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Inspection on 18/01/10 for Elmwood

Also see our care home review for Elmwood for more information

This inspection was carried out on 18th January 2010.

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 Good.

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: Elmwood The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: two star good service 0 7 1 1 2 0 0 8 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?   Yes 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: Rachel Fleet Date of this annual service review: 2 4 1 1 2 0 0 9 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 6 Information about the service Address of service: Swan Hill Road Colyford Colyton Devon EX24 6QJ 01297552750 01297551133 info@elmwoodonline.co.uk Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:   Name of registered provider(s): Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : old age, not falling within any other category physical disability Conditions of registration: Elmwood Residential Home Limited Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 0 38 38 0 The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is 38. The registered person may provide the following category of service only: Care home only - Code PC to service users of either gender whose primary care needs on admission to the home are within the following categories: Old age, not falling within any other category (Code OP) Physical disability (Code PD) 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: Mrs Jo Fitch, the Registered manager, has also become the Responsible Individual representing the service provider, Elmwood Residential Home Limited. 0 7 1 1 2 0 0 8 Date of last key inspection: Date of last annual service review (if applicable): Brief description of the service Elmwood is a home offering 24-hour residential care and accommodation to up to 33 older people. Nursing care cannot be provided other than that which the local Annual Service Review Page 2 of 6 community nurses can provide or supervise. It is set within the conservation area of Colyford in East Devon, on the main road through Colyford. The house was built at the turn of the century, being established as a care home in 1983. It has remained with the same owner since then, who has extended the home and who continues to improve the facilities year on year. Bedrooms are on the ground and first floors, with floors linked by a passenger lift. All bedrooms are for single occupancy, and all have ensuite facilities. The grounds have been landscaped to include a prominent water feature, and the owner continues to develop the gardens for the enjoyment of service users. There is ample car parking space on site. At our last inspection, the fees ranged from £323.00 - 430.00 per week. This did not include items such as toiletries, newspapers, chiropody and hairdressing. Further information, including our previous reports, is available from the home. The home was last inspected on 7 November 2008. 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. - Surveys returned to us by people using the service and from other people with an interest in the service. We sent 10 surveys for people living at the home; of the 5 returned, 4 people had completed the survey unaided, and 1 had been helped by a relative. We sent 5 surveys for peoples relatives or other advocates, of which none were returned. No-one opted in their survey to speak to us. - 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. We have not made any other visits 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. However, their self-assessment was not always clear or sufficiently detailed. For example, there was little relating to aspects of health and safety, or how people are enabled to have contact with family and friends. The self-assessment regarding complaints and safeguarding was not a robust assessment. The AQAA did, however, indicate that the views of people living at the home were used to assess how well the home was doing, and to bring about improvements in the service and facilities. Since our last inspection, we have received concerns about the home from 1 person, which were referred to the local authority under local multi-agency safeguarding procedures. On being informed of the concerns by us, the home did not act in line with its own safeguarding policy, which we discussed with the manager at the time. Numerical information in the AQAA about complaints the home had received was not clear, but suggested they had had 1-2 complaints in the previous year. Of the 5 surveys we received, when asked if there was someone the person could speak to informally if they were not happy, 1 person did not reply, 1 said Not sure and 3 said Annual Service Review Page 4 of 6 Yes. Asked if they knew how to make a formal complaint, 3 said No and 2 said Yes. The manager has since informed us that the complaints procedure was on the back of every bedroom door, but she has had it moved to a more prominent position now. She will also be reiterating the complaints procedure to people when they are admitted to the home, and will regularly enquire if people have any concerns they wish to raise. When asked what the home does well, people living in the home described it as friendly, relaxed and homely. Asked what the home could do better, only 1 suggestion was made: the training of some staff. The AQAA didnt specify what training staff had in relation to the needs of people living at the home - a recommendation being made in relation to this at our last inspection - or how they are supervised and developed. However, the AQAA stated that 13 of 18 care staff have a recognised care qualification, with extremely little staff turnover, and no use of agency staff. The manager has also informed us, in responding to this review, that all staff will have had a training update on safeguarding by the end of January 2010. The person also suggested it might be difficult to achieve a high standard of care, within a routine, in a home of Elmwoods size whilst retaining the relaxed atmosphere. When asked, in surveys, if people received the care and support they needed, 1 said always and 4 said usually. Asked if staff listened and acted on what the person said, 3 people said usually, 1 said always and 1 said sometimes. The AQAA indicated that the home had increased its provision of activities in line with comments they had received from people living at the home. Asked in surveys if the home arranged activities that they could take part in if they wished, 3 people said always, 1 said usually and 1 said sometimes. All said they usually liked the meals provided. All said the home was always or usually clean and fresh. The home works with us, and lets us know about things that have happened since our last key inspection. However, we have some concerns about how complaints and safeguarding matters are managed at the home, and whether this is affecting outcomes for people living there. What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? We will do a key inspection by 7 November 2010. However, we will carry out a random inspection by 31 January 2010 to look at the issues raised in this review. This inspection could mean that we will bring the key inspection forward. We can also 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). 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. 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