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Inspection on 07/12/09 for Northcott House Nursing & Residential Care Home

Also see our care home review for Northcott House Nursing & Residential Care Home for more information

This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 7th December 2009.

it is an annual review prepared by CQC after examining previous reports and information from the provider. At the time of this report, CQC judged the service to be Good.

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.

Annual service review Name of Service: Northcott House Nursing & Residential Care Home The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: two star good service 2 8 1 0 2 0 0 8 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 We do an annual service review when there has been no key inspection of the service in the last 12 months. It does not involve a visit to the service but is a summary of new information given to us, or collected by us, since the last key inspection or annual service review.   Has this annual service review changed our opinion of the service?   No You should read the last key inspection report for this service to get a full picture of how well outcomes for the people using the service are being met. The date by which we will do a key inspection: Name of inspector: Janette Everitt Date of this annual service review: 2 7 1 0 2 0 0 9 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 7 Information about the service Address of service: Northcott Close, Bury Hall Lane Alverstoke Gosport Hampshire PO12 2PP 02392510003 02392513110 northcotthouse@btconnect.com Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:   Name of registered provider(s): Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : old age, not falling within any other category Conditions of registration: God`s Port Housing Society Limited Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 0 55 The maximum number of service users to be accommodated is 55 The registered person may provides the following category of service: Care home with nursing (N) to service users of the following gender: Either whose primary care needs on admission to the home are within the following category : Old age, not falling within any other category (OP) Have there been any changes in the ownership, management or the Yes service’s registration details in the last 12 months? If yes, what have they been: Date of last key inspection: Date of last annual service review (if applicable): Brief description of the service Northcott House is a care home providing nursing and personal care for up to 55 service users over the age of 55. The registered provider is God s Port Housing Association, a charitable organisation, who also manage flats and bungalows on the same site as the care home. The home is situated in a residential area of Alverstoke in Gosport, with easy access to local amenities, health care providers and the coastal are of Stokes Bay. Accommodation is provided over two floors with stairs, a passenger lift Annual Service Review Page 2 of 7 None 2 8 1 0 2 0 0 8 and a chair lift giving access to each floor. Residents are accommodated in 53 single rooms and 1 double room. Four of the single rooms plus the double room have ensuite facilities. Bathrooms and toilets are situated close to rooms without en-suite facilities. Residents are also able to access the six lounges situated around the home, the conservatory and a dining room. Many of the rooms have windows that give views of the pleasant, well maintained gardens. Information on fees can be provided by contacting the home. Annual Service Review Page 3 of 7 Service update since the last key inspection or annual service review: What did we do for this annual service review? We looked at all the information that we have received, or asked for, since the last key inspection or annual service review. This included The Annual Quality Assurance Assessment (AQAA) that 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. Surveys returned to us by people using the service and staff. Information we have received about how the service has managed any complaints. What the service has told us about things that have happened in the service, these are called notifications and are a legal requirement. The previous key inspection and the report of that visit from 28th October 2008. What other people have told us about the service. What has this told us about the service? The home sent us their Annual Quality Assurance Assessment (AQAA) when we asked for it. It was clear and gave us all the information we asked for. We looked at the information in the AQAA and our judgement is that the home is still providing a good service and that they know what further improvements they need to make. The AQAA said that the service has a policy on equality and diversity that is promoted through making sure that staff are aware of the individual needs and preferences of each service user. The AQAA told us that at pre-assessment, the prospective service users are given information about the home and are given the opportunity to share their beliefs and preferences whilst being informed of the mixed ethnicity of the staff who will give them care in the home. The AQAA identified that for potential service users who come from out of the area and cannot visit the home prior to admission, it is difficult to ensure the home is their choice. We received eight (8) survey forms from people living in the home and seven (7) survey forms from staff who work in the home. Those received from service users generally indicated a high level of satisfaction and contained positive comments about the home but also what they felt could be improved. For example, comments about the good food and the meals being described as lovely. However, one comment said be more consistent with tray removal from rooms within an hour of finishing meals. Other comments on surveys said I receive good quality personal care. The care is Annual Service Review Page 4 of 7 very good in the home no complaints. The care from my own experience I cannot fault and staff are always helpful and caring and I have no concerns. Everything about the home suits me well. This is a good home, good care, very clean with a friendly atmosphere. Surveys returned also indicated that service users felt able to speak to the manager if they ever had any concerns or complaints. Several surveys made comments about the manager being a very good manager. The AQAA provides evidence of what the home does to seek feedback from service users and relatives as part of their quality assurance system. There are residents meetings arranged at which time service users can voice their concerns or suggestions and a quarterly satisfaction questionnaires are distributed to them for different subjects such as food, choices and interests. The AQAA describes the environment as clean and fresh. Surveys received from the service users indicated that the home is always or usually clean and fresh. One comment was that cleaning is well done and the laundry is returned promptly. Another comment said the bins in the communal toilets should be emptied more frequently. The AQAA told us about the environmental improvements and new equipment the home have purchased over the last year with a continuous programme of redecoration and refurbishment of bedrooms and dining room. The AQAA told us that the home has used a considerable number of agency staff in the past months owing to absences and recruitment. The manager has kept CQC informed through the staffing crises and has managed the shortage of staff through stopping admissions to the home until such time as there are sufficient and safe levels of staff to meet the service users needs. This has been reflected in the surveys returned from the staff some of whom comment we need more staff. we need extra staff. Sometimes there are problems with the night agency staff not always knowing the system. More positive comments said I do not think we could do anything better everyone works well and the residents seem very happy with the care they receive. We care for individuals very well and the staff are friendly. The interests of the residents is uppermost. The staff give care very well. The AQAA stated that the manager is committed to provide appropriate training for all staff through regular supervision and appraisal and developing a training plan. The AQAA records that all staff are currently undertaking or have achieved the national vocational qualification (NVQ) at level 2 and 3. The staff surveys returned to CQC indicated that staff are being given training that is relevant to their role and enables them to meet the psychological and physical needs of the service users. The home continues to let us know about things that have happened since our last key inspection and they have shown that they have managed issues well. The AQAA records that six safeguarding referrals have been made to social services by the Annual Service Review Page 5 of 7 manager and she has informed CQC that the issues have been resolved and the outcomes have been recorded. The home has shown that they work well with us and other agencies and have shown us that their service continues to provide good outcomes for the people who use it. What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? We are not going to change our inspection plan, and will do a key inspection by 28th October 2010. However, we can inspect the service at any time if we have concerns about the quality of the service or the safety of the people using the service. Annual Service Review Page 6 of 7 Reader Information Document Purpose: Author: Audience: Further copies from: Annual service review CQC General Public 0870 240 7535 (national contact centre) Our duty to regulate social care services is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000. The content of which can be found on our website. 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 copy of the findings in a different format or language please contact our helpline or go to our website. 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. 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