Inspection on 17/09/09 for Manchester Learning Disability Partnership

This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 17th September 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

Manchester Learning Disability... 16/06/06

Similar services:

Clover House

Parkside

Park Lodge

Mere Hall View

St Bonaventures

Hudson Road

Whitewalls

Home Farm

Extracts from inspection reports are licensed from CQC, this page was updated on 16/02/2010.

Key inspection report Care homes for adults (18-65 years) Name: Address: Manchester Learning Disability Partnership Short Breaks Service 7 Edlington Walk Newton Heath Manchester M40 1JA     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: Susan Jennings     Date: 1 7 0 9 2 0 0 9 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 29 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) Copyright © (2009) Care Quality Commission (CQC). This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, free of charge, in any format or medium provided that it is not used for commercial gain. This consent is subject to the material being reproduced accurately and on proviso that it is not used in a derogatory manner or misleading context. The material should be acknowledged as CQC copyright, with the title and date of publication of the document specified. www.cqc.org.uk Internet address Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 3 of 29 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Manchester Learning Disability Partnership Short Breaks Service 7 Edlington Walk Newton Heath Manchester M40 1JA 01616835211 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Type of registration: Number of places registered: lgrant@notes.manchester.gov.uk Manchester Learning Disability Partnership care home 4 Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 learning disability Additional conditions: The home provides accommodation and care on a respite basis for a maximum of four adults aged between 18 and 65 years old whose primary need for care is by reason of learning disability. The matters detailed in the attached schedule of requirements must be completed within the stated timescales. The organisation must, at all times, employ a suitably qualified and experienced manager. Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home The care home provides 24-hour accommodation and support for up to four learning disabled adults for short breaks to give their carers/families a break from their care role. The home provides this service for over 40 people. The building is a normal domestic dwelling set on a residential street in the north of Manchester with good access to local amenities. The building is accessible for Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 4 of 29 Over 65 0 4 Brief description of the care home wheelchair users with tracking hoists on the ground floor. The ground floor has a kitchen, lounge/dining room, toilet and shower facilities and a bedroom. Bedroom accommodation and bathroom facilities are also on the 1st floor with another lounge, a utility room and a staff sleep-in/storage room. There is an enclosed garden to the rear of the building. Information about the home and short-break service is available from the Short-Break Team based at Forrester House. The charges for respite are £13.50 per day. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 5 of 29 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: The quality rating for this service is three star. This means the people who use this service experience excellent quality outcomes. This visit was undertaken as part of a key inspection, which includes an analysis of any information received by us (the Care Quality Commission) in relation to this service prior to our visit. We also looked at other information we had about the service. Before our visit the manager was asked to complete an Annual Quality Assurance Assessment (AQAA) to provide up to date information. The AQAA is a self-assessment that focuses on how well outcomes are being met for people using the service. The visit was unannounced and took place over the course of 5 hours on Thursday 17th September 2009. During the course of the site visit we spent time talking to the Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 6 of 29 realtives of people staying at the home, the manager and 2 members of staff to find out their views of the service. Time was spent examining maintenance records and the residents and staff files. There was evidence to show that the manager and staff continued to work hard to develop and improve the service. Health and Safety checks take place to make sure people are kept safe and good records are kept of these. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 7 of 29 What the care home does well: What has improved since the last inspection? The house has been decorated since the last inspection and some of the furniture has been replaced. They told us that since the last inspection they now have the use of a mini bus. This means that people can get out and about to different places. They carried out home visits and reviews with families on a 6 monthly basis unless needs have changes or been identified. They set up a schedule of tea time visit or visits in the day or home visits. This was done to introduce they person to the service and can go on for as long as was needed. They have improved support plans these were now more person centred. This means that people were more involved in planning their support and plans read as though the person was telling us how they want to be supported. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 8 of 29 What they could do better: 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 29 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 29 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. Peoples needs are assessed before they receive a service and enough information is provided for them to make an informed choice about staying at the home. Evidence: The home is part of the short break service provided by the Manchester Learning Disability Partnership. They had an introduction to the home that involved people visiting and staying for a meal, for part of the day or for an overnight stay. These visits were called tea visits and people were able to have as many tea visits as they needed for them to settle and feel comfortable. We saw that each person using the service had a comprehensive assessment of their support needs. This included where necessary information from specialist health care providers. This was to help staff meet peoples health needs and establish if any specialised equipment was needed. The manager told us that specialist health care professionals supported the staff by offering training. This means that staff were able to fully meet peoples needs. