of 30 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: FCH Southbrook Road 3/4 Southbrook Road Rugby Warwickshire CV22 5NS 01788816928 F/P01788816928 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Type of registration: Number of places registered: FCH - Housing and Care care home 6 Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 learning disability Additional conditions: The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is: 6 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: Learning disability (LD) 6 Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home 3/4 Southbrook Road is a registered care home for six younger adults with learning disability. FCH Housing and Care, (FCH), provides 24 hour care and support for the people living in the home. The home provides two separate living accommodations each providing a living environment for three people. The living accommodation at 3 Southbrook includes a lounge, with dining area, kitchen, bathroom and three individual bedrooms. Living accommodation at 4 Southbrook includes a lounge, kitchen with dining area, bathroom and three bedrooms, one of which is situated on the ground floor and has an en-suite facility. There is a shared laundry area connecting the two houses. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 4 of 30 Over 65 0 6 Brief description of the care home The service is situated on the outskirts of Rugby town centre close to a small shopping precinct, and other local facilities. There is a parking area to the front of the property and a large landscaped, accessible shared garden to the rear of both houses. Access can be gained to each house independently and there is a third entrance for staff coming on duty. Information relating to the fees charged for the service provided at this home was not made available to us. The reader may wish to contact the the home directly for this information. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 5 of 30 Summary This is an overview of what we found during the inspection. The quality rating for this care home is: Our judgement for each outcome: three star excellent service Choice of home Individual needs and choices Lifestyle Personal and healthcare support Concerns, complaints and protection Environment Staffing Conduct and management of the home peterchart Poor Adequate Good Excellent How we did our inspection: This was a key inspection undertaken by one inspector over two days and was unannounced. This inspection included talking to the staff and the manager about their work and the training they have completed. We also talked to the people who live in the home as far as we were able within their communication abilities. This was a full key unannounced inspection of this home. A key inspection addresses the essential aspects of operating a care home. This type of inspection seeks to establish evidence of safety and positive outcomes for the people using the service. The inspection focused on assessing the main key national minimum standards. As part of the inspection process we reviewed information about the home that is held on file by us, such as notifications of accidents, allegations and incidents and complaints. We also sent an Annual Quality Assurance Assessment (AQAA) to the manager to complete. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 6 of 30 The manager completed and returned the Annual Quality Assurance Assessment (AQAA), containing helpful information about the home in time for the inspection. The previous key inspection visit to this service was undertaken on 28th December 2006. The inspection included meeting all of the people currently resident in the home and case tracking the needs of two people. This involves looking at peoples care plans and health records and checking how their needs are met in practice. A number of records, such as support plans, complaints records, staff training information and health and safety records were also sampled for information as part of this inspection. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 7 of 30 What the care home does well: What has improved since the last inspection? What they could do better: We have not made any requirements as a result of this inspection, however we have Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 8 of 30 made the following good practice recommendation. An effective way of assessing peoples views of the service they receive, that is suitable for their individual means of communication, should be considered to demonstrate that their views are sought as part of the homes formal quality review process. 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 on page 4. The report of this inspection is available from our website www.cqc.org.uk. You can get printed copies from enquiries@cqc.org.uk or by telephoning our order line 0870 240 7535. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 9 of 30 Details of our findings Contents Choice of home (standards 1 - 5) Individual needs and choices (standards 6-10) Lifestyle (standards 11 - 17) Personal and healthcare support (standards 18 - 21) Concerns, complaints and protection (standards 22 - 23) Environment (standards 24 - 30) Staffing (standards 31 - 36) Conduct and management of the home (standards 37 - 43) Outstanding statutory requirements Requirements and recommendations from this inspection Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 10 of 30 Choice of home These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People are confident that the care home can support them. This is because there is an accurate assessment of their needs that they, or people close to them, have been involved in. This tells the home all about them, what they hope for and want to achieve, and the support they need. People can decide whether the care home can meet their support and accommodation needs. This is because they, and people close to them, can visit the home and get full, clear, accurate and up to date information. If they decide to stay in the home they know about their rights and responsibilities because there is an easy to understand contract or statement of terms and conditions between the person and the care home that includes how much they will pay and what the home provides for the money. