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Inspection on 13/05/10 for Necton Grange

Also see our care home review for Necton Grange for more information

This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 13th May 2010.

CQC found this care home to be providing an Adequate 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 June 2009, judging the information given to us in the AQAA and our discussions with her is obvious that she has a good understanding of the needs of the people living in Necton Grange and continues to work towards offering the residents a good quality of care. She has ensured that all the requirements made at the previous inspection have been complied with, we saw that the radiators have been covered where residents may come in contact with them and that the hot water temperatures have been regulated and we saw records that showed the temperatures were checked regularly. The resident`s surveys told us that they were happy at the home, one said, "They care for my needs in an appropriate manner, the staff are very professional in a friendly and understanding way. I feel safe in the home." the other person said that, "They make sure that the home is like a home from home, I am very happy here."A relative told us in their survey that, "My relative has been really settled in Necton Grange. The have had respite care in other establishments and the warmth and care at Necton Grange has far surpassed these." they also said that, "I would just like to thank staff of Necton Grange for all the kindness they have shown my relative since they entered the home." The staff surveys showed us that they felt they had been given enough training to enable to do their job properly, that the proper recruitment practices were carried out when they were employed and that all the safeguarding checks were done. One staff member said that they thought that, "The home cares for every individual`s own needs really well and welcomes relatives and friends with open arms." another said, " We are proud to care for the residents as we would want our own mum and dad to be cared for." We received several comments about the weekends at the home from staff and relatives. They say that although the weekday activities are good, not so much happens on Saturday and Sunday. Staff have to do the cleaning and laundry at the weekend which means that they can`t spend as much time as they would like with the residents. One staff member suggested that, with the extra visitors they get at the weekend, if there were more staff on duty it could be made more special. 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 please to talk to us and said they had no complaint to make and that they were happy with the care they were given. There was some light hearted banter between the residents and staff and much laughter, which was good to hear. We also had an opportunity to talk a visitor to the home while we were there and they told us that they were happy with the care their relative received, saying that they were more relaxed since they came to the home and always looked clean and tidy. When, in the AQAA the manager, was asked what the home does well she told us, "We have gained a good reputation with the local community, and developed good working relationships with other professionals such as social services and GP`s which is reflected by the positive feedback from service users, relatives and relevant professionals who continue to purchase from us." Also in the AQAA, the manager told us, "Since I have been at the home I have developed an open door policy and have brought a more structured and stable management style......I have introduced a more comprehensive accounting and financial procedure, employment policies and procedures have been implemented and are supported by human resources and there is a monthly quality audit carried out by regional management which ensures that the home meets all the health and safety requirements and maintains the welfare of the service users." While we were at the home the manager showed us the training room which has been set up with a computer so that the staff can do their e learning courses in peace. She also assured us that staff are receiving supervision, that their staff training needs are identified and that they are supply with appropriate training, planned with the needs of the residents in mind. Recently staff have had the opportunity to do training in the deprivation of liberty, careplanning and all of the mandatory training. The manager is looking to resource training opportunities from health professionals and further in house training. We have not had any complaints made directly to us about this service and the AQAA told us that the home has received three complaints in the last year, all of which were resolved within 28 days. We noticed that there were signs about the home advising the residents, their visitors and the staff that the manager is available every Wednesday if anyone would like to talk to her privately.

What the care home could do better:

We didn`t identify any areas of concern during our short visit to the home, but the manager continues to assess the standards of care offered at the home and is always on the look out for ways to improve it. We were told that, "We would like to give formal training for the activities organiser, encourage further training and increase the current level of staff who have an NVQ in care." Information in the AQAA told us that seven out of the eleven care staff already have an NVQ in care, which means that they have more than complied with our requirement that at least of 50% of the care staff must be trained NVQ level 2 or its equivalent. The manager told us that she is hoping to introduce monthly meetings, on an individual basis, with each of the residents so they will be given an opportunity to voice their views and concerns and she also told us that they plan to implement a 5 year refurbishment plan for the home within the next twelve months.

