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Inspection on 20/10/09 for 56 St Saviours Road

Also see our care home review for 56 St Saviours Road for more information

This inspection was carried out on 20th October 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 Excellent.

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: 56 St Saviours Road The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: three star excellent service 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: Jo Mohammed Date of this annual service review: 1 5 0 9 2 0 0 9 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 6 Information about the service Address of service: 56 St Saviours Road St Leonards-on-sea East Sussex TN38 0AR 01424443657 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:   jill.coker@sact.org.uk Name of registered provider(s): Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : learning disability Conditions of registration: Sussex Autistic Community Trust (Care Services) Ltd Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 4 0 The maximum number of service users to be accommodated is 4. The registered person may provide the following category/ies of service only: Care home only - (PC) to service users of the following gender: Either Whose primary care needs on admission to the home are within the following categories: Learning disability (LD). 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: There has been an increase in registration numbers from three to four in July 2009. Date of last key inspection: Date of last annual service review (if applicable): Brief description of the service 56, St Saviours Road is a semi-detached property situated in a residential area of St Leonards-on-Sea. The town centre with its shops and railway station is approximately one mile away. Service user accommodation is on two floors with a lounge and dining room on the ground floor and bedroom accommodation situated on the first and second floors. The home is registered to accommodate four adults with a learning disability who have an Autistic Spectrum disorder. The home is one of four Annual Service Review Page 2 of 6 homes in East Sussex that are run by The Sussex Autistic Community Trust (care services) Ltd. Information about the home in respect of their Statement Of Purpose, Service User Guide, current fees and copies of inspection reports can be obtained directly from the home upon request. Annual Service Review Page 3 of 6 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. -Information we have 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 results of any other visits that we have made to the service in the last 12 months. -Relevant information from other organisations. -What other people have told us about the service. What has this told us about the service? The Annual Quality Assurance Assessment [AQAA] that we took our information from is dated 23rd February 2009. This provided detailed information. It identified under the summary section in respect of what the service does well as providing a low arousal, comfortable and relaxed environment. Having detailed plans in place for each service user enabling them to achieve a varied lifestyle and striving to understand and support their needs, choices in order to take an active and meaningful part in the community. The AQAA identifies how the home has improved over the last twelve months by maintaining and strengthening positive relationships with service users families and links with the community. At the time this AQAA was completed changes to the environment were taking place. This work has now been completed and the home has increased their registration numbers from three to four in July 2009. This has been achieved by converting a room on the second floor of the property into another bedroom with en suite facilities. In conjunction with this increase the home have provided additional communal space in a newly constructed conservatory on the ground floor. The home identified in their registration application for variation that they would increase staffing levels by having an additional full time member of staff who would commence working in the home from August 2009 due to the increase in the number of service users living in the home. Other aspects identified in the AQAA indicate regular service user reviews being held and using a range of different communication aids in supporting service users to Annual Service Review Page 4 of 6 express their views, wishes and preferences. The AQAA identifies that new style quality assurance documents are being used. They are also planning to use more service user friendly comment sheets to enable service users to express their likes and dislikes more accurately. A weekly information sheet containing information about staff on duty and activities has been introduced for two service users. The home identifies close links with their two day/resource centres with timetables altered to reflect service users changing preferences and development of skills. They also indicate ongoing discussions with parents and outside agencies. Barriers to improvement are identified as a reduction in funding from the Local Authority in respect of not providing increases in line with inflation and although outings for service users are planned, the home say this reduces the ability to employ extra staff for more one to one activities. However the Manager works some shifts to assist in the funding of one to one staffing for days out throughout the year. The organisation has introduced its own medication training. They are working towards improving areas of the garden. They also state they have re-introduced Autism focus workbooks for staff to aid their understanding of Autistic Spectrum characteristics. The home was last inspected in December 2006. Three requirements and two good practice recommendations were made at that time. It was identified in the homes Annual Service Review last year dated 29th April 2008, that there was evidence from information contained within a previous AQAA of work carried out to improve practice in these areas. The data section of the AQAA indicates that all three permanent staff team have an National Vocational Qualification [NVQ] level 2 or above in care and that six staff have completed the Skills For Care induction training. Maintenance of equipment, health, safety checks, policies and procedures are identified as being in order and in place. It is noted in the AQAA that a number of the homes policies and procedures were last reviewed between 2005 and 2008 and it is considered prudent to ascertain if any of these need updating. The home or the Care Quality Commission [CQC] have not received any concerns or complaints since the last Annual Service Review in April 2008. A safeguarding alert between service users at one of the organisations day centres was handled appropriately and the investigation was closed in June 2009. The home reports notifications about significant occurrences to the Care Quality Commission [CQC]. Two site visits to the home were undertaken in May and July 2009 in respect of the increase in registered numbers and changes to the environment. The home has not been inspected since the last inspection in December 2006. What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? We consider the quality rating of the home remains the same since the last key inspection. We will do a key inspection by December 2010 to review our assessment of the home. However, we reserve the right to revisit this decision if additional information is brought to our attention. Annual Service Review Page 5 of 6 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. 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. Annual Service Review Page 6 of 6 - 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!