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Inspection on 12/05/10 for Mabbs Hall Nursing Home

Also see our care home review for Mabbs Hall Nursing Home for more information

This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 12th May 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

The manager has been in post since July 2008, from the information given to us in the AQAA and from our talks with her it is obvious that she has a good understanding of the needs of the people living in Mabbs Hall and continues to work towards offering the residents an excellent quality of care. In their surveys, staff told us that they find the manager easy to talk to and supportive. One staff member said, "The manager is always willing to listen to any concerns or suggestions." another said, "The manager encourages all staff to participate and discuss decisions made about each client and their care." One of the Suffolk community care practitioners feels that the manager is, "Welcoming, friendly and always makes time for a conversation, she is adaptable when I need to visit." The residents told us that they were happy at the home, one said, "The staff are very friendly, they make time to talk to the residents and they are very gentle and considerate." another person said that, "The home is small enough to feel friendly and that the faces are familiar, the manager, Jill, seems to set a good ethos. The staff are all cheerful, helpful, caring and considerate." While we were in the home we found that it was clean and well maintained, the atmosphere was calm and congenial and the residents we met were pleased to talk to us and said they had no complaints to make and that they were happy with the care theywere given. When, in the AQAA, the manager was asked what the home does well she told us, "Visitors to our home from various walks of life and roles in society comment on the atmosphere in the home, they state there is no odour and how well the clients look, I like the way our clients use the home `as they please` when the staff have a break the clients are are eating more of their snacks than they do. People tell me the home has a really family feel. I feel the staff feel comfortable to express their views and I hope they feel they are listened too. We continue to strive for ways to improve the home, the care and the environment. As a group we continue to look for ways to make our standards better, but we don`t wish to see the home become a hotel in style." In the surveys returned to us one resident said, "I`m very satisfied with everything." another person told us that, "Meals are pleasantly arranged to make them colourful." but also commented that, "The staff should show more sympathetic attention to closing the doors after 9pm, i.e. NOT SLAMMING THEM." This is an issue that obviously annoys this resident and would also effect others trying to sleep at night, especially when you consider how often the staff carry out their checks at night. Having door closures are essential to fire safety within the home but the manager should consider having the closures adjusted to ensure the doors close quietly rather to letting them bang. Relatives were also very positive in their comments about the Mabbs Hall, one said that, "The staff are always quick to notify me if my relative is unwell." and another said, "We are very pleased with the care that my relative receives at Mabbs Hall.......There always seem to be plenty of caring staff in attendance and communications are excellent." They also felt that the layout of the lounges and dinning room encourages conversation. Another relative told us that, "Mabbs Hall take good care of my relative, he is given respect, he looks clean, tidy and well cared for. He is settled there and I believe he feels safe there." In the AQAA the manager told us, "I have an open style of management, this enables clients, staff and families to express any thoughts, concerns or desires to me at any time. I have a clear vision of how I expect Mabbs Hall to be run and I lead by example, I don`t expect anyone to do what I cannot or will not do. I firmly believe that empowered, respected and valued staff will ensure that my clients are empowered, respected and valued. We after all all work better when we feel our efforts are appreciated, thus leading to a happy home." While we were at the home the manager told us about the training schedule and showed us the training planed for this year, we found that the home continues to identify staff training needs and supplies appropriate training, planned with the needs of the residents in mind. We have not received any complaints about this service since our last review and the AQAA told us that the home has received two complaints in the last year, both of which were resolved within 28 days.

What the care home could do better:

