Inspection on 18/02/09 for Alison House

This inspection was carried out on 18th February 2009.

CSCI 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

Alison House 01/03/07

Alison House 06/11/06

Similar services:

Maple Lodge

Heathlands

Aston Court Nursing Home

Breme

Ravenhurst

Bank House

Inspirations

Westmead

Extracts from inspection reports are licensed from CQC, this page was updated on 18/06/2009.

Inspecting for better lives Key inspection report Care homes for older people Name: Address: Alison House 7 Newton Street Alison House Basford Stoke on Trent ST4 6JN     The quality rating for this care home is:   two star good 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 assessment of the service. We call this a ‘key’ inspection. Lead inspector: Wendy Grainger     Date: 1 8 0 2 2 0 0 9 This is a report of an inspection where we looked at how well this care home is meeting the needs of people who use it. 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. 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 Commission for Social Care Inspection aims to: • • • • Put the people who use social care first Improve services and stamp out bad practice Be an expert voice on social care Practise what we preach in our own organisation Our duty to regulate social care services is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000. Care Homes for Older People Page 2 of 26 Reader Information Document Purpose Author Audience Further copies from Copyright Inspection report CSCI General public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) Copyright © (2009) Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). 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 CSCI copyright, with the title and date of publication of the document specified. www.cqc.org.uk Internet address Care Homes for Older People Page 3 of 26 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Alison House Alison House 7 Newton Street Basford Stoke on Trent ST4 6JN 01214513746 01782717168 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Mrs Shanti Odedra,Mr Sunil Odedra Name of registered manager (if applicable) Mrs Sharon Allen Type of registration: Number of places registered: Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 dementia mental disorder, excluding learning disability or dementia old age, not falling within any other category Additional conditions: The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is: 24 The registered person may provide the following category of service only: Care Home Only (Code PC) To service users of the following gender: Either Whose primary care needs on admission to the home are within the following categories: Dementia (DE) 12 Mental disorder, excluding learning disability or dementia (MD) 6 Old age, not falling within any other category (OP) 24 Date of last inspection 12 6 0 Over 65 0 0 24 care home 24 Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 26 Brief description of the care home Alison House is situated in the Basford area of Newcastle Under Lyme. Alison House is registered to provide pesonal care for 30 older people. They are also registered to provide care to six people with dementia care needs and six with mental disorder. The home is on two levels and single bedrooms are available on both floors. Some of the bedrooms have en-suite facilities. There are a variety of communal spaces in the home: a large conservatory looking over a paved courtyard area at the back of the home and two lounges at the front. There is a separate dining room. The current fees for the service were between 368-450 pounds per week. These fees applied at the time of the inspection, the reader may wish to contact the service to obtain up to date information. Care Homes for Older People Page 5 of 26 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 overall quality rating for this service is 2 star. This means that the people who use the service experience good quality outcomes. This unannounced key inspection was carried out by one inspector between the hours of 9 am and 4 pm. We used the National Minimum Standards for Older People as a basis for the inspection. Prior to the inspection we had sent out an Annual Quality Assurance Assessment (AQAA) for the manager to complete, this was returned to us prior to our visit and within the requested timescale. The document while providing us with information it could have been more comprehensive to provide us with relevant information about the core standards and how they were interpreted within the service. The completion of the AQAA is a legal requirement and it enables the service to Care Homes for Older People Page 6 of 26 undertake a self-assessment, which focuses on how well outcomes are being met for the people who use the service. It also gives us some numerical information about the service. We were provided with documents on request, which included: staff training, menus and care plans. We spent sometime with the people who use the service and observed the lunch and medication administration. We were unable to speak to any visitors on this inspection. We had received a small quantity of Have your say surveys from the people using the service. Each one told us that they had received suffcient information prior to moving into the home. I dont like salmon much so they give me something else, We enjoy it very much. The surveys confirmed that each person would know who to speak to in the event they had a complaint. 