Inspection on 20/04/10 for Ventress Hall Care Home

This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 20th April 2010.

CQC found this care home to be providing an Good 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

Ventress Hall Care Home 23/12/09

Ventress Hall Care Home 06/01/09

Ventress Hall Care Home 25/03/08

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Extracts from inspection reports are licensed from CQC, this page was updated on 04/09/2010.

Key inspection report Care homes for older people Name: Address: Ventress Hall Care Home 22-28 Trinity Road Darlington Durham DL3 7AZ     The quality rating for this care home is:   two star good 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 Lowther     Date: 1 0 0 5 2 0 1 0 This is a review of quality of outcomes that people experience in this care home. We believe high quality care should • • • • • Be safe Have the right outcomes, including clinical outcomes Be a good experience for the people that use it Help prevent illness, and promote healthy, independent living Be available to those who need it when they need it. The first part of the review gives the overall quality rating for the care home: • • • • 3 2 1 0 stars - excellent stars - good star - adequate star - poor There is also a bar chart that gives a quick way of seeing the quality of care that the home provides under key areas that matter to people. There is a summary of what we think this service does well, what they have improved on and, where it applies, what they need to do better. We use the national minimum standards to describe the outcomes that people should experience. National minimum standards are written by the Department of Health for each type of care service. After the summary there is more detail about our findings. The following table explains what you will see under each outcome area. Outcome area (for example Choice of home) These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. that people have said are important to them: They reflect the things This box tells you the outcomes that we will always inspect against when we do a key inspection. This box tells you any additional outcomes that we may inspect against when we do a key inspection. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: This box tells you our opinion of what we have looked at in this outcome area. We will say whether it is excellent, good, adequate or poor. Evidence: This box describes the information we used to come to our judgement. Care Homes for Older People Page 2 of 21 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 Older People can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or bought from The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering from the Stationery Office is also available: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop The mission of the Care Quality Commission is to make care better for people by: • Regulating health and adult social care services to ensure quality and safety standards, drive improvement and stamp out bad practice • Protecting the rights of people who use services, particularly the most vulnerable and those detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 • Providing accessible, trustworthy information on the quality of care and services so people can make better decisions about their care and so that commissioners and providers of services can improve services. • Providing independent public accountability on how commissioners and providers of services are improving the quality of care and providing value for money. Reader Information Document Purpose Author Audience Further copies from Copyright Inspection report Care Quality Commission General public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) © Care Quality Commission 2010 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any format or medium for non-commercial purposes, provided that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a derogatory manner or in a misleading context. The source should be acknowledged, by showing the publication title and © Care Quality Commission 2010. www.cqc.org.uk Internet address Care Homes for Older People Page 3 of 21 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Ventress Hall Care Home 22-28 Trinity Road Darlington Durham DL3 7AZ 01325488399 01325480011 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Southern Cross OPCO Ltd Name of registered manager (if applicable) Mrs Judith Goode Type of registration: Number of places registered: care home 106 Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 old age, not falling within any other category physical disability Additional conditions: The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is : 106 The registered person may provide thfollowing category of service only :Care home with Nursing, Code N To service users of the following gender : Either Whose primary care needs on admission to the home are within the following categories: Old age, not falling within any other category, Code OP maximum number of places : 106 Physical disability- Code PD, maximum number of places 45 Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Ventress Hall is a care home with nursing for up to 106 older people. It was registered by its current owners, Southern Cross OPCO Ltd., in August 2007. Ventress Hall was purpose built in 1989. It is conveniently located, close to Darlington Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 21 Over 65 106 0 0 45 1 8 0 1 2 0 1 0 Brief description of the care home town centre and other amenities. The home is a three-storey building with passenger lifts between floors. There is a central courtyard garden with seating, pleasant floral displays and a water feature. Care Homes for Older People Page 5 of 21 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: two star good service Choice of home Health and personal care Daily life and social activities Complaints and protection Environment Staffing Management and administration peterchart Poor Adequate Good Excellent How we did our inspection: The quality rating for this service is 2 star. This means the people who use this service experience good quality outcomes. During the inspection a tour of the building took place. Time was spent talking to staff, the people who live in the home and their relatives. The manager supplied some written information to the CQC before the inspection. The inspection focused on key standard outcomes for people who live in the home and to check whether requirements from the previous report had been met. We have reviewed our practice when making requirements, to improve national consistency. Some requirements from previous inspection reports may have been deleted or carried forward into this report as recommendations but only when it is Care Homes for Older People Page 6 of 21 considered that people who use services are not being put at significant risk of harm. In future, if a requirement is repeated, it is likely that enforcement action will be taken. The environment was in the main nicely decorated and well maintained. Staff were motivated and enthusiastic about their work. Care Homes for Older People Page 7 of 21 What the care home does well: What has improved since the last inspection? 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 Older People Page 8 of 21 Details of our findings Contents Choice of home (standards 1 - 6) Health and personal care (standards 7 - 11) Daily life and social activities (standards 12 - 15) Complaints and protection (standards 16 - 18) Environment (standards 19 - 26) Staffing (standards 27 - 30) Management and administration (standards 31 - 38) Outstanding statutory requirements Requirements and recommendations from this inspection Care Homes for Older People Page 9 of 21 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 and the support they need. People who stay at the home only for intermediate care, have a clear assessment that includes a plan on what they hope for and want to achieve when they return home. People can decide whether the care home can meet their support and accommodation needs. This is because they, or people close to them, have been able to visit the home and have got full, clear, accurate and up to date information about the home. 