Inspection on 24/05/10 for Westmead
Also see our care home review for Westmead for more information
This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 24th May 2010.
CQC found this care home to be providing an Excellent service.
The inspector found no outstanding requirements from the previous inspection report, but made 1 statutory requirements (actions the home must comply with) as a result of this inspection.
Other inspections for this house
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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
We looked at the care records of two people who use the service. We saw that the person had visited the home before they decided to move in and staff told us they had assessed the needs of this person during their visit. This ensured they had the information they needed to enable the home to set up a plan of care for staff to follow. We saw the people had agreed to the care plans. Overall, the care plans were informative and provided enough information to enable staff to meet their individual care needs. We looked at the management of medication for these people. Overall, the medication was well managed. Medication administration charts (MAR) were well completed and appropriate codes were being recorded when medication was not given. Where medication for pain relief was prescribed as `one or two tablets when required`, we saw staff were recording this information in detail on the back of the MAR including the reason for giving the medication. We saw this information was also in the care plan. We saw the home are monitoring and recording the temperature of the room where medicines are being stored and the temperature of the refrigerator to ensure it is stored at the correct temperatures and is not at risk of harm through excessive heat or cold. We saw they had recently installed an air conditioning unit in this room to enable the room to be maintained at a constant temperature. We carried out a number of audits of medication to see if the home were administering the medication as prescribed by the medical practitioner. All audits except one were correct. We visited and spoke to the people whose care we tracked. We saw they had been helped to look their best. We saw one person was using a special cushion to sit on to prevent them from developing sore skin. One person chose to spend more time in their bedroom. We saw their room was clean and tidy and they had brought in some of their own possessions to make the room more homely. People told us they were `happy to comehere`. The food is `very nice` and they have a choice of meals. They told us the staff are `very nice` and the `cleaners are lovely`. People told us the home is `ever so nice`. We received information in surveys from people who use the service and staff who work at the home. We asked people what the home does well and this is the response we received; `organisation OK. Meals OK. Cleanliness OK. Staff very happy and helpful`. `Everything`. `Caring, all the girls are very nice. Arranging various social activities, coffee mornings etc. I am very happy living here most of the time`. `Care and assistance`. `We are very satisfied witht the home and my Mother is very happy and well looked after. The staff are friendly and extremely helpful. The food is excellent and the home is always very clean. The staff always contact me if my Mother has a medical problem`. Staff told us; `I feel activities are always done well and include not just the few residents, but most are always encouraged to take part. We take into consideration everyones views, wishes, and choices, we listen and if we feel that something needs to be done differently, then discussing with residents in a resident meeting, allowing them to view their opinions. This is good practice as the residents feel like they are part of the everyday running of their home`. `Promotes independence for clients. Offers good opportunities for staff to develop. It`s a very good homely atmosphere. We are good at working together`. The AQAA told us the home undertake good recruitment practice. We spoke to a member of staff who confirmed that thorough recruitment procedures had been undertaken before they were employed. This ensures only suitable people are employed by the home. We looked at the home`s complaints records and saw that they had taken appropriate action to any complaints they received. We saw records of compliments about the service and its staff. The home audit their complaints and compliment records every three months. People told us they felt able to speak to the staff if they had any concerns. Staff told us they had received their mandatory core training, for example fire and moving and handling. Staff spoken with were clear of the action they would take if they received a complaint or suspected a person who uses the service was at risk of abuse. The information in the AQAA told us all staff had received training about the Mental Capacity Act and the Deprivation of Liberty safeguards. Staff spoken with confirmed this. The AQAA told us the home have improved the social care provision in the home through staff from their day centre providing time in the home in addition to their activity coordinator. They have a green house in the garden and encourage people who use the service to grow bedding plants and tomatoes. One person told us they had been helping the staff water the plants in the greenhouse. Redecoration of the home continues on a rolling programme of refurbishment and renewal. On the day of the inspection the manager was on annual leave. There were four care staff on duty including a lead carer. In addition there was a senior lead care and a hotel services manager whose hours are supernumerary to the staff rota. Ancillary staff included a cook and five domestic staff and a maintenance person. Staff confirmed these are the normal staffing levels in the home and this is enough staff to enable them to meet the needs of the people who use the service. We looked at the visits carried out by a representative of the organisation. We saw these visits are unannounced and are being carried out monthly in accordance with theregulations. The AQAA told us all of the equipment in the home had been serviced in the last 12 months. We looked at the records for the window restrictors and saw the records showed they were recorded as checked last week.
What the care home could do better:
The home need to ensure they keep the records they make about people`s health and social care needs obtained during the pre-admission assessment, as these are part of their individual care records. We noted some shortfalls in the two care records we looked at, but overall there was enough information to enable staff to meet people`s care needs. We told the senior lead care and hotel services manager about the areas where the care records could be improved upon. The service should ensure that external medicine preparations are stored separately from medicines for internal use. This is to prevent any contamination between external and internal medicines. The home need to ensure the cupboard used for the storage of controlled medicines is fixed correctly to the wall to ensure the safety of the medication.