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 set out 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 26 Care Homes for Older People Page 9 of 26 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 10 of 26 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. The people who choose to use the service receive all the information that they require. They are assessed so that they can be sure that the service can meet their needs. Evidence: It was unclear from the AQAA who was the responsible person undertaking pre admission assessments. The registered care manager confirmed to us that it was her responsibility, she was supported by the deputy manager to undertake pre admission assessments. The Statement of Purpose and Service Users Guide was made available to new people using the service. The manager confirmed her intention to create written confirmation that the service could meet the needs of an individual following a pre admission assessment. The person would be invited to spend time at the service meeting the staff and sampling a meal. Care Homes for Older People Page 11 of 26 Care Homes for Older People Page 12 of 26 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. Arrangements were in place for the continued personal and health care for the people who use the service. Staff demonstrated a warm and sensitive approach to people using the service. Evidence: From the two care plans chosen at random details were evidenced. Certain information had not been collated and recorded this included a risk assessment for one person in the event of a fire. There was no evidence to show that people are involved in their care planning. We saw however that each care plan had been reviewed monthly as part of the services audit and to ensure that individuals need remained met. Other comments were positive about the staff They are good to me, I only have to ask them for help. The staffs were conscientious in their daily reporting and following up concerns for other staff to read. Staff confirmed that they had received training in this area of care. The AQAA gave us limited information for the medication outcome section, we were Care Homes for Older People Page 13 of 26 Evidence: told that the service had changed pharmacies and that staff had received accredited training for the safe handling of medication. The service had the required facilities to store medication with a locked cupboard and fridge for the currently used insulin. We identified that medication used for eyes had not been dated when opened. It is important that this is completed, failure to do this could result in an individual receiving out of date medication. We also identified one person administered a laxative for which she was not prescribed. The service could not offer an explanation as to whose medication had been used. This practice could compromise the individuals health. We were told that there had been no after effects for the person. The staff should be made aware of the importance of not taking and using another persons medication. Staffs seen and heard during the inspection were warm in their approach to care and the individuals needs. We observed them act appropriately when one person experienced a fall, resulting in an injury to her head. We were told by one person that During my recent illness I was cared for to an excellent standard I feel I would not have pulled through elsewhere. One of the relatives surveys recorded We appreciate being contacted when there are any problems with mums health. Care Homes for Older People Page 14 of 26 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. People who use the service have the option regarding their daily routines. People are encouraged and supported to maintain contact with families. Meals provided are appropraite to peoples needs. Evidence: The AQAA told us that the staff continue to carry out the services programme for daily activities. We evidenced some simple coordination game taking place. One of the people went to the local town of Stoke to do personal shopping. We were told by two people that they enjoyed the activities. I like doing things it keeps my mind going, I like it when we have music. Menus seen were varied and offered choice based on likes, cultural and allergic reactions that may have been recognised. We were told by one person that she and others We were asked last night for todays lunch, We always have a choice for lunch and tea. The service has two sittings for meals this is to respect individuals dignity when they are assisted when eating. The staff were observed to undertake this practice with care and sensitivity. Care Homes for Older People Page 15 of 26 Evidence: The AQAA tells us that people are encouraged to maintain contact with family and friend in the community. The service has no restrictions on visiting and operates and open door policy for people visitors and families. Care Homes for Older People Page 16 of 26 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 who use the service are able to make a complaint and are safeguarded by the homes procedures and trained staff. Evidence: The AQAA told us that the service had received one complaint against it since 2007. The records evidenced told us that complaint had been dealt with to the satisfaction of all parties. There has been no safeguarding or complaints referred to us. The process for raising a complaint was clearly displayed in the dining room in the pictorial style. We evidenced from the staff training records training in the use of the complaints process. The staff on duty confirmed to us the procedure for raising concerns with the management; they had completed training for the recognition of abuse and for the use of the whistle blowing policy. Each of the staff receives Protection of Vulnerable Adult [POVA] training during their induction. We were told in the AQAA that it is hoped to get the staff more involved in the running of the service to give them confidence in their ability to provide quality care to the people. We spoke to people during the day and were told The girls are good to me I only have to ask, When I need the doctor the staff will get him for me, I was