Inspection on 06/11/08 for Hyde Valley House

This inspection was carried out on 6th November 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

Hyde Valley House 08/11/06

Hyde Valley House 17/01/06

Hyde Valley House 26/09/05

Hyde Valley House 10/02/05

Hyde Valley House 06/05/04

Similar services:

Claremont House

Oak Ridge

Sun Court Nursing Home

Ashville House

Bilney Hall

Hill Barn

Mabbs Hall Nursing Home

Henrietta House

Extracts from inspection reports are licensed from CQC, this page was updated on 17/02/2009.

Inspecting for better lives Key inspection report Care homes for older people Name: Address: Hyde Valley House Hyde Valley Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire AL7 4ND     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: Patricia House     Date: 0 6 1 1 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 25 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 Older People Page 3 of 25 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Hyde Valley House Hyde Valley Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire AL7 4ND 01707379700 01707379760 hyde@quantumcare.co.uk Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Elizabeth Anne Cook Type of registration: Number of places registered: Quantum Care Limited care home 46 Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 dementia old age, not falling within any other category physical disability Additional conditions: Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Hyde Valley House is a care home providing personal care and accommodation for 46 older people, who may also have a physical disability or dementia. The home, which is owned by Hertfordshire County Council, is run by Quantum Care, a voluntary organisation and is situated in a residential area of Welwyn Garden City, close to shops, pubs, a post office and other amenities. The home provides accommodation in single rooms without en-suite facilities; these are located on two floors, which are both fully accessible by lift. The accommodation is arranged in three separate units each with their own lounge, dining room and small kitchen along with toilets and assisted bathrooms. One unit accommodates residents who have dementia care needs. There is a separate day care facility on the ground floor of the home. Hyde Valley has small Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 25 Over 65 46 46 46 0 0 0 Brief description of the care home gardens with flowerbeds patios and secluded sitting places that residents can easily access. The current fees range from 430 pounds to 620 pounds per week. The homes Statement of Purpose and Service Users Guide are displayed in the entrance hall. Care Homes for Older People Page 5 of 25 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: The information in this report is based on an unannounced visit to the home made by one inspector carrying out the work of the Commission. For the purposes of this report the Commisison will be referred to as we. The manager was on duty during the inspection and we spoke with residents and staff. We visited all areas of the home briefly and checked a selection of records. The manager had completed and returned to the Commission an annual selfassessment review, the Annual Quality Assurance Assessment(AQAA), earlier in the year. Information from this document was used by the Commission to complete an Annual Service Review. This confirmed that the home was still provideing good levels Care Homes for Older People Page 6 of 25 of service to people living in the home. A copy of this review document can be provided on request. 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 25 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 9 of 25 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. Standards 1, 3 and 4. The home provides detailed written information which allows people to make informed choices about entering the home. Full assessments are completed for residents and specialist training is provided for staff so that people who use the service can be sure all their needs can be met in the home. Evidence: Since the last inspection the manager has updated the homes Statement of Purpose and Service Users Guide and these documents give good information about the services provided. We checked a selection of residents care plans and all contained written assessments, completed by senior staff in the home, detailing appropriate information about the Care Homes for Older People Page 10 of 25 Evidence: individual. There were also care summaries from referring agencies on the files. Initial care plans had been completed for all residents using this information so that staff could be clear about how to meet all their needs. The care staff we spoke with could demonstrate a clear understanding of how to provide good dementia care and confirmed that thorough training in dementia care is provided for all staff. The homes manager is part of a specialist team of managers, who are provided with targeted training in dementia care and who are there to support staff in all homes in the company. A member of this team, called the DART team, is always on call to provide advice or undertake a review on any dementia issue in the homes. This ensures that staff have support at all times and that there is always advice on hand for problem solving. Care Homes for Older People Page 11 of 25 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. Standards 7, 8, 9 and 10. Care planning in the home is up to date and thorough and helps to ensure that people who use the service have their needs met in the way they want. Procedures followed by staff in the home mean that a safe system for administering medication helps to protect residents from the risk of harm. Evidence: We spoke with people in different areas of the home and tracked a selection of their care plans. In all cases the information seen was up to date and relevant to the resident in question. The plans contained evidence of referrals to and visits made by Health professionals. Reviews and appropriate risk assesments were documented and details were completed of the persons background and life history, so that individual or Person Centred care could be planned. Details of participation in activities were also recorded. The staff we spoke with said they all had access to the care plans and were involved in keeping them up to date. Care Homes for Older People Page 12 of 25 Evidence: We checked the system for storing and administering medication in the home and we found this was thorough. We just reminded staff to be sure to date any non-blistered medication when the packaging was opened to ensure audits can be completed easily. This also helps ensure medication is not used past its best by date from the date of opening, as drugs may no longer be clinically effective. The Medication Policy for the home is comprehensive and the manager confirmed that all care staff have their competency to administer medication checked annually and signed off when completed. The residents we spoke with said that care staff treat them with dignity at all times and said they can always go to their bedrooms when they want private time. Care Homes for Older People Page 13 of 25 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 good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. Standards 12, 13, 14 and 15. People who use the service are supported to make their own choices about their daily lives but are provided with the opportunities to enjoy a wide range of activities. The residents enjoy the food provided and meals are nutritious and help residents maintain good health. Evidence: A new activities co-ordinator has started working at the home since the last inspection and a wide variety of events is now planned. Care staff said they also provide activities for residents and we saw music and singing taking place in one unit. People had newspapers and some magazines and confirmed that these are delivered to the home for them. The residents we spoke with said they enjoyed the quizzes which took place and that events were always advertised in advance so they could decide what they wantd to do on each day. A film was being shown