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 11 of 29 Evidence: We saw a sample of support plans and saw that specialist heal care assessments such as eating and drinking, epilepsy care plans and risk assessments had been completed. The information in the assessment of need was used as the basis of the persons support plan. The home provided people with enough information about what type of support the home offered. The information was provided in an easy read format with pictures and they told us that they would provide the information in Braille and other languages if the need arose. This means that people were able to make an informed decision whether or not to use the service. We spoke to relatives who told us we were able to visit and look around and they gave us some written information and they told us all about what they offered and what we could expect. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 12 of 29 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 were encouraged to make decisions and were involved in developing their own support plan. Health and safety risk assessments were carried out. Evidence: As previously stated each person has a needs assessment before receiving a service. The information in the assessment forms the basis of a support plan. This was a detailed plan of the persons care needs and the action staff need to take to meet those needs. The plan was person centred and focuses on peoples strengths and personal preferences. This means that people were more involved in planning their support and plans read as though the person was telling us how they want to be supported. The support plans contained an information sheet with a traffic light system. This was an information document to be used in case of emergency admission to hospital that was divided into red orange and green sections. The most important health information was contained in the red section and was easily accessible to medical Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 13 of 29 Evidence: staff. We saw that each person had a detailed support plan. These were person centred and identified peoples likes and dislikes. This mean that individual support plans were written as though the person had written it themselves. Support plans gave a range of information about how people wanted to be supported by staff including whether they wanted a female or male carer. Each support plan had a life history and included a section titled circle of support. This identified people and places that were important to the individual. They told us that they worked closely with people and their families or friends to find out the persons preferences in terms of methods of communication, meals and activities. We saw that important information about peoples health was recorded in the support plans such as epilepsy care plans and any specialist eating and drinking requirements. We saw that support plans told us about peoples daily routines such as when they preferred to get up and go to bed, which day centre they attended and what they liked to eat and drink. This means that staff were able to offer people choices in their day to day activities and support people to make decisions.This enables them to offer people day to day choices and decisions that reflect their needs. Restrictions of choice are only made to safeguard the person and only as a result of a full risk assessment. We saw detailed risk assessments had been completed in relation to moving and handling, finances, epilepsy, health care and medication. We saw that detailed instructions were available so that staff would know what they had to do to keep people safe. We saw samples of risk assessments that included moving and handling, medication, finances and health care. We saw that support plans were reviewed on a regular basis. The review process included families and carers to find out if there had been any changes or any information to add to the support plan. This means that any changes in peoples needs were identified and recorded so that they got the the right level of support when they needed it. They told us that staff work with the person and their family and other relevant people to find out what the person likes and does not like in terms of diet, activities, environments and communication. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 14 of 29 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. People were encouraged to take part in community activites and carry on with their usual daily routines. Evidence: They told us that people used the service to give themselves and their carers a break. This means that people and their carers have the chance take part in activities outside their usual routines. We saw that there were no strict regimes in the house and people were encouraged to make choices about their day-to-day activities and enjoyed a full and varied lifestyle. We saw that people were involved in planning the activities they wanted to take part in. They told us that since the last inspection they now have the use of a mini bus. This means that people were able to get out and about during their stay and take part in community activities such as meals out and trips to the theatre or cinema. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 15 of 29 Evidence: We saw that people were able to continue with their usual activities such as attending day centres and work placements if they chose to. On the day of our visit the people staying at the home were out at the day centre. We spoke to some relatives who told us the carers are very good my relative likes going and can still go to the day centre, it does us both good and they look forward to going to stay at the home, the staff let me know if anything is wrong and it means I can do the things I want to do without worrying. This means that peoples routines were not changed because they were on a short break. We saw that people were were encouraged to be as independent as possible during their stay. This included carrying out tasks such as cooking and other domestic tasks. This means that the home promotes peoples rights to make informed choices and take responsibility for shopping, planning menus and cooking. We saw that support plans gave clear details about specialist foods or support people need. We also saw that peoples likes and dislikes regarding meals were recorded. We saw a sample of menus in peoples support plans. They showed that fresh fruit and vegetables were used and that people were encouraged to eat a balanced and healthy diet. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 16 of 29 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 were supported with their personal and healthcare needs whilst staying at the home. Evidence: We saw that peoples health care needs were assessed before they came to stay at the home. We saw a sample of peoples support plans. They clearly recorded peoples personal and health care needs and the level of support staff needed to provide. Support plans were person centred and personal support was flexible, consistent and able to meet peoples changing needs. We saw that regular reviews were carried out and any changes to a persons support plan were recorded. We saw that aids and equipment were provided these included overhead hoists, specialist chairs and adapted bathing facilities. Any equipment was regularly maintained and replaced to take account of peoples changing needs. Specialist advice was sought by staff at the home to make sure the equipment was used safely. This means that people were enabled to be as independent as possible and were provided with the right equipment to keep them safe. