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Inspection on 07/07/09 for Andlaw House

Also see our care home review for Andlaw House for more information

This inspection was carried out on 7th July 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: Andlaw House 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: Annie Foot Date of this annual service review: 0 7 0 7 2 0 0 9 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 6 Information about the service Address of service: 126 Bartholomew Street West Exeter Devon EX4 3AJ 01392490366 01392490399 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:   www.sense.org.uk Sense, The National Deafblind and Rubella Association Name of registered provider(s): Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : learning disability physical disability sensory impairment Conditions of registration: Age Range:- 18 to 50 years Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 10 6 10 0 0 0 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: New Responsible Individual Application for registration of manager pending. Date of last key inspection: Date of last annual service review (if applicable): Brief description of the service Andlaw House is a two-storey purpose built home, close to the centre of Exeter. It is divided into two flats with separate staff teams. However it is registered as one home. There are also garden areas that are accessible to people living at the home. The annual fee is between #62,000 - #90,000. There are no additional charges. Annual Service Review Page 2 of 6 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 which took place on 20 June 2007 and the annual service review completed on 19 June 2008. 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. Surveys returned to us by people using the service and from other people with an interest in 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 home sent us their annual quality assurance assessment (AQAA) when we asked for it. It was clear and detailed and gave us all the information we asked for. We received 4 completed surveys from healthcare professionals. These tell us that professionals highly regard the service provided by the home. Comments include: the team have provided an outstanding level of care to my patient who has very complex medical needs. The team should be congratulated on the devoted care they provide, staff have been willing to learn new skills, the service enhances the quality of life of a severely learning and sensory impaired mature person consistently, the service is very patient centred and caring, thoughtful and thorough communication. People living at the home are supported to engage in activities both within the home and local community. Relationships with family and friends are encouraged and supported. Staff facilitate feedback from residents through monitoring changes in behaviour and responding to communication. Families and professionals are involved daily and satisfaction questionnaires are used as part of the internal quality assurance. Regular meetings address individual needs and concerns. There is a robust system for dealing Annual Service Review Page 4 of 6 with complaints and the policy is displayed in the entrance area and is communicated to people and their families No complaints have been received during the year. The environment is regularly maintained. In the last year all the bathrooms in the flats have been refurbished, which included the installation of new baths, floor coverings, tiling and general decoration. In addition, a heightened bath has been installed in the wheelchair accessible bathroom in Flat 1. The AQAA tells us that the service has improved over the last twelve months by recruiting a stable staff team which has reduced the amount of agency use at the home. The amount of staff training has increased during the year to facilitate more skilled staff. Staff supervision is now more regular, providing greater support for the staff and providing insight to the manager into how teams are functioning. Staff commented that they are pleased to now receive regular supervision. 21 permanent care staff are employed at the home. 16 have achieved and NVQ level 2 in care of above. All staff receive induction and ongoing training. Staff turnover is low. 3 staff have left during the year. We received 8 completed surveys from staff employed at the home. These tell us that the staff are usually provided with all the information required to meet the changing needs of service users. Several staff commented on staffing levels which could be improved and several said communication between staff and management needed improvement. The staff all say that the home provides a high standard of person-centred care, under circumstances that can be difficult, and, the home provides for the very specific needs of each person living here, with a core of very experienced staff, who have a high personal commitment to individuals There are a range of policies and procedures in operation at the home, although none have been reviewed in the last year. The home has been without a registered manager for some time. There is now a manager in post. An application for registration has been received by CQC and is currently under assessment. A new Responsible Individual was also appointed during the year. The home continues to provide a high standard of care and there is no evidence to indicate that outcomes for people who use the service have changed since the last inspection of the service. What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? We are not going to change our inspection plan and will do a key inspection by 20 June, 2010. However, we can inspect the service at any time if we have concerns about the quality of the service or the safety of the people using the service. 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). 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