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 them 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. Sufficient information is available for people to decide whether they would like to live in the home. Assessment procedures are in place to ensure that the home can meet all of the needs of the people who go to live there. Evidence: People are only admitted after a full assessment of need is carried out by an appropriately trained person. This is usually the manager. This is to make sure that the home can meet the care needs of the people who go to live there. The family of one person who had recently gone to live in the home confirmed that they had looked around the home and had been supplied with all of the information they needed to make a decision about whether or not their relative would like to live there. All of the people who responded to the survey said that they had received enough information about the home before they went to live there. There are appropriate arrangements in place for the provision of intermediate care. Care Homes for Older People Page 10 of 21 Health and personal care 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 health, personal and social care needs are met. The home has a plan of care that the person, or someone close to them, has been involved in making. If they 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. People’s right to privacy is respected and the support they get from staff is given in a way that maintains their dignity. If people are approaching the end of their life, the care home will respect their choices and help them 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 good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. Systems are in place to ensure that health care needs of the people who live in the home are met. Evidence: The manager said that all of the people who live in the home have care plans so that staff know how to look after people on an individual basis. Several were examined during the inspection. These were comprehensive and contained individual plans of care. This is to make sure that staff meet all of the needs of the people who live in the home. The deputy manager said that all of the files have been reviewed since our visit in December. People spoken to during the inspection said that they are happy with the care received and the level of information given. Records examined showed that people receive visits from other health care professionals. These include district nurses, doctors, and care managers. During the inspection we looked at the arrangements for receiving, storing ,administration, recording and disposing of medication. Significant improvements have Care Homes for Older People Page 11 of 21 Evidence: been made in medication systems and practice since the last inspection. There is a good detailed policy in the home covering all aspects of medicines management. This means that staff have access to up to date information on legal requirements and guidance. Medicines are stored securely either in locked trolleys or locked cupboards. Good records are kept of fridge and room temperature. The date of opening is now consistently added to medicines with a limited use once open. There are very few administration gaps on the MAR charts meaning that people living in the home can expect to receive their prescribed medication correctly. An audit of current stock and records showed that tablets were mostly given as prescribed. The medication records for creams have significantly improved since the last inspection but further improvements were needed on some units. There is now greater consistency in handwritten entries and changes made to medication. The quantities of medicines received into the home and brought forward each month are now clearly entered on each persons MAR chart making it easy to check whether sufficient quantities are always available. For people on anti-coagulation medication information on dosage and the next test date was now included alongside their MAR chart. Such details are important so that staff have up to date information on the care requirements for that person. Some people self- administer medication mostly creams, eye drops or inhalers. For a few there was no risk assessment. It is important that a thorough risk assessment is done to make sure the person is able to safely administer their medication as intended. People spoken with confirmed that staff treat them with dignity and respect. Care Homes for Older People Page 12 of 21 Daily life and social activities 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 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. They are as independent as they can be, lead their chosen lifestyle and have the opportunity to make the most of their abilities. People have nutritious and attractive meals and snacks, at a time and place to suit them. 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. The activities are varied and provide recreation for some of the people living in the home. Family and friends can visit the home at any time and are made to feel welcome. The meals are of a good standard. Menus are varied and people are given a choice. Evidence: Most of the people said that activities are suitable. The activities organiser spends time with people on an individual basis to find out what activities they would like to do. One to one activities take place during the morning and group activities in the afternoon. Regular activities include card and board games, bingo, poetry sessions and arts and crafts. Outside entertainers visit on a regular basis and a church service is held once per month. People are also taken out. The lunch looked nice. Staff who were helping people were doing this in a discreet and dignified manner. Evidence was seen in care plans to confirm that nutritional needs are assessed and other professionals consulted if required. Care Homes for Older People Page 13 of 21 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. Any concern is looked into and action taken to put things right. The care home safeguards people from abuse and neglect and takes action to follow up any allegations. People’s legal rights are protected, including being able to vote in elections. 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 can be confident that their concerns and complaints are dealt with appropriately and that safeguards are in place to protect them from abuse. Evidence: Information about complaints, how and who to make them to, is made available to the people who live in the home and their families through information displayed in the entrance to the home and in the Service Users Guide. There have been eight complaints recorded since the last inspection. All of these were investigated by the home. The home had a comprehensive adult protection procedure. This gives staff the support they need to make a referral should this be required. The staff spoken to during the inspection were asked about abuse and what they would do if they saw or heard anything inappropriate. All said that they would tell someone, for example the manager, or make a referral themselves if this was more appropriate. Training is provided for all staff in adult protection. Care Homes for Older People Page 14 of 21 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, 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. 