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Inspection on 13/02/09 for Almond Villas

Also see our care home review for Almond Villas for more information

This inspection was carried out on 13th February 2009.

CSCI found this care home to be providing an Excellent 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.

What follows are excerpts from this inspection report. For more information read the full report on the next tab.

Inspecting for better lives Random inspection report Care homes for adults (18-65 years) Name: Address: Almond Villas 3-5 Dukes Brow Blackburn Lancs BB2 6EX three star excellent service The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: 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. This is a report of a random inspection of this care home. A random inspection is a short, focussed inspection. Details of how to get other inspection reports for this care home, including the last key inspection report, can be found on the last page of this report. Lead inspector: Christine Mulcahy Date: 1 3 0 2 2 0 0 9 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Almond Villas 3-5 Dukes Brow Blackburn Lancs BB2 6EX 01254681243 01254605038 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Type of registration: Number of places registered: Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Mrs Marilyn Clarke care home 14 Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 0 mental disorder, excluding learning disability or dementia Conditions of registration: 14 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: Mental disorder, excluding learning disability or dementia - Code MD The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is: 14 Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Almond Villas is one of a group of three care homes registered with the Commission to offer 24-hour accommodation, support and rehabilitation programmes for 14 adults with mental health needs. Almond Villas is a detached, converted property located in a residential area close to Blackburn town centre. There is a small patio/garden area at the front entrance. There is no parking at the house but street parking is available approximately 100 yards away. The main road into Blackburn, with a bus stop, shops and other amenities is Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 2 of 9 Brief description of the care home within easy walking distance. Accommodation at Almond Villas is provided in six self-contained flats. Four flats contain three single bedrooms with a shared lounge, kitchen and bathroom; the other two are single person flats. Communal areas, including a group/training room, counselling room/quiet lounge and laundry are housed in the basement. The offices and staff facilities are also on this floor and team of managers, each with designated responsibilities, share the day to day management of the three houses. . Information about the home is given to prospective residents during their trial visits. Copies of CSCI reports are available on request. Fees are determined by a comprehensive needs assessment and can be discussed with the registered provider. There were extra charges for personal toiletries, newspapers and magazines. Residents also made a contribution to activities not included on their programme. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 3 of 9 What we found: We carried out a short inspection at Almond Villas on 13th February 2009. This was to verify that the good practice and effective management systems that were in place at the last main visit were still in place or improved. At Almond Villas there is comprehensive written information which is very specific to the people using the service. The documents are clear about the service that is provided and details the service ethos and philosophy. The registered manager and team of support workers ensure that significant time and effort is spent planning to make admission to the home personal and well managed. The pre admission process must be followed by all referring agencies and professionals and the service must be provided with a needs assessment detailing the specific support needs of the person who might want to use the service. Admission to the home will not be considered without going through this process. In addition to this the registered manager and staff team ensure that a comprehensive service needs assessment is completed to determine if support workers have the right skills and knowledge to support the person to achieve their identified goals and aspirations. The admission process supports the person to be introduced gradually to other people at the home, the routines in the home and the homes capacity to meet their needs. A key support worker is assigned to the new person so there is always somebody available to answer questions about life at the home. All people using the service receive an agreed contract and this contains clear information about the fees and charges made to them. Support workers are fully committed to supporting people using the service to make their own decisions. A support worker said, Care plans are very focused on the residents futures and we work with them to support them to achieve their goals. Care plans of 2 people using the service were examined and seen to be up to date and person centered. They were developed with the resident focusing on their individual goals and aspirations detailing how support should be given. These person centred care plans are reviewed regularly to reflect the changing needs of the resident and contained comprehensive risk assessments for a majority of daily living activities highlighting hazards, predisposing factors, current evidence, outcomes, goals and measured risk levels of high, medium and low. Details about health care including GP, dental and optician contact were also recorded in the care plan. The manager said that work with other agencies is essential to the care provided so that the residents whole life needs are met. The manager strongly promotes the importance of respecting