Inspection on 21/10/08 for Fairlawn

This inspection was carried out on 21st October 2008.

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

Fairlawn 12/10/09

Fairlawn 22/10/07

Fairlawn 14/03/07

Fairlawn 20/12/05

Fairlawn 01/07/05

Fairlawn 08/12/04

Fairlawn 19/08/04

Similar services:

The Shelley

Springfield House

Sutton Lodge Nursing Home

St Helier`s Residential Hotel

St Joseph`s

Ridgemount

Wingham Court

Old Hastings House

Extracts from inspection reports are licensed from CQC, this page was updated on 13/03/2009.

Inspecting for better lives Key inspection report Care homes for older people Name: Address: Fairlawn 327 Queens Road Maidstone Kent ME16 0ET     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 Mills     Date: 2 1 1 0 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 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 © (2008) 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 Older People Page 3 of 26 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Fairlawn 327 Queens Road Maidstone Kent ME16 0ET 01622751620 01622692161 fairlawnreshome@aol.com Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Type of registration: Number of places registered: Mr Michael Andrew Lawrence,Mrs Mary Alexandra Lawrence care home 26 Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 old age, not falling within any other category Additional conditions: The maximum number of service users to be accommodated is 26. The registered person may provide the following category/ies of service only: Care home only - (PC) to service users of the following gender: Either Whose primary care needs on admission to the home are within the following categories: Old age, not falling within any other category (OP). Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Fairlawn provides residential care and support for up to twenty-six older people. The home is a detached property with accommodation on two floors. There is plenty of communual space and a summer house in teh garden. There are twenty-five single bedrooms and one double room. The majority of bedrooms have en-suite facilities. The remainder have hand basins and each room has a call bell system with two call points. There is a television point in each of the bedrooms. Each room has the potential for individual telephone lines to be installed at the request of the service user and personal phone bills from a service supply company sent direct. Outside the home has a large and pleasant garden to the rear and a good sized parking area to the front. In Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 26 Over 65 26 0 Brief description of the care home addition there are no current restrictions to on street parking near the home. The home is situated in a quiet residential area close to Maidstone town centre. There are good public transport links from Maidstone to London and the coast. The town centre of Maidstone provides a large variety of shops, restaurants, pubs and leisure facilities as well as places of worship for a number of different religions. The fees range from £335.00 to £510.00 per week. 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: This visit was unannounced and formed part of the inspection process under the Care Standards Act 2000. This report is complied using evidence gathered during this visit and information that we have received about the home prior to this visit. This includes information that the home has sent us such as the Annual Quality Assurance Assessment (AQAA) and notifications which are required under the Act as well as comments from relatives, staff and health and social care professionals. The findings of this inspection will result in the home being given a star quality rating. This visit lasted seven hours. During this time, five residents, three relatives and three staff members were spoken to in private to seek their views about the home. Other residents and staff were spoken to during a tour of the home. Documentation, Care Homes for Older People Page 6 of 26 including care plans and samples of policies and procedures was examined and a tour of the home was made. Case tracking, based on three care plans, was carried out. This means that the care given to three residents, picked at random, was examined in detail. The care plans were matched to the medication records and daily record, to the views of those residents and to observations made. Direct and indirect observations were made throughout the visit and detailed discussion was held with the registered manager. The quality rating for this home is 2 Stars. This means that the home is judges to be good. 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 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 outcome in this area for people who use the service is good. This judgement is based on evidence gathered before and during this visit. The home provides the residents, their relatives and supporters with sufficient information so that they can make an informed decision about moving into the home. Appropriate pre-admission assessments are made. This means that the home makes sure it can meet the needs of a prospective resident before offering a place in the home. Evidence: The residents said that they had been given plenty of information about the home before they decided to move into the home. They said they have good information about what is going on in the home. There is good information about the home, how to Care Homes for Older People Page 11 of 26 Evidence: complain and what activities are going on. Each room has a document holder with written information about all of these areas. The care plans of the most recently admitted residents were examined. They all contained very thorough pre-admission assessments. This is important as the home must know that it can met the needs of the resident before offering a place at the home. The home does not offer intermediate care. 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. The outcome in this area for people who use this service is good. This judgement is based on evidence gathered before and during this visit. The home promotes the health and well being of the residents. This means that they can enjoy as healthy a life style as possible. Evidence: A sample of care plans was examined. There are important documents. This is because they form one of the means by which the residents and their supporters can tell that they will receive their care in the way that they choose. Also, care plans are a source of information for the care workers who need to ensure they assist people in a consistent and appropriate manner. The care plans are up to date and in good order. The home has recently introduced a new format for the care plans. This is more concise and much clearer, however, in the process of transferring information to the new care plans, some names, dates and Care Homes for Older People Page 13 of 26 Evidence: signatures have been omitted. It is important that all staff making entires in the care plans sign and date every entry. It is good to note that the nutrition of all new residents is carefully monitored. The home uses special charts, called MUST chars, for this. These were carefully completed and, when indicated, appropriate action, such as monitoring of food intake and giving food supplements, had been taken. There is good evidence that Health and Social Care Professionals are contacted appropriately. Residents say that the local GP visits frequently. They spoke positively about the GPs and district nurses. They said that the home is very good at arranging health care appointments for them. The care plans show that appointments are made with dentists, opticians and hospital consultants when necessary. One resident said, They couldnt look after us better, my health had improved since I came here. The home has sound policies and procedures for the management and administration of medicines. Staff records show that staff administering medicines have received appropriate training and the Medicines Administration Records (MARs) are well maintained. From time to time, it is necessary to make hand written entries about changes in medication that happen following a GP visit. It is important that staff making these entires ensure that they are signed and countersigned. 