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 17 of 29 Evidence: We saw that people using the service were encouraged to manage their own health care. Peoples medical appointments were seen as important and there were systems to make sure they were not missed. The home arranged for health professionals to visit people at home when necessary. People stay at the home for short breaks and have access to their own GP. People also have access to other health care facilities in the local community including opticians, dentists and support with continence care. We saw good examples of person centred planning in particular where people had specific health care needs such as epilepsy. We saw that staff had the skills and knowledge to support people with their health care needs. The manager told us that health care professionals provided support and we saw detailed epilepsy care plans had been developed for some people using the service. We saw that people had a detailed medication profile that listed current medication and we saw a medication assessment to show the level of support needed. We saw a sample of medication administration records (MAR) on each persons support plan. These were well maintained and accurate with no gaps in recording. The manager told us that they carried out regular medication audits and that staff checked the medication at the end of each shift. This was to make sure that there were no errors. We saw that they had developed a medication administration sheet for medicines prescribed as take when required (PRN). We saw that the administration of such medicine was recorded separately. This was to make sure they could account for all medication in the home. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 18 of 29 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 good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People were encouraged to express their concerns and there were policies and procedures in place to safeguard people from harm. Evidence: The home is part of the Manchester Learning Disability Partnership MLDP Short Break service and as such links into the formal Manchester City Council Adult Social Care departments complaint procedures. The complaint process was clear and established and people and or their carers families had access to it. Information about how to make a complaint was available to people and their carers. People using the service and their representatives had a clear understanding of how to make a complaint and when to expect a final response. We spoke to one relative who told us I have nothing to complain about they are fantastic, I dint know what I would do without them, but if I needed to make a complaint, I would speak to the manager or one of the staff and I expect the staff would help me, I feel that I could phone them directly. We saw that they produced the complaints procedure in a variety of formats including large print, other languages, Braille, audio and pictures. The complaints procedure was clearly displayed in the home and each person was given a copy. We saw that records were kept of any complaints. We saw that where a complaint had Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 19 of 29 Evidence: been made people were regularly updated on the progress of any investigation into their complaint. The manager told us that they make sure they have an open culture and feel they respond efficiently and effectively to queries concerns and complaints. We saw that the staff had received a number of compliments. These were in the form of letters and thank you cards from relatives thanking them for their help and support. We saw that they used the Manchester Multi Agency Adult Protection Procedures. The staff team had access to a rolling programme of adult protection training provided by the local authority. We saw that staff were aware of the procedures to follow in the event of an allegation of abuse being made. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 20 of 29 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 excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The home provided a clean, safe and homely environment for people to live in. Evidence: The accommodation was provided in an ordinary domestic style house in a residential area of Newton Heath north of Manchester city centre. The house is owned and managed by a housing association, they were responsible for repairs and the general upkeep of the building. The house was close to public transport links into the city centre and to public amenities such as library, cafes and restaurants. This means that people using the service were easily able to take part in community activities. We saw that people often went out to the local pub for a meal and drink. The manager told us that they have a rolling refurbishment programme. The house was redecorated every 2 years and re carpeted when necessary. This means that people had a pleasant and comfortable environment to enjoy during their stay. We saw that the house was comfortable, clean and tidy and was well decorated. The house was furnished in a modern style and some of the furniture was specially made to the homes requirements. This means that some furniture was more hard wearing. We saw that bedrooms were individual and that people were able to bring personal Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 21 of 29 Evidence: items with them when they came to stay at the home. The building was accessible for people who used wheelchair and there were ceiling tracking hoists on the ground floor. This means that the house was accessible to people with restricted mobility. We walked around the house. On the ground floor there was a modern fitted kitchen, a lounge, dining room, toilet and shower facilities and a bedroom. Further bedroom accommodation and bathroom facilities were provided on the 1st floor. We saw another lounge on the first floor. This means that people could choose to spend time in different areas as well as the privacy of their bedrooms. There was also a utility room and a room for staff to sleep in on the first floor, the staff sleep in room was also used as a storage space. The manager told us that the ground floor adapted bedroom has been completely re decorated new furniture had been bought and new flooring laid. They told us that new carpet for the stairs and landing had been fitted. They told us that both bathrooms have been re furbished. The first floor bathroom was moved to a larger room and re designed. This means that the room is more comfortable and accessible to the people staying at the home. There was an enclosed garden to the rear of the building. They told us that the patio had been re laid. This was done with the support of the princes trust who supplied the labour. People who use the service and their families and friends provided shrubs and flowers. have been purchased and planted with the input of the people who use the service. The garden is now maintained by the people we support and a gardener. The front of the property has been updated with the fitting of new railings and hand rails. One of the upstairs bedrooms has had new flooring fitted.This means that people were able to spend time outside in the nice weather. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 22 of 29 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 were protected by the homes recruitment and selection process and staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to meet peoples needs. Evidence: The staff group was made up of a registered manager, an assistant network manager and network support workers. Staffing was based on the needs and daily routines of the people using the service. On the day of our visit people were attending day centres so there was only one member of staff on duty. There were two staff allocated to work during the morning, evenings and weekends when people were not at the day centres and a member of staff sleeps in each night. We saw a sample of staff recruitment files. We saw that all staff had two written references, a Criminal Records Bureau check (CRB) and were checked against the protection of Vulnerable adults list (POVA) before they started work. People completed an application form and had a face to face interview. They told us that where possible people who use the service are involved in the recruitment of new staff. We saw that all new staff underwent an induction period that usually lasted twelve weeks. This period could be extended if the person was not confident. Staff were only given permanent employment when competence and progress has been shown to be Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 23 of 29 Evidence: satisfactory. The induction programme was based on the Learning Disability Award Framework which meets the skills for care induction standards. We spoke to staff at the home. They told us that they had an induction period where they shadowed experienced staff. This means that the staff team support each other and share skills and knowledge with colleagues. They told us that they had access to a wide range of training and received regular one to one supervision from a manager. One member of staff told us the manager is approachable I feel that I can speak to her at any time and know that she will hear what I have to say another said I meet with the manager regularly to discuss issues about work and my training. We saw that the staff team had the skills, knowledge and experience to meet peoples support needs. They told us that the short break service has a training needs plan. This plan is submitted to the Manchester City Councils adult social care training department. Manchester City Council provide a range of training and staff are nominated based on their training needs. We spoke to staff who told us that they had attended various events. We saw a record was kept of any training provided. This means that staff have the skills and knowledge required to meet peoples needs. We saw that any shortfalls in staffing levels were covered from staff in one of the other homes in the group. This was to provide some level of continuity for people using the service. They had developed a training matrix since the last inspection that showed at a glance what training people had received and when refresher training was due. We spoke to some relatives of people using the service. They told us that there is always someone to speak to, they always have time for me and the staff seem to know exactly what we need and that is reassuring for me. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 24 of 29 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 excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. Management systems and practices promoted independance and choice and peoples views and opinions were listened to. Evidence: The manager had the skills, knowledge and experience to run a care service. They were responsible for running other homes within the short break group. The manager was supported by assistant network managers and is responsible for staff supervision and maintaining the standards of support people received. The manager spent time at each of the short break houses and spent a great deal of time with people who use the service. This means that they were able to monitor the systems and procedures in the houses and people knew they were able to approach the manager at any time. We spoke to the manager and saw that they had a clear sense of direction and a good understanding of best practice and how to improve the service. They were keen to improve the standards of support and customer satisfaction. They asked people what Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 25 of 29 Evidence: they thought about the service they received. This was done during regular reviews that looked at the support people were receiving. They also met with people and their families or carers to talk about their experiences of using the short break service. We saw that they carried out quality assurance surveys the most recent was done in May 2009. They sent out questionnaires to 150 families and carers, they received 56 completed questionnaires. From the results we saw that people were generally happy with the support they got from the short break service and felt that any concerns would be dealt with quickly and effectively. People commented in the questionnaires that they enjoyed the coffee mornings and being able to read the Care Quality Commission (CQC) report. We saw that people wanted to know more about the role of CQC and that the manager was providing this information. As a result of this information we will send out some information brochures to the service. We saw that the manager and staff promoted peoples rights. We saw that the manager showed a good understanding of equal opportunity issues and the organisations policies and procedures. We saw that the manager had good people and leadership skills and was responsive to peoples individual needs. This means that peoples rights to live a full and active life were promoted by the manager and staff. The home sent us their annual quality assurance assessment AQAA when we asked for it. It gave us the information we asked for. The AQAA is a self assessment that focuses on how well outcomes were being met for people using the service. We saw that equipment such as hoists, lifts and specialist bathing facilities had been maintained on a regular basis. We also saw that fixed electric and gas appliances had been serviced at regular intervals. We saw that fire alarms and equipment were tested on a regular basis and that they had a fire risk assessment in place. We saw that they had been taking the temperature of the fridge and freezers and the hot water in the home. This means that they were identifying and reducing risks and that people were kept safe from harm. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 26 of 29 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 27 of 29 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 Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 28 of 29 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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