on the television in one lounge and residents were clearly watching and enjoying this and told us what was happening in it. A knitting session was also taking place that afternoon. Care Homes for Older People Page 14 of 25 Evidence: The residents we spoke with said that staff supported them to make their own decisions about how they spend their days and that they always chose their own clothes. They said that visitors were welcomed at all times in the home. We saw the mid-day meal served during the inspection and this looked appetising and nutritious. Residents said they always enjoyed the food provided and that they made meal choices the day before they were served. Dining tables were attractively laid with name places and menus provided. We visited the kitchen and spoke with the chef and kitchen staff. We saw a thorough system in operation where dietary needs and wishes are pre-recorded onto the menu choice sheets which arrive in the kitchen and enable the correct food to be provided for each resident. We saw the food samples which are kept for a week of daily meals, in line with Environmental Health guidelines. We also saw the completed records showing the food consumed by each resident. Currently some special diets are prepared by the kitchen staff, who take pains to ensure that special food is as attractively presented as all other meals. We saw records of celebration meals which are provided and the last one was on Bonfire Night. We saw protective clothing worn by kitchen staff and this clothing was provided for us in the kitchen. The chef has completed training to enable him to provide Food Hygiene training for the other kitchen staff and all training was up to date. Risk assessments for kitchen equipment had also been completed. Care Homes for Older People Page 15 of 25 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. Standards 16 and 18. People who use the service can be confident their concerns will be listened to and that procedures followed by staff in the home will help to protect them from abuse. Evidence: The home has written policies on making a complaint, safeguarding adults and on whistle blowing. We spoke with staff who said they were aware of these policies and their implications. Care staff confirmed they had received training in Safeguarding and Whistle Blowing but the manager is arranging more courses to ensure that all ancillary staff have also completed this training. The residents we spoke with confirmed that they would not hesitate to tell staff if they had a concern. No complaints have been received by the home or by the Commission since the last inspection. Currently there is one outstanding Safeguarding referral which is being investigated under Hertfordshire County Council Adult Care Services Safeguarding procedures. Care Homes for Older People Page 16 of 25 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. Standards 19 and 26. People who use the service benefit from living in a home which is comfortable and well maintained and where procedures followed by staff ensure that good infection control is in place and that residents are protected fron the risk of harm. Evidence: We visited all areas of the home briefly and everywhere was clean and looked well maintained. Residents bedrooms were attarctively presented and contained a variety of personal posessions making the rooms individualised. Bathrooms and toilets were all very clean. There were call alarms appropriately placed in bathrooms and bedrooms and residents told us that staff always come quickly if these are operated. We did think that there could be more pictorial signage on bedroom doors, particularly for people in the home who are confused, to enable residents to easily identify their rooms. Bathrooms and toilets all contained liquid soap and soft paper towels, as recommended in guidelines for good infection control. The manager confirmed that the home has copies of the latest publications on maintaining good infection control in care homes and that information is used by all staff. Care Homes for Older People Page 17 of 25 Care Homes for Older People Page 18 of 25 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. Standards 27, 28, 29 and 30. People who use the service are supported by staff who are well trained and competent to meet their needs. The procedure for recruiting staff is thorough and helps to ensure residents are protected from abuse. Evidence: We spoke with residents about the numbers of staff at the home and all felt that there were usually enough staff on duty to meet their needs. People who had used the call alarms, either during the day or night, said that care staff always came to check them very quickly. On the day of the inspection we saw care staff on duty in lounges, also helping the activity co-ordinator provide an event and we saw appropriate assistance given during the meal time. The care staff we spoke with confirmed that levels of training in the home were good and said they had received recent training in Safeguarding Adults, Dementia and Food Hygiene. The manager has an overview of staff training and courses are provided on a rolling programme throughout the year. Care staff said they are encouraged to undertake NVQ training and that some are completing NVQ 2 at this moment. Care Homes for Older People Page 19 of 25 Evidence: We tracked a selection of staff recruitment records during the visit. We saw evidence in all files checked that appropriat recruitment checks had been in place before the staff member started work. Full employment histories were completed and we saw notes of the interview which had taken place during the recruitment process. All these procedures help to ensure that residents are protected in the home.. Care Homes for Older People Page 20 of 25 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. Standards 31, 33, 35 and 38. People who use the service benefit from living in a well managed home where their views are taken into account. Procedures followed by staff in the home ensure that people are protected from harm and have their welfare promoted at all times. Evidence: The manager is registered with the Commission and demonstrated a clear understanding of quality assurance in the home. Residents and staff said that they have regular meetings where their views are listened to. The home also operates the formal company Quality Assurance system. Surveys are sent to residents, relatives, staff and other stakeholders and are initially monitored by staff external to the home. The mananger also completes regular audits of accidents, incidents and complaints as well as a range of targeted areas. The manager said that outcomes from this monitoring prompt any changes which need to be made in running the home and feed Care Homes for Older People Page 21 of 25 Evidence: into the business plan for the home. The care staff we spoke with praised the homes management and said their views were always listened to. They felt that communication in the home was good and said that they felt supported in their work. The company also undertakes regular unannounced visits to the home and complete general financial audits and checks on any monies held for residents. We saw no hazardous substances left accessible in the home which could have put residents at risk. The cleaning stores were locked. We saw assistance given to a resident who used a standing hoist to move. The staff were professional in their approach and the transfer was appropriately completed. Care staff confirmed that training in Moving and Handling was given a high priority in the home. We had seen confirmation of a stisfactory fire service safety report before we visited. The home has a comprehensive Health and Safety policy which includes risk assessments for specific equipment. One recliner chair used by a resident has been risk assessed to ensure the safety of the person using it. Care Homes for Older People Page 22 of 25 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 23 of 25 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 24 of 25 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 Older People Page 25 of 25 - 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!