Inspection on 17/12/08 for Elstow House

This inspection was carried out on 17th December 2008.

CSCI found this care home to be providing an Adequate 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

Elstow House 02/08/06

Elstow House 27/10/05

Similar services:

Hillside

Applegarth

122 Scorer Street

Jubilee Villa Care Home

Thornham Grove

Beech Lodge

8 Thorndale Road (Homefield College)

Hunter`s Lodge

Extracts from inspection reports are licensed from CQC, this page was updated on 19/06/2009.

Inspecting for better lives Key inspection report Care homes for adults (18-65 years) Name: Address: Elstow House Elstow House 25 Marriott Street Northampton Northants NN2 6AW     The quality rating for this care home is:   one star adequate 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: Ansuya Chudasama     Date: 1 7 1 2 2 0 0 8 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. the things that people have said are important to them: They reflect 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 Adults (18-65 years) 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 Adults (18-65 years) Page 2 of 27 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.csci.org.uk Internet address Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 3 of 27 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Elstow House 25 Marriott Street Elstow House Northampton Northants NN2 6AW 01604461292 01604461292 genesishomes2003@yahoo.co.uk Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Type of registration: Number of places registered: Adenike Adenuga care home 9 Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 learning disability Additional conditions: A total of 9 Service Users No person under 30 years of age or above 55 years who falls within categories LD may be admitted to the home That the home limits its services to the following Service User category: Learning Disability - LD Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Elstow House is a care home and provides long-term care for nine adults with a learning disability. The home is an established care home, which has recently changed ownership. and is now owned by Genesis Homes Ltd. The home is located close to Northampton town centre and has easy access to the local facilities and services. The home is a three-story town house. Accommodation is provided in single rooms. There is a communal lounge and dining/kitchen on the ground floor and a kitchenette and seating area on the lower ground floor available to the two residents who have bedrooms on that floor. The fees range from four hundred to seven hundred pounds per week Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 4 of 27 Over 65 0 9 Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 5 of 27 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: one star adequate service Choice of home Individual needs and choices Lifestyle Personal and healthcare support Concerns, complaints and protection Environment Staffing Conduct and management of the home peterchart Poor Adequate Good Excellent How we did our inspection: This home has 1 star rating and this means that the people using the service receive an adequate service. We inspected the home on the 17th of December 08. The manager of the home assisted with the inspection. On the day of the inspection there were 7 people living in the home and the home had two vacancies. We spoke to the staff and some of the people living in the home, and looked at information about policies and procedures, which tells the staff how to do things in the home. We looked at the training staff carried out to look after the people in the home. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 6 of 27 We looked at information about some of the people living in the home to find out how their needs are being met by the home. This is called case tracking. We watched how the people in the home and staff got along together. The home sent us a completed Annual Quality Assurance Assessment (AQAA) when we asked for it. Survey questionnaire completed by 1 care staff was returned to the CSCI. The comments received were positive about the care that was being provided for people living in the home. 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.csci.org.uk. You can get printed copies from enquiries@csci.gsi.gov.uk or by telephoning our order line –0870 240 7535. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 8 of 27 Details of our findings Contents Choice of home (standards 1 - 5) Individual needs and choices (standards 6-10) Lifestyle (standards 11 - 17) Personal and healthcare support (standards 18 - 21) Concerns, complaints and protection (standards 22 - 23) Environment (standards 24 - 30) Staffing (standards 31 - 36) Conduct and management of the home (standards 37 - 43) Outstanding statutory requirements Requirements and recommendations from this inspection Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 9 of 27 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, what they hope for and want to achieve, and the support they need. People can decide whether the care home can meet their support and accommodation needs. This is because they, and people close to them, can visit the home and get full, clear, accurate and up to date information. 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 the person 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 and their representatives are provided with information and encouraged to visit the home prior to making a decision to stay Evidence: The home has a Service User Guide and a copy is given to the people using the service. The information about the CSCI details needs to have the correct address of the organisation. The people say that they had visited the home with their family or their social workers before they moved into the home. Those people spoken to say that they liked living at the home. The guide needs to have the all the information stated in the standard. Each person in the home has a contract and a copy seen was signed by them and the manager. It is good practice to involve an advocate or a representative of the person signing the contract. This is to help protect the rights of the people. We were told that no new people have been admitted to the home for a long time. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 10 of 27 Evidence: However it was said that a needs assessment would be undertaken involving the person, the funding authority, and their family when a new person was admitted to the home. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 11 of 27 Individual needs and choices 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 needs and goals are met. The home has a plan of care that the person, or someone close to them, has been involved in making. People are able to make decisions about their life, including their finances, with support if they need it. This is because the staff promote their rights and choices. People are supported to take risks to enable them to stay independent. This is because the staff have appropriate information on which to base decisions. People are asked about, and are involved in, all aspects of life in the home. This is because the manager and staff offer them opportunities to participate in the day to day running of the home and enable them to influence key decisions. People are confident that the home handles information about them appropriately. This is because the home has clear policies and procedures that staff follow. 