told when I came how to make a complaint I would tell the girls. Care Homes for Older People Page 17 of 26 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. People who use the service were provided with a warm and comfortable environment. Evidence: The people living at the service are provided with an environment that provides space and access to areas within the service. The service continues to be updated and upgraded to benefit the people using the service. We were told in the AQAA that the service had purchased new furniture for the dining room. Decorating had been completed and is on going. We evidenced a clean and hygienic environment. We evidenced that one door lock on a bathroom was ineffective and would not close to protect the dignity and privacy of an individual. We evidenced that one of the en-suites was without a call system. It is important that this is rectified to ensure the safety of the individual in the event of an emergency. These issues were discussed with the provider and the manager who agreed to check all the en-suites and to ensure that door locks on bathrooms and toilets were working. These areas need to be included in the services audit for maintenance. We spoke to and observed people using the space provided, the areas were hazard free and were accessed easily. We were told I like living here, Its nice and clean here, I like my bedroom. We spoke to the person that had moved bedrooms this had been discussed to ensure the persons safety when negotiating the stairs, she told us Care Homes for Older People Page 18 of 26 Evidence: It was a nice room I like this room better, I dont have to worry. Care Homes for Older People Page 19 of 26 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. People who use the service are suported by a well- trained and committed staff team ensuring that they are safe. Evidence: We evidenced the staff records that told us that the required checks from the Criminal Records Bureau CRB and the Protection of Vulnerable Adults POVA were made on individuals prior to employment. Staff told us that they were aware that the management had completed these checks before they could commence employment. We were told by the staff they experienced supervision and appraisals on a regular and annual basis. Records completed for the staff training and made available to us gave us a full detailed record of the mandatory and other training accomplished by the staff in 2009. We were told by the manager that she is to resource training for the Mental Capacity Act. Care Homes for Older People Page 20 of 26 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. The people who use the service are safeguarded by the competent manager and staff team. The service operates to the best interest of the people. Evidence: Prior to the inspection we sent the service an Annual Quality Assurance Assessment document to complete. the document was returned to us with in the required timescale. Some of the out comes were more informative than others and provided detailed information, not in list form. this was discussed with the care manager during the feedback. We evidenced from the records that policies and procedures were current. The manager has been in the caring profession for a number of years she has achieved the Registered Managers Award with Level 4 National Vocational Qualification NVQ. She undertakes the responsibility for the running of the service including the recruitment and training of any new and existing staff. Recordsprovided for the fire and other equipment servicing were all satisfactory. We were provided with evidence from the records that the service had a commitment to peoples health and safety. Care Homes for Older People Page 21 of 26 Evidence: Staff training records evidenced that training for Health and Safety and infection control had been undertaken. The people who use the service and the staff were observed to be relaxed with the manager who interacted with all the people during the day. Staff told us that they felt supported by the management and liked the open door approach. We can always speak to the manager, I only have to ask a senior or the manager I have had training for the job. We sampled at random finances held on behalf of the people and found the records and system satisfactory. Care Homes for Older People Page 22 of 26 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 23 of 26 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 1 9 13 The registered person shall make arrangements for the safekeeping and safe administration of medicines received into the care home To ensure the safety and health of individuals no medication prescribed for one person should be administered to another individual. 10/05/2009 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 To ensure the safety of the individual when administering prescribed medication it is important that dates are recorded when opthalmic and cream medication is opened this will prevent out of date medication being administered To ensure the safety of individuals a working call system should be provided in all area accessed by the people using the service. To protect the privacy and the dignity of people who use the service door locks on bathrooms and toilets should be Page 24 of 26 2 26 3 26 Care Homes for Older People part of the monthly audit to ensure they are in working order. Care Homes for Older People Page 25 of 26 Helpline: Telephone: 03000 616161 or Textphone: or 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. Copyright © (2009) Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). 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 CSCI copyright, with the title and date of publication of the document specified. Care Homes for Older People Page 26 of 26 - 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!