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. Potential residents can be confident that the home will undertake all necessary assessments in order to ensure that it can meet their assessed care and support needs. Evidence: The home has a written Statement of Purpose in place. There is also a Service User Guide that has been produced in photographic format with accompanying pictures of relevant makaton signs and symbols. We were told that this format suits the people living in the home as it can be gone through with them and they can see the pictures that relate to what is being said. A copy of this was available in the hallway of each property. The home currently has one vacancy. We were told that a referral for this has been received recently. The home has a referral and admission policy and procedure which include the completion of the organisations assessment documentation, visits to meet any potential resident and visits by any potential resident to the home. The manager said that she was just waiting for the go ahead from social services so that she could Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 11 of 30 Evidence: begin this process with a view to supporting the person referred to move in, assuming that the home could effectively meet their needs and they demonstrated a desire to move in after visiting. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 12 of 30 Individual needs and choices These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People’s needs and goals are met. The home has a plan of care that the person, or someone close to them, has been involved in making. People are able to make decisions about their life, including their finances, with support if they need it. This is because the staff promote their rights and choices. People are supported to take risks to enable them to stay independent. This is because the staff have appropriate information on which to base decisions. People are asked about, and are involved in, all aspects of life in the home. This is because the manager and staff offer them opportunities to participate in the day to day running of the home and enable them to influence key decisions. People are confident that the home handles information about them appropriately. This is because the home has clear policies and procedures that staff follow. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People can be confident that support planning is improving, however there remains scope for increasing the level of information in some care plans to ensure that staff have the information they require to meet peoples needs in the way they prefer. Evidence: Each person living in the home has a large support plan in place that contains individual care and support plans pertinent to the their assessed needs. The assistant team leader said that she is in the process of rewriting the current care and support plans into person centered tenant profiles following review in June 2009 that will be easier for staff to access thus ensuring that they have the information they need to provide care and support. Two people were chosen for case tracking purposes, and we looked at their files with their permission. Both had tenant profiles in place that clearly detailed the support strategies for each persons morning routine, day opportunities and evening routines. Areas such as using the kitchen; housekeeping; traveling; mobility; specialist Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 13 of 30 Evidence: healthcare and night support were covered. In addition the assistant team leader said that pertinent care plans and risk assessments that support the information in the tenancy profiles would be added as necessary but she was still working on these. Care plans available in the new format in one file we looked at included using a walking frame, physiotherapy, sensory sessions and attending Gateway Club. These were all dated within the last three months. Examples of risk assessments available in this file included slipping, scalding, falling out of the hoist sling and having a seizure whilst out or in the bath. Again these were all dated within the last three months and provided information for the staff to be able to support people with taking risks in a safe environment. We were not able to determine whether the care plans and risk assessments within this file had been reviewed prior to being rewritten as we were told they had been archived. In the second file we looked at, the care plans and risk assessments available were dated 2006 or 2007. We have been told that these had been reviewed in June 2009, and information to confirm this has subsequently been provided. The assistant team leader showed us some completed care plans and risk assessments in the new format for this second person but said that she had not put them out for use yet as she was still working on them. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 14 of 30 Lifestyle These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: Each person is treated as an individual and the care home is responsive to his or her race, culture, religion, age, disability, gender and sexual orientation. They can take part in activities that are appropriate to their age and culture and are part of their local community. The care home supports people to follow personal interests and activities. People are able to keep in touch with family, friends and representatives and the home supports them to have appropriate personal, family and sexual relationships. People are as independent as they can be, lead their chosen lifestyle and have the opportunity to make the most of their abilities. Their dignity and rights are respected in their daily life. People have healthy, well-presented meals and snacks, at a time and place to suit them. People have opportunities to develop their social, emotional, communication and independent living skills. This is because the staff support their personal development. People choose and participate in suitable leisure activities. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The people living in this home are offered a variety of age, peer and culturally appropriate activities. Peoples relationships with families and friends are supported and promoted. People eat a healthy, nutritious diet of their choosing. Evidence: Two people living in this home access formal day service provisions. The remaining three choose to have their day opportunities provided by the staff of the home. Information provided by the AQAA records that Day opportunities run from the home for three service users and are tailored around the needs and wishes of service users. Staff are fully committed to accessing a wide range of activities. This was clear from the records we looked at which had activities such as day trips to nearby towns, local garden centres, pub visits, meals out, swimming, bowling, sensory sessions and a trip to the Space Centre in Leicester. As this inspection visit was undertaken around Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 15 of 30 Evidence: christmas time, seasonal activities such as a ride on a Santa special steam train and a trip to the Milton Keynes Christmas display were recorded, and everyone was off out to a carol service on the first day of this inspection. Both houses were decorated for Christmas, with a number of the decorations having been made by the people who live in the home. Although two people attend formal day service provisions during the week, they are offered a variety