We didn`t identify any areas of weakness during our short visit to the home, but themanager continues to assess the standards of care offered at the home and looks for ways to improve it: We were told that, "We continue to introduce different activities, musical bingo is one we have added this year and is very popular with our current client`s, it often ends up in a good old fashion sing a long. We surveyed the clients to establish if the lounges were being used to suit the clients and it was clear we needed to arrange the lounges and more of our clients wanted to sit in smaller groups and listen to music and read their newspaper. Therefore we changed the two lounges around and in the larger lounge changed the lay out of the furniture, clients and families were then asked for their feed back and I conducted an observational audit to see if it resulted in more interaction. The overall response was positive. One or two relatives commented that they missed the T.V. when visiting. These relatives were reminded that the T.V. had not disappear but just relocated." We were also told that, "We will continue to look for ways to enrich our clients lives especially catering for the clients with mental health problems. We will continue to develop the pictorial menu." In their surveys some of the staff said they would like to be paid better. The manager seems to be aware of this as in the AQAA she identified that, "I would like to see a better pay structure for the staff acknowledging the skills and knowledge this staff group process, however this will require better government funding." About training we were told, "We continue to train and share information with our staff, I have developed a system of training which I feel current suits my staff group, instead on one big training day or a booklet, I break the training into 3 sections over a course of 3 months approximately. This I believe enables staff to digest the information, maintain the knowledge to then put into practise. I intend to monitor the effectiveness of the new training style to see if information is retained better, and more user friendly."