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. The home is clean and well maintained. It is decorated and furnished to a good standard and provides a homely environment for the people who live there. Evidence: During a tour of the building the inspector saw that many of the rooms are decorated to the persons own taste and there was evidence to confirm that people can take in some personal items when they go to live there. This includes pieces of furniture as well as photographs and ornaments. A high standard of decor and furniture is provided throughout the home. There was a range of equipment seen around the home to support people with bathing and mobility. We found the building to be clean, tidy and free from offensive odours. Care Homes for Older People Page 15 of 21 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 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 to care for them. Their needs are met and they are cared for by staff who get the relevant training and support from their managers. 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. Staff are appropriately recruited, trained and in sufficient numbers to meet the needs of the people who live in the home. Evidence: From the rota supplied at the inspection there was sufficient care staff on duty to meet the assessed care needs of the people who were using the service. People said that staff were usually around and answered the call bells quickly. One person said, The staff come quickly when I need them. The home had staff files in place, which provided evidence that the appointment of a new staff member is in the main made through proper recruitment processes. This includes the vetting of staff through the use of references, POVA first checks and Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks. There is a commitment at the home to having a trained workforce with most of the staff having an NVQ at level 2 or above. As well as mandatory training, recent training has also taken place in adult protection and health and safety. Staff said that they are also supported with regard to personal training needs. Staff comments in this area were positive. Comments included There is always plenty of training going on and you can ask for additional training if you want to. Care Homes for Older People Page 16 of 21 Management and administration 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 led and managed appropriately. People control their own money and choose how they spend it. If they or someone close to them cannot manage their money, it is managed by the care home in their best interests. The environment is safe for people and staff because appropriate 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. The people staying at the home are safeguarded because it follows clear financial and accounting procedures, keeps records appropriately and ensures their staff understand the way things should be done. They get the right care because the staff are supervised and supported by their managers. 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 can be assured that the home is well managed and they are given the opportunity to comment on how the home is run. Policies and procedures are in place to safeguard their health, safety and wellbeing. Evidence: Since the last inspection the registered manager has left the home. The home is currently being managed by two deputy managers. Both have worked at the home for several years and are familiar with the policies and procedures. There was an open and friendly culture between the management team and staff working at the home. There was evidence in staff files to show that supervision was taking place and that the staff were being appraised. Staff confirmed that supervision takes place on a regular basis and that they are well supported. People living at the home and visitors who were spoken to during the inspection confirmed that staff are approachable and that they would feel comfortable in raising Care Homes for Older People Page 17 of 21 Evidence: any issues. Regular meetings are held and there are a number of systems in place to consult with people living at the home. Relatives and the people who live in the home can approach the staff at any time. The manager carries out regular audits covering all environmental and care aspects which may result in improvements being made. Personal finances are kept in the home for people who request this. Signatures are obtained and receipts are kept to ensure peoples financial interests are safeguarded. The manager confirmed that all equipment in the home is regularly checked. The maintenance certificates that were seen at this inspection were found to be in order. Health and Safety checks are carried out regularly to safeguard people living and working at the home. People living at the home and visitors who were spoken to during the inspection confirmed that the manager is approachable and that they would go to her if they had any concerns. Staff also confirmed this to be the case. Regular meetings are held and there are a number of systems in place to consult with people living at the home. Relatives and the people who live in the home can approach the staff at any time. The manager carries out regular audits covering all environmental and care aspects which may result in improvements being made. Personal finances are kept in the home for people who request this. Signatures are obtained and receipts are kept to ensure peoples financial interests are safeguarded. The manager confirmed that all equipment in the home is regularly checked. The maintenance certificates that were seen at this inspection were found to be in order. Health and Safety checks are carried out regularly to safeguard people living and working at the home. Care Homes for Older People Page 18 of 21 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 Older People Page 19 of 21 Requirements and recommendations from this inspection: Immediate requirements: These are immediate requirements that were set on the day we visited this care home. The registered person had to meet these within 48 hours. No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Statutory requirements These requirements set out what the registered person must do to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Care Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must do this within the timescales we have set. No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Recommendations These recommendations are taken from the best practice described in the National Minimum Standards and the registered person(s) should consider them as a way of improving their service. No Refer to Standard Good Practice Recommendations 1 9 Creams should be applied as prescribed and a record made at the time so that people are treated correctly and their medical condition is not affected. Care Homes for Older People Page 20 of 21 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. © Care Quality Commission 2010 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any format or medium for non-commercial purposes, provided that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a derogatory manner or in a misleading context. The source should be acknowledged, by showing the publication title and © Care Quality Commission 2010. Care Homes for Older People Page 21 of 21 - Please note that this information is included on www.bestcarehome.co.uk under license from the regulator. Re-publishing this information is in breach of the terms of use of that website. Discrete codes and changes have been inserted throughout the textual data shown on the site that will provide incontrovertable proof of copying in the event this information is re-published on other websites. The policy of www.bestcarehome.co.uk is to use all legal avenues to pursue such offenders, including recovery of costs. You have been warned!