of activities during the evenings and weekend. We saw an evening and weekend activities structure in place in one of the files we looked at, which clearly identified the activities chosen and the staff allocated to support with them. Staff have a variety of activities that they also encourage people to participate in such as craft nights, games nights, and themed events. The home considers contact with relatives and friends to be of paramount importance to the people living there, and provides support to maintain these as much or as little as is required. We saw copies of letters sent to relatives by people living in the home and staff told us about relatives and friends that either visit or that they support people to visit. The AQAA tells us that two people are part of a local community group which meets regularly for varying activities, another who has a friend from college that she invites for tea occasionally and a third who regularly invites a relative round for a meal. Staff we spoke with confirmed that the people concerned really enjoy this level of contact with their friend and relations. We spoke to staff about the activities that people participate in and they told us about the keyworker meetings with people where a photographic record of what people have been doing is made. We looked at the most recent ones of these for the people we case tracked, which were not only a formal record of activities offered, but a nice reminder for people to look at as well. Each of the houses has a domestic kitchen both of which were clean and tidy. Plenty of fresh, frozen and processed foods were available for people to choose from. Weekly menus are planned with the people living in each house based on the preferences of the people, healthy eating principles and any specialist diets that need to be maintained. We saw one person being offered a pureed meal. We asked the staff about the presentation of such meals, and they confirmed that even though a meal may need to be pureed it would still be presented as you would an ordinary meal to ensure that the flavours and tastes of the food remain separate to assist with the enjoyment of the food. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 16 of 30 Evidence: All of the health and safety checks necessary for food safety were in place. These included daily recording of the fridge and freezer temperatures and the core temperatures of cooked or reheated processed foods. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 17 of 30 Personal and healthcare support These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People receive personal support from staff in the way they prefer and want. Their physical and emotional health needs are met because the home has procedures in place that staff follow. If people take medicine, they manage it themselves if they can. If they cannot manage their medicine, the care home supports them with it in a safe way. If people are approaching the end of their life, the care home will respect their choices and help them to feel comfortable and secure. They, and people close to them, are reassured that their death will be handled with sensitivity, dignity and respect, and take account of their spiritual and cultural wishes. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People can be confident that they will receive the care and medication they need. They can also be sure that they will have their healthcare needs monitored. Evidence: Information regarding the levels of personal care needed by the people living in the home were recorded within the two tenant profiles looked at. This information was clear and ensures that staff are able to provide assistance as necessary. Staff on duty were able to describe the levels of care and support people need, and were seen to attend to any such needs quickly and with sensitivity, ensuring that doors to rooms were closed whilst they were assisting people. Everyone at home during the inspection was dressed nicely in clean modern clothes that reflected individual personalities. Information in the AQAA records that we work with a number of healthcare professionals and have built very good working relationships so as to ensure that we are providing the right support to each individual. This was demonstrated in the way that people are supported with their healthcare needs to ensure that they attend routine healthcare appointments at the recommended intervals, and make use of more specialist health care professionals as necessary. We saw records of Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 18 of 30 Evidence: appointments with most routine healthcare providers such as the GP, optician and chiropodist along with details of the outcomes of any such appointments and treatments necessary however although records indicate that people have access to a local dentist, there were no records of dental appointments for the two people we cased tracked. This was pointed out to the assistant team leader who undertook to address this. We have subsequently been provided with evidence to confirm that these two people have gum healtth checks with their dentist every two years. Records to confirm that people have appointments with more specialist healthcare professionals such as the dietician, physiotherapist, stoma nurse or specialist appliance clinic were also available. Medication is provided to the home by a local pharmacy predominately in multi dispensing systems (MDS). The only exception to this is if the medication is unsuitable for a MDS. Medication administration record charts (MAR) are completed for each person. There is a photograph of each person in front of the corresponding MAR chart to aid staff in ensuring they are giving the correct medication to the right person. The assistant team leader told us that she holds responsibility for ordering medication, booking it into the service when it arrives and dealing with any returns. She told us that she photocopies the original prescription as a record of what has been prescribed. This is then used in the booking in process to ensure that no errors of dispensing have occurred at the pharmacy. She also showed us the medication audits that she does on a daily basis along with the forms that get completed if ever there is a medication error. We were told that medication errors happen very infrequently, but that there is a specific disciplinary procedure for staff to go through as a learning process if ever they do occur. Training records provided by the home indicated that the majority of the staff team had received training in The care of Medicines within the last three years along with annual competency checks. We identified five staff that did not appear to have had training in this area within this time frame in the records we saw. We have subsequently been provided with information that confirms that all permanemt staff, had been trained in the administration of medication and that training records have been updated accordingly. The MAR charts of the two people chosen for case tracking were looked at and found to be completed correctly, with the right codes for non administration being recorded where necessary. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 19 of 30 Concerns, complaints and protection These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: If people have concerns with their care, they or people close to them, know how to complain. Their concern is looked into and action taken to put things right. The care home safeguards people from abuse, neglect and self-harm and takes action to follow up any allegations. There are no additional outcomes. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People living in the home can be confident that their concerns will be listened to and acted on. There are systems in place to respond to suspicion or allegations of abuse to make sure people living in the home are protected from harm. Evidence: The home has a compliments and complaints policy and procedure in place. As well as the written form of this, the procedure has been provided in audio format on CD as it was felt that this was the most appropriate method for the people currently living in the home. We listened to the CD, which was clearly spoken and easy to understand. The assistant team leader said that the home had fostered very positive relationships with peoples families and friends. This has resulted in them being comfortable in expressing any concerns that they may have, as they know that they will be listened to and their concerns addressed. A compliments and complaints log was available within the home. No complaints were recorded for the previous 12 months, however there were four letters of compliment and one newspaper article expressing thanks to the service for the previous 12 months. The AQAA states that no complaints have been received in the last 12 months, similarly we have not received any either. The home has a policy and procedure on the safeguarding of vulnerable adults in place. Training records indicate that the majority of staff have received training in this area over the last two years. Although training records indicatd that four staff require Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 20 of 30 Evidence: training in this area, we were told that these are the four newest staff members, who are currently working through the distance learning safeguarding programme used by the home. In addition they are registered on the Learning Disability Qualification which also addresses the abuse of vulnerable adults. We spoke to three staff members who confirmed that they had received training, and were able to explain what they understood abuse to be and what they would do if they suspected or witnessed any form of abuse, I would report it to the assistant team leader or manager immediately. The home does not hold appointeeship responsibility for any of the people living there, however they are responsible for supporting people with their everyday finances. We looked at the financial records of the two people we case tracked. They were clear and demonstrated a generally robust system to ensure that people were not vulnerable to financial abuse. The organisations policy is for two people to sign each transaction; however we did note that on occasion this was not happening. We brought this to the attention of the manager who said she would ensure that staff were adhering to the procedure in future. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 21 of 30 Environment These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People stay in a safe and well-maintained home that is homely, clean, comfortable, pleasant and hygienic. People stay in a home that has enough space and facilities for them to lead the life they choose and to meet their needs. The home makes sure they have the right specialist equipment that encourages and promotes their independence. Their room feels like their own, it is comfortable and they feel safe when they use it. People have enough privacy when using toilets and bathrooms. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People live in comfortable, clean and homely accomodation that is decorated and furnished to a high standard. Evidence: This service consists of two houses that are joined together by a large utility room. Staff spoken with said that they try to ensure that each house functions individually, but that people will often pop next door to visit. Each house has three bedrooms, a lounge, kitchen or kitchen /diner, and appropriate toilet and bathrooms facilities. In one house there is a ground floor bedroom to accommodate the physical needs of that particular individual. Other equipment was in place to support the needs of the people living in the home, such as a stair lift, hoist and aids and adaptations in the bathrooms. Both houses were decorated nicely with modern soft furnishings and furniture throughout. Bedrooms looked at were decorated to a good standard and were highly personalised with pictures, ornaments, soft toys and photographs. One person has a pet cat, whose bed was located directly outside her bedroom door. The home has appropriate facilities in place to reduce the risk of cross infection. Hand washing basins are available in the kitchen and laundry and appropriate cleaning Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 22 of 30 Evidence: materials and equipment were available. As already recorded, the houses share a large laundry room. The laundry facilities are appropriate for the needs of the home. They consist of an industrial washing machine, which has a facility to wash items at high temperatures if required and an industrial tumble dryer. Cleaning materials were stored securely, and data sheets were available to ensure that they are used safely inline with the manufacturers guidelines. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 23 of 30 Staffing These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People have safe and appropriate support as there are enough competent, qualified staff on duty at all times. They have confidence in the staff at the home because checks have been done to make sure that they are suitable. People’s needs are met and they are supported because staff get the right training, supervision and support they need from their managers. People are supported by an effective staff team who understand and do what is expected of them. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People who use the service can be confident that suitable staff are recruited appropriately, and that they have the knowledge and skills needed to meet their needs. Evidence: The home functions with sufficient numbers of staff available to meet peoples needs. The assistant team leader told us that there are usually four staff on in the morning and three in the afternoon, with the day opportunities worker crossing over both to co ordinate the day services for the people that do not attend formal day service facilities. The duty rotas that we looked at confirmed that these staffing levels are the norm, and staff spoken with said that they felt that there were generally always enough staff around to support people with both their personal care and health needs, as well as the activities they participate in on a day to day basis. There is also a waking night staff member on duty over night. The manager is supernumerary to the rota and the assistant team leader works a mixture of shift and office hours as required. We looked at the files of four staff members that we were told had been recruited since the last key inspection of the home. Records available within these files confirmed that the necessary recruitment checks such as a criminal records bureau Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 24 of 30 Evidence: disclosure, two written references, proof of identity and a full employment history had been sought as part of the recruitment process. This ensures that the process is robust and safeguards vulnerable people against potential abuse. Training records provided by the manager during this visit indicate that staff have received the necessary training in the basic mandatory subjects which include fire safety, emergency first aid, moving and handling people and food hygiene. In addition training in areas such as stoma care, lone working, health and safety, safeguarding vulnerable adults and care of medication have been provided to ensure that staff are able to meet peoples assessed needs. In addition to the training provided by the organisation the AQAA states that All staff have the opportunity to access external training through our personal development plan training. This is part funded by the organisation and allows staff to access specific course that they may wish to do that will then benefit the rest of the staff team and the people living in the home. The AQAA records that Currently we have over 75 of the team with an NVQ qualification. This was confirmed by the training records we saw. Three of the staff that we spoke to during this visit confirmed that they have completed their NVQ III qualification. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 25 of 30 Conduct and management of the home These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People have confidence in the care home because it is run and managed appropriately. People’s opinions are central to how the home develops and reviews their practice, as the home has appropriate ways of making sure they continue to get things right. The environment is safe for people and staff because health and safety practices are carried out. People get the right support from the care home because the manager runs it appropriately, with an open approach that makes them feel valued and respected. They are safeguarded because the home follows clear financial and accounting procedures, keeps records appropriately and makes sure staff understand the way things should be done. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People who live in this home benefit from a suitably qualified and experienced manager who ensures that the service is managed in their best interests. People can be confident that their health and safety is maintained. Evidence: The home is managed by an experienced, appropriately qualified registered manager who is supported by an assistant team leader who is also appropriately qualified and has considerable experience of working with people with learning disabilities. Staff spoken with during this visit made reference to previous poor temporary management and low morale, but were keen to say that they felt the current management team were positive, approachable and had successfully worked to raise morale to its former levels. The home undertakes a quality assurance survey on an annual basis. This involves sending out questionnaires to relatives, staff and any other key stakeholders in order to find out their views on the quality of the service provided, and how it could be Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 26 of 30 Evidence: improved upon. We were told that the surveys for 2009 and were sent out in March. The result form these are collected by the Care Business Manager of the organisation who then writes a report and creates an action plan for improvement based on the information provided. We asked the manager why the people living in the home were not surveyed for their views, and were told that it is very difficult to gauge peoples personal views because of their communication abilities. We discussed this with the manager and assistant team leader, who undertook to try and find a way of determining peoples views that was appropriate to their level individual communication methods. In addition, the home makes excellent use of photographs which capture people using the service paticipating in the daily running of their home. We saw photographs of people at their house meetings, participating in their reviews, doing the the weekly shopping and engaging in activities. The quality of the service is also measured through other routes such as monthly visits by the provider, regular team meetings and house meetings, both of which are recorded, three monthly keyworker meetings with the people that live in the home, staff supervision and general day to day conversations. Information in the AQAA provides the dates of when the mandatory health and safety checks and tests were last undertaken. We sampled a selection of these, which included the gas safety certificate, portable appliance testing, Arjo bath servicing and the servicing of the stair lift, all of which were up to date. Products that may pose a hazard to people that are used by the home (COSHH) were stored safely, and data sheets relating to the safe usage of each one was available. A series of generic risk assessments pertaining to safety within the home were available, all of which had been reviewed recently. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 27 of 30 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, Care Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 28 of 30 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, Care Homes 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 37 An effective way of assessing peoples views of the service they receive, that is suitable for their individual means of communication, should be considered to demonstrate that their views are sought as part of the homes formal quality review process. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 29 of 30 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. Copyright © (2009) Care Quality Commission (CQC). 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