Random inspection report Care homes for older people Name: Address: Mabbs Hall Nursing Home High Street Mildenhall Suffolk IP28 7EQ 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: Ann Wiseman Date: 1 2 0 5 2 0 1 0 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Mabbs Hall Nursing Home High Street Mildenhall Suffolk IP28 7EQ 01638712222 01638712155 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Gillian Elizabeth Robinson Type of registration: Number of places registered: Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : MNS Care PLC care home 29 Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 0 29 dementia old age, not falling within any other category Conditions of registration: Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home 29 0 Mabbs Hall is situated in the centre of Mildenhall with easy access to the local shops and other facilities. The service offers accommodation to twenty-nine older people some of whom may have nursing needs or dementia. There are twenty-five single rooms and two double rooms over two floors that are connected by a passenger lift. All the rooms have en suite toilet and washbasin facilities. Care Homes for Older People Page 2 of 9 Brief description of the care home On the ground floor there is a large lounge and a dining room. There is also a smaller lounge, which looks over the gardens and has level access to the outside. There is car parking available in the front of the building. Each of the people living at the home has a contract of terms and conditions; which reflect the fees and how much they are expected to pay per month. Fees range from £387 plus the Registered Nursing Care Contribution (RNCC) rate up to £650 per week, depending on peoples assessed needs and choice of room. People should contact the manager for current fees. These charges do not cover additional services such as the hairdresser, chiropodist and personal items such as toiletries, daily newspapers and personal transport. Care Homes for Older People Page 3 of 9 What we found: This random inspection was carried out to check that the outcomes for the people living in this home are still excellent. The last time we carried out a key inspection at Mabbs Hall on 11th June 2007 when they attained their 3 star, excellent rating. Since then we have carried out annual service reviews on 9th June 2008 and 4th June 2009 when we found nothing that changed our view of the service. Before the inspection an annual quality assurance assessment (AQAA) 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 home. The AQAA had been returned when we asked for it. It was very clear and gave us all the information we asked for, in a detailed and thoughtful manner. We took the information it gave us into account during this random inspection. We also sent surveys to the home for distribution among the residents, their relatives, the staff and healthcare professionals who visit the home. We got a good response, ten residents and seven of their family members returned their surveys and six members of staff sent us theirs and five health care professional took the time to answer our questions about the home. We spoke to the manager during our visit and she told us what had been happening at the home since we last visited and explained some of her plans for the future, we had a look about the home and met some of the residents. What the care home does well: The manager has been in post since July 2008, from the information given to us in the AQAA and from our talks with her it is obvious that she has a good understanding of the needs of the people living in Mabbs Hall and continues to work towards offering the residents an excellent quality of care. In their surveys, staff told us that they find the manager easy to talk to and supportive. One staff member said, The manager is always willing to listen to any concerns or suggestions. another said, The manager encourages all staff to participate and discuss decisions made about each client and their care. One of the Suffolk community care practitioners feels that the manager is, Welcoming, friendly and always makes time for a conversation, she is adaptable when I need to visit. The residents told us that they were happy at the home, one said, The staff are very friendly, they make time to talk to the residents and they are very gentle and considerate. another person said that, The home is small enough to feel friendly and that the faces are familiar, the manager, Jill, seems to set a good ethos. The staff are all cheerful, helpful, caring and considerate. While we were in the home we found that it was clean and well maintained, the atmosphere was calm and congenial and the residents we met were pleased to talk to us and said they had no complaints to make and that they were happy with the care they Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 9 were given. When, in the AQAA, the manager was asked what the home does well she told us, Visitors to our home from various walks of life and roles in society comment on the atmosphere in the home, they state there is no odour and how well the clients look, I like the way our clients use the home as they please when the staff have a break the clients are are eating more of their snacks than they do. People tell me the home has a really family feel. I feel the staff feel comfortable to express their views and I hope they feel they are listened too. We continue to strive for ways to improve the home, the care and the environment. As a group we continue to look for ways to make our standards better, but we dont wish to see the home become a hotel in style. In the surveys returned to us one resident said, Im very satisfied with everything. another person told us that, Meals are pleasantly arranged to make them colourful. but also commented that, The staff should show more sympathetic attention to closing the doors after 9pm, i.e. NOT SLAMMING THEM. This is an issue that obviously annoys this resident and would also effect others trying to sleep at night, especially when you consider how often the staff carry out their checks at night. Having door closures are essential to fire safety within the home but the manager should consider having the closures adjusted to ensure the doors close quietly rather to letting them bang. Relatives were also very positive in their comments about the Mabbs Hall, one said that, The staff are always quick to notify me if my relative is unwell. and another said, We are very pleased with the care that my relative receives at Mabbs Hall.......There always seem to be plenty of caring staff in attendance and communications are excellent. They also felt that the layout of the lounges and dinning room encourages conversation. Another relative told us that, Mabbs Hall take good care of my relative, he is given respect, he looks clean, tidy and well cared for. He is settled there and I believe he feels safe there. In the AQAA the manager told us, I have an open style of management, this enables clients, staff and families to express any thoughts, concerns or desires to me at any time. I have a clear vision of how I expect Mabbs Hall to be run and I lead by example, I dont expect anyone to do what I cannot or will not do. I firmly believe that empowered, respected and valued staff will ensure that my clients are empowered, respected and valued. We after all all work better when we feel our efforts are appreciated, thus leading to a happy home. While we were at the home the manager told us about the training schedule and showed us the training planed for this year, we found that the home continues to identify staff training needs and supplies appropriate training, planned with the needs of the residents in mind. We have not received any complaints about this service since our last review and the AQAA told us that the home has received two complaints in the last year, both of which were resolved within 28 days. What they could do better: We didnt identify any areas of weakness during our short visit to the home, but the Care Homes for Older People Page 5 of 9 manager continues to assess the standards of care offered at the home and looks for ways to improve it: We were told that, We continue to introduce different activities, musical bingo is one we have added this year and is very popular with our current clients, it often ends up in a good old fashion sing a long. We surveyed the clients to establish if the lounges were being used to suit the clients and it was clear we needed to arrange the lounges and more of our clients wanted to sit in smaller groups and listen to music and read their newspaper. Therefore we changed the two lounges around and in the larger lounge changed the lay out of the furniture, clients and families were then asked for their feed back and I conducted an observational audit to see if it resulted in more interaction. The overall response was positive. One or two relatives commented that they missed the T.V. when visiting. These relatives were reminded that the T.V. had not disappear but just relocated. We were also told that, We will continue to look for ways to enrich our clients lives especially catering for the clients with mental health problems. We will continue to develop the pictorial menu. In their surveys some of the staff said they would like to be paid better. The manager seems to be aware of this as in the AQAA she identified that, I would like to see a better pay structure for the staff acknowledging the skills and knowledge this staff group process, however this will require better government funding. About training we were told, We continue to train and share information with our staff, I have developed a system of training which I feel current suits my staff group, instead on one big training day or a booklet, I break the training into 3 sections over a course of 3 months approximately. This I believe enables staff to digest the information, maintain the knowledge to then put into practise. I intend to monitor the effectiveness of the new training style to see if information is retained better, and more user friendly. 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 19 Banging doors at night can be very disturbing, especially if it happens every hour or so when the night staff do their rounds. The manager should consider adjusting the door closures, that are essential to fire safety within the home, so that the doors close quietly rather than letting them bang. 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. 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