human rights of people using the service with fairness equality and respect and this is central to the care provided. All residents care plans have an individual activity plan that reflects their diverse needs, gender and age. One plan examined contained risk assessments that related to the activities and these documents were reviewed regularly and encouraged varied opportunities like visits to places of interest, swimming, meals out, cinema and football so that the resident can maintain social and independent living skills and be part of the local community. People using the service receive effective health care and personal support using a Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 4 of 9 person centered approach through an individual plan of care. Support workers are very alert to changes in residents mood and behaviour and know how to respond. Medicines policy and practices are robust and efficient and safeguard the wellbeing of the people using the service. Observations and discussions with support workers confirmed they were fully compliant with administration, safekeeping and recording of all drugs including controlled drugs. All support workers have received accredited training in this area and when asked knew where to find the homes policies, guidance and drug information. Discussion with a person using the service confirmed that he was more than satisfied with the service and support he was getting at the home. He told us, We do our own shopping, sometimes with the support workers. They help us with cooking too, we have to tidy the flat up ourselves on a rota we take turns. Its just like living in your own place except we share, I dont mind sharing, I like the company and we all muck in. We have meetings to organise what were gonna do in the week. The Almond Villas complaints and protection procedures are clear and uncomplicated. All support workers at the home are fully trained in safeguarding and knew how to respond if they suspected abuse. The physical environment is appropriate for the particular lifestyle and needs of the people who use the service. The self contained flats at Almond Villas are clean, homely, safe, comfortable, well maintained and furnishings are good quality. All bedrooms are single and facilities are designed to support peoples daily living skills and promote their independence. The highly trained and skilled staff team have all undergone a robust recruitment procedure that focuses on the needs of the people using the service. A staff file examined showed that all pre employment checks were done before offering the post to the candidate. Support workers are trained to a high standard and some workers have gained an NVQ level 3 in Health and Social Care and Independent Living . All workers have been trained in safeguarding, challenging behaviour and these are refreshed periodically The registered manager has the required qualifications and experience, is highly competent to run the home and meets the homes aims, objectives ethos and philosophy. She has sound knowledge of strategic and financial planning and how the service business plan achieves these objectives. She is able to demonstrate a clear sense of direction and apply best practice in the way the home is run and managed providing an excellent role model for other employees. The manager ensures that staff follow the policies and procedures of the home and undertake regular training to reflect the homes philosophy and ethos which conforms to safe working practices. There are full and clear written records of all safety checks, accidents and complaints and good evidence of the homes compliance with statutory requirements and legislation. There are reliable up to date systems in place to support the manager in running the service and this includes the homes robust policies and procedures and quality assurance systems providing safe working practices that protect and promote the safety and well being of the people who use the service. What the care home does well: Comprehensive processes and systems for assessing the needs of new residents were Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 5 of 9 still in place so that prospective residents knew that the staff at Almond Villas would be able to support them to reach their goals and aspirations. Peoples healthcare needs were taken seriously and were being fully met. The manager and staff do all they can to help people look after their own healthcare needs. People were treated with dignity and respect and were supported to maximise their independence by making choices about their lifestyle. There are good person centred care plans that make sure staff can properly support people to make decisions about their lives. 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 2. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 6 of 9 Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection? Yes £ No R Outstanding statutory requirements These requirements were set at the last inspection. They may not have been looked at during this inspection, as a random inspection is short and focussed. The registered person must take the necessary action to comply with these requirements within the timescales set. No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 7 of 9 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 Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 8 of 9 Reader Information Document Purpose: Author: Audience: Further copies from: Inspection Report CSCI General Public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) Our duty to regulate social care services is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000. Copies of the National Minimum Standards –Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or got 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 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 Adults (18-65 years) Page 9 of 9 - Please note that this information is included on www.bestcarehome.co.uk under license from the regulator. 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