Random inspection report Care homes for older people Name: Address: Necton Grange St Andrews Lane Necton Swaffham Norfolk PE37 8HY one star adequate service 29/06/2009 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 3 0 5 2 0 1 0 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Necton Grange St Andrews Lane Necton Swaffham Norfolk PE37 8HY 01760724161 01760720766 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Caring Homes Healthcare Group Limited Type of registration: Number of places registered: Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : care home 20 Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 20 old age, not falling within any other category Conditions of registration: Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home 0 2 9 0 6 2 0 0 9 Necton Grange is a Care Home providing personal care and accommodation for up to 20 older people. The Home has twelve single bedrooms and four double bedrooms. The double rooms can also be used as single bedrooms. None of the bedrooms are ensuite. The Home is an older building and provides accommodation over three floors. The Home does not have a lift but does have chair lifts fitted to the staircases. There is a communal lounge and dining room. The Home has extensive gardens. Care Homes for Older People Page 2 of 9 Brief description of the care home The Home is situated on the outskirts of the village of Necton and close to the town of Swaffham. The Home was bought by Caring Homes Healthcare Group Ltd in 2007. Fees currently range from £362 to £500 per week. The fees are negotiated individually depending on the needs of the residents. Further information about fees can be obtained from the Manager of the Home. 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 prior to us starting our new registration programme. The last time we carried out a key inspection at Necton Grange on 29th June 2009 when they were judged as having a 1 star, adequate rating. The inspection before that, held on 16th June 2008 also found that the home was offering an adequate service. The areas that we found the home needed to improve on were around health and safety, some of the radiators needed covering and the hot water needed to be regulated so that people were not put at risk of being burnt or scalded. Also, the home had had a period of instability with regard to its management, in the year preceding the last key inspection there have been three different managers and was being managed by an acting manager at the time of the inspection. Shortly after the last key inspection a new manager was appointed and has now been in post for a year. 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 service. The AQAA had been returned when we asked for it. It was clear and gave us the information we asked for. 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 and the staff. We didnt get a huge response; two residents, one of their family members and three members of staff returned their surveys, however the comments were all positive. 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 June 2009, judging the information given to us in the AQAA and our discussions with her is obvious that she has a good understanding of the needs of the people living in Necton Grange and continues to work towards offering the residents a good quality of care. She has ensured that all the requirements made at the previous inspection have been complied with, we saw that the radiators have been covered where residents may come in contact with them and that the hot water temperatures have been regulated and we saw records that showed the temperatures were checked regularly. The residents surveys told us that they were happy at the home, one said, They care for my needs in an appropriate manner, the staff are very professional in a friendly and understanding way. I feel safe in the home. the other person said that, They make sure that the home is like a home from home, I am very happy here. Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 9 A relative told us in their survey that, My relative has been really settled in Necton Grange. The have had respite care in other establishments and the warmth and care at Necton Grange has far surpassed these. they also said that, I would just like to thank staff of Necton Grange for all the kindness they have shown my relative since they entered the home. The staff surveys showed us that they felt they had been given enough training to enable to do their job properly, that the proper recruitment practices were carried out when they were employed and that all the safeguarding checks were done. One staff member said that they thought that, The home cares for every individuals own needs really well and welcomes relatives and friends with open arms. another said, We are proud to care for the residents as we would want our own mum and dad to be cared for. We received several comments about the weekends at the home from staff and relatives. They say that although the weekday activities are good, not so much happens on Saturday and Sunday. Staff have to do the cleaning and laundry at the weekend which means that they cant spend as much time as they would like with the residents. One staff member suggested that, with the extra visitors they get at the weekend, if there were more staff on duty it could be made more special. 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 please to talk to us and said they had no complaint to make and that they were happy with the care they were given. There was some light hearted banter between the residents and staff and much laughter, which was good to hear. We also had an opportunity to talk a visitor to the home while we were there and they told us that they were happy with the care their relative received, saying that they were more relaxed since they came to the home and always looked clean and tidy. When, in the AQAA the manager, was asked what the home does well she told us, We have gained a good reputation with the local community, and developed good working relationships with other professionals such as social services and GPs which is reflected by the positive feedback from service users, relatives and relevant professionals who continue to purchase from us. Also in the AQAA, the manager told us, Since I have been at the home I have developed an open door policy and have brought a more structured and stable management style......I have introduced a more comprehensive accounting and financial procedure, employment policies and procedures have been implemented and are supported by human resources and there is a monthly quality audit carried out by regional management which ensures that the home meets all the health and safety requirements and maintains the welfare of the service users. While we were at the home the manager showed us the training room which has been set up with a computer so that the staff can do their e learning courses in peace. She also assured us that staff are receiving supervision, that their staff training needs are identified and that they are supply with appropriate training, planned with the needs of the residents in mind. Recently staff have had the opportunity to do training in the deprivation of liberty, care Care Homes for Older People Page 5 of 9 planning and all of the mandatory training. The manager is looking to resource training opportunities from health professionals and further in house training. We have not had any complaints made directly to us about this service and the AQAA told us that the home has received three complaints in the last year, all of which were resolved within 28 days. We noticed that there were signs about the home advising the residents, their visitors and the staff that the manager is available every Wednesday if anyone would like to talk to her privately. 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 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 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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