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 excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The outcome in this area for the people who use this service is excellent. This judgement is based on evidence gathered both before and during this visit. The home promotes the independence of the residents and provides them with a healthy and appetising diet and plenty to do. Evidence: All the residents who were spoken to said that they enjoy living in the home and that they are free to do what they like. Some said that they enjoy the organised activities whilst others said that they find plenty to do around the home. Some said that they enjoy spending quiet time in the sun room in the garden whilst others said that they like to spend time reading, listening to music or watching television. There is a programme of activities that is given to every resident. This programme showed a variety of activities from visiting entertainers to arts and crafts. There are monthly residents meetings that are chaired by a resident. The home provides an administrator to take notes at these meetings. The chairperson of the residents meetings said that the meetings provide an opportunity for residents to Care Homes for Older People Page 15 of 26 Evidence: have their say and to put forward ideas for activities and other aspects of life in the home. The local churches are very supportive of the home. Some residents attend church whilst others take part in services that are held regularly in the home. The home has information about other religions and can provide special diets should they be required for religious reasons. Nutritional services in the home are very good. All new residents are carefully monitored and there was plenty of locally purchased fresh produce in the home on the day of this visit. All the residents spoken to said that the food in the home is very good and that they can always have something different if they wish. 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. The outcome in this area for people who use this service is good. This judgement is based on information gathered both before and during this visit. The home has sound policies and procedures for complaints, concerns and safeguarding. this means that the views of the residents and their supporters are listened to and acted upon appropriately. Evidence: The home has good systems in place to listen to the concerns and ideas of residents and staff. There are regular residents meetings and staff meetings. These are well recorded and any actions are overseen by the registered manager. The registered manager said that any concerns are dealt with very quickly. This means that there are rarely any formal complaints made. Staff spoken to are very well aware of the need to protect the residents from all forms of abuse. They said that they have received safeguarding training and would have no hesitation in reporting concerns to the manager. They said that the manager is very approachable and has an open door policy. 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. The outcome in this area for people who use this service is good. This judgement is made using evidence gathered both before and during this visit. The environment is very clean, spacious, and well maintained. This gives the residents a pleasant and homely place in which to live. Evidence: A tour of the home was made. All areas were very clean and well maintained. The home communal areas are pleasant, spacious, and comfortable. All documentation pertinent to the environment, such as the gas and electrical checks, is in good order. Information that the home gave us in their Annual Quality Assessment (AQAA) confirmed that policies and procedures for maintaining the safety of the home are in place. Residents say that they enjoy living in the home, that they have been able to personalise their rooms and that the environment is good. The home employs staff to look after the home. There is a maintenance person, a laundry assistant and cleaners. They are commended for the way in which they look after the environment. Outside there are pleasant gardens with pathways where some residents like to walk. Care Homes for Older People Page 18 of 26 Evidence: There is also a summer house and some residents said that they like to spend time there as it is pleasant and peaceful. The registered manager told us that there are two areas in the garden that are scheduled for improvement in the near future. 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. The outcome in this area for the people who use the service is good. This judgement is based on evidence gathered both before and during this visit. Staffing levels, staff training, staff morale and recruitment procedures are all good. This means that the residents are cared for by a well qualified and cheerful staff. Evidence: Staff were spoken to in private. They said that they love working in the home. One said that it was the best place that she had ever worked. They said that there is good team working and that staffing levels meet the needs of the residents. They said there is plenty of statutory and specialist traiing. The care staff team is well supported by ancillary staff of housekeepers, cook, breakfast and teatime assistants and maintenance personnel. In addition there is an administrator who ensures that documentation is stored appropriately and that residents receive regular information about what is going on in the home. Staff files are in good order and there is good evidence that all pre-employment checks have been made. The staff files show that there is a good level of training taking place. Staff receive training in all statutory areas such as moving and handling and fire Care Homes for Older People Page 20 of 26 Evidence: safety. In addition they are currently undertaking training in specialist areas such as dementia care. There has been some turnover of staff but the home is fully staffed and now has a settled team. Residents and relatives praised the staff for the kindness. They said that the staff always answer their call bells promptly and are respectful. Staff were observed to be very respectful. Care Homes for Older People Page 21 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 home is well managed and is run in the best interests of the residents. The views of the residents are listened, and acted upon, appropriately. Evidence: Since the last inspection a new registered manager, Ms Tracy Sage, has been appointed. She was previously a team leader at the home. Ms Sage holds the National Vocational Qualification at level four in care (NVQ IV ) and the Registered Manager Award (RMA). In addition she has maintained her continuous professional development and had recently completed an accredited course in dementia care. The registered providers take a great deal of interest in the running of the home and visit regularly to support the registered manager and to carry out quality inspections in accordance with regulations. The home has sound quality assurance systems and there was good evidence to show Care Homes for Older People Page 22 of 26 Evidence: that the providers invest in the maintenance of the home. Staff say that Tracy has an open door policy and that they can talk to her about any ideas or concerns they may have. They say she listens to them and acts appropriately when necessary. There are regular meetings, one-to-one supervision sessions and annual appraisals for staff. These give the opportunity for staff to express their views and ideas. Residents said that the manager makes sure she talks to them and that they can tell her about any concerns they may have. They said that there are regular residents meetings and that the home supplies an administrator to take minutes. The minutes of these meetings are circulated to all the residents so they are all informed of what is going on in the home. Documentation is very well organised and stored safely and securely. There are good systems for managing any residents monies but many are able to do this themselves and in cases where this is not possible, relatives handle their affairs. Care Homes for Older People Page 23 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 24 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 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 Older People Page 25 of 26 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 © (2008) 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!