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. Care plans are indivisualised to each person so there fore the staff know how to meet their assessed needs. Evidence: Evidence showed that all the people in the home had care planning documents, and risk assessments. The care planning document needs to have the date of when they are completed. Information read in the plans showed that the peoples personal, and health care needs were recorded. Information on potential restrictions on choice, freedom, and services also needs to be recorded in the plan. Information on when peoples needs change, the plans need to be updated to meet their needs . The plans were being reviewed on a six monthly basis and yearly reviews were being carried out with the funding authority. The care plans seen had been signed by the people. The home undertook risk assessments for people living in the home when undertaking activities to minimise potential risks. We had a discussion with the manager to explain Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 12 of 27 Evidence: that the home could have risk assessments developed in a user friendly format that the people could understand. Some of the information also needed expanding. This was agreed by the manager and we were told that they would look into this format. The home needs to ensure that the people have person centered planning (PCP) completed for all. Evidence showed that all the people living in the home had care planning documents, and risk assessments. The care planning document needs to have the date of when they are completed. Information read in the care plans showed that the people living in the home had personal, and health care needs recorded. Information on potential restrictions on choice, freedom, and services also needs to be recorded in the plan. Information on when the peoples needs change, this should be updated in their care plans. The plans were being reviewed on a six monthly basis and yearly reviews were being carried out with the funding authority. The care plans seen had been signed by the people. The home undertook risk assessments for people living in the home when undertaking activities to minimise potential risks. We had a discussion with the service manager to explain that the home could have risk assessments developed in a user friendly format that the people living in the home could understand and some of the information needed expanding. This was agreed by the service manager and we were told that they would look into this format. The home needs to ensure that the people have person centred planning (PCP) completed for all. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 13 of 27 Lifestyle 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 can take part in activities that are appropriate to their age and culture and 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 and the home supports them to have appropriate personal, family and sexual relationships. People are as independent as they can be, lead their chosen lifestyle and have the opportunity to make the most of their abilities. Their dignity and rights are respected in their daily life. People have healthy, well-presented meals and snacks, at a time and place to suit them. People have opportunities to develop their social, emotional, communication and independent living skills. This is because the staff support their personal development. People choose and participate in suitable leisure activities. 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 in the home choose the menus and enjoy the food they are served. Evidence: All the people attend day care five days a week during the week. Those people spoken to say that they get on well with each other and this was observed on the day of the inspection. We were told that they liked the staff and the food. The people are shown a book of menus in picture format and they pick the meal for the next day after they have had their meal in the evening. We were told that the people sometimes helped with cooking but people spoken to said that they wanted to get more involved with food preparation. We had a discussion with staff regarding how the people could get more involved with meal preparation. Good suggestions were discussed in getting people involved with cooking . We were told that the home bought food in bulk and this is put in the freezer. The people helped with shopping. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 14 of 27 Evidence: The people told us that they go on holiday abroad with staff and enjoy this. They also go to social clubs or to the pub in the evenings. We were told that the home has a monthly residents meeting and this is chaired by an advocate. Person Centred Planning was said to have been completed for one person and this was going to be completed for all. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 15 of 27 Personal and healthcare support 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 receive personal support from staff in the way they prefer and want. Their physical and emotional health needs are met because the home has procedures in place that staff follow. If people 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. If people are approaching the end of their life, the care home will respect their choices and help them to 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 adequate quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. There is evidence that the peoples health care services are accessed when needed but the medication procedures need to be better managed to meet the peoples needs. Evidence: Staff had good understanding of how the peoples health care needs were being met by the home. Health Care records inspected showed that health professionals were being accessed by the home when required. Annual health checks were also being carried out. The people had health action plans but those seen had not been completed fully. The home did not have a medication cupboard and some of the medication was kept in the cupboard in the kitchen with the cash tin and the peoples files. Another cupboard had staff files. Medication was also kept on the lower ground floor in the kitchen combined dinning area. The cupboard was not fixed to the wall. The home did not have a controlled drugs cupboard and no controlled drugs were being used in the home. The medication records seen had gaps and we were not sure if this medication had been given out. PRN medication also needed to be recorded properly. And when new medication is started, the date and the person completing this needs to sign the form. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 16 of 27 Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 17 of 27 Concerns, 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. Their concern is looked into and action taken to put things right. The care home safeguards people from abuse, neglect and self-harm and takes action to follow up any allegations. 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. The home has a complaints procedure and the people living in the home know who to speak to if they are not happy Evidence: The home has a complaints procedure and the people spoken to said that they know how to make a complaint if they are not happy. It was said that they would tell the staff, or their family or people at the day care. The correct information about the address of the CSCI needs to be recorded in the complaints procedure. The complaints book looked at showed that the manager had followed the proper procedures when dealing with complaints. A safe guarding referral was made to social services safe guarding team but the evidence was not substantiated. The staff spoken to said that they had done training on safe guarding of vulnerable adults. They gave examples of how they would be able to tell if a person in the home was unhappy. One persons finances were looked at in detail. This was all correct and it was said that social services audited the peoples finances when they reviewed their care package. The bank statements were kept in the peoples files and there was information regarding how the home managed their finances. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 18 of 27 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, comfortable, 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. People have enough privacy when using toilets and bathrooms. 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 service provides a homely place and has a rolling programme to improve the decoration, fittings and fixtures to meet the peoples needs. Evidence: The tour of the home showed that all the bedrooms and the communal areas were being decorated. The manager said that the downstairs lounge was being modernised and some of the furniture was being replaced. one of the toilets upstairs was decorated and a non slip floor was being fitted in one of the shower rooms. one of the bedroom floor was being fitted with a non slip floor and carpets were fitted in another bedroom. The cupboards needed repairing in one bedroom as they were falling apart. The shower room was having the floor changed. The bedrooms seen were indivisualised to the people living in the home however not all the bedroom doors had locks. We were informed by staff that one of the bedrooms was going to be used as an office for staff. The filling cabinets in the kitchen were going to be placed in this room. It was also said that this room was going to be used as a sleeping in room for staff. At present the staff used the communal lounge to sleep in. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 19 of 27 Evidence: The lower downstairs had two bedrooms and one was being painted. There is a bathroom and toilet but no shower. The people would have to go to the first floor to use a shower. The home should consider putting a shower in the bathroom. The place also had a kitchenette area with a combined lounge and dining room area. The fridge freezer and a cupboard with medication was also stored in this area. This area needs to be decorated so it feels more homely. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 20 of 27 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, qualified 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. People’s needs are met and they are supported because staff get the right training, supervision and support they need from their managers. People are supported by an effective staff team who understand and do what is expected of them. 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. Staff have good understanding of the needs of the people being cared for in the home. Evidence: The staff recruitment files seen showed that the home was obtaining the relevant information required to keep the people safe in the home. A copy of the standard staff working rota was displayed on the wall. This did not display the current staff group. The home needs to have a weekly working rota to show the hours the staff work. The staff told us that they have staff meetings and they get on well together as a team. They also enjoyed working at the home and told us that the people living in the home get good care. The people living in the home said that the staff were nice and they helped them to go to day care. We observed staff working well with the people. The home has also maintained a good staff retention to provide continuity of work to the people living in the home. Staff spoken to confirmed that they received good induction training when they start work at the home. This consisted of doing two weeks of induction training with a staff Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 21 of 27 Evidence: member. The staff said that they received good training and some of it was provided in house by the manager. The manager needs to find out that the medication, food hygiene and other training provided by him are accredited as stated in the standard. And if this not the case then all staff must complete the training that is accredited. One certificate looked at was for medication in care home administration and this was not dated or signed by the person giving the training. Staff were being provided with supervision but this needs to be undertaken at least six times a year as stated in the standard to monitor staff practices. The AQAA stated that 80 of the staff had NVQ level 2 or 3 Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 22 of 27 Conduct and management of the 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 have confidence in the care home because it is run and managed appropriately. People’s opinions are central to how the home develops and reviews their practice, as the home has appropriate ways of making sure they continue to get things right. The environment is safe for people and staff because 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. They are safeguarded because the home follows clear financial and accounting procedures, keeps records appropriately and makes sure staff understand the way things should be done. 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 home is run in the best interest of the people living in the home and the manager had good understanding of the areas that needs improving. Evidence: The manager of the home assisted with the inspection. He has the relevant qualifications and experience to run the home. Discussion with the manager showed that he had a good understanding of the areas that needed improving. The staff spoken to said that the manager was supportive and they were able to speak to him about any concerns. The home had carried out a stake holders survey questionnaire in October 2008. However the people living in the home were included as stakeholders and it was difficult to know which information was received from the people living in the home. The manager needs to ensure that the surveys for the people living in the home are separated from stakeholders and staff. It is also good practice to involve an advocate to help the people living in the complete the questionnaires. The information received Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 23 of 27 Evidence: was positive about the home. Fire drills were undertaken on a monthly basis and this was good however the names of people involved needs to be recorded in full and the location point also needs to be recorded. Weekly fire drills were being undertaken and monthly emergency lighting was carried out. A fire risk assessment was also carried out for the home. The staff had training on health and safety practices. A qualified first aider at all times must be available on per shift. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 24 of 27 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 Adults (18-65 years) Page 25 of 27 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 1 20 13 The procedures for 28/02/2009 recording, handling, adminstration and disposal of medicines must be complied with. This is to protect the people living in the home 2 33 17 There must be a copy of the duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of whether the roster was actually worked. This is so that the staff and the people and the professionals know who is working at the home. 27/02/2009 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 1 16 ensure that all bedroom room doors have locks. This is so the people have the choice to lock their doors this also promotes peoples privacy and dignity Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 26 of 27 Helpline: Telephone: 0845 015 0120 or 0191 233 3323 Textphone: 0845 015 2255 or 0191 233 3588 Email: enquiries@csci.gsi.gov.uk Web: www.csci.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 27 of 27 - 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!