Inspection on 25/02/09 for Kingsley Court

This inspection was carried out on 25th February 2009.

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

Similar services:

Chesham House

Argyll House

Coopers Mill Ltd

Bramley Avenue (73)

Paradise Lodge

Grangewood

Upaya Ananda

Newton Court (1-2)

Extracts from inspection reports are licensed from CQC, this page was updated on 10/07/2009.

Inspecting for better lives Key inspection report Care homes for adults (18-65 years) Name: Address: Kingsley Court 77 The Causeway Potters Bar Hertfordshire EN6 5HL 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: Sheila Knopp Date: 2 5 0 2 2 0 0 9 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. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: 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. Reader Information Document Purpose Author Inspection report CSCI Page 2 of 30 Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Audience Further copies from Copyright 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.cqc.org.uk Internet address Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 3 of 30 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Kingsley Court 77 The Causeway Potters Bar Hertfordshire EN6 5HL 01707662299 01707658249 ayshea@arventa.com www.arventacare.co.uk Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Arventa Care Ltd Name of registered manager (if applicable) Ayshea Mussell Type of registration: Number of places registered: Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 15 15 0 0 care home 15 learning disability mental disorder, excluding learning disability or dementia Additional conditions: The registered person may provide the following categories of service only: Care Home only - Code PC to service users of the following gender: Either whose primary care needs on admission to the home are within the following categories: Learning Disability - Code LD Mental Disorder, excluding learning disability and dementia - Code MD The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is 15 Date of last inspection Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 4 of 30 A bit about the care home Kingsley Court is a large detached house in a residential area of Potters Bar. The house has been converted into 2 separate living areas with their own kitchen, lounge and dining area. Each person has their own room with an e-suite bathroom. There is a large communal lounge and conservatory on the ground floor with doors out into a mature garden. The garden is not overlooked and provides a private space to spend time in. The house is decorated and furnished in a modern style. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 5 of 30 People living at Kingsley Court are able to walk to local shopping and recreational facilities such as parks, country walks, restaurants and pubs. Potters Bar has good transport links and is on the mainline into London, Kings Cross. There is also a house car. The current fees for living at Kingsley Court are £2000 per week subject to an assessment of needs (correct on 25/2/09). Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 6 of 30 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 Individual needs and choices Lifestyle Personal and healthcare support Concerns, complaints and protection Environment Staffing Conduct and management of the home Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 7 of 30 How we did our inspection: This is what the inspector did when they were at the care home We visited Kingsley Court without telling anyone we were coming and had lunch with two of the people who live there. Kingsley Court is a new home and we have not been there before. The people who live there have only just moved in. Two other people had gone out to a football event with staff. All four people who live at Kingsley Court filled out surveys, to tell us what they think about their home. We went back on another evening to pick them up. Two people had gone to London with staff Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 8 of 30 to see a show. The surveys have been very helpful. The manager sent us a long document called an AQAA. This is a self-assessment that tells us how the manager is planning to look after people at Kingsley Court. While we were at Kingsley Court we spoke with some of the care staff, who act as key workers, to the people living in the home, a senior manager and Ayshea Mussell the registered manager. One of the people who lives at Kingsley Court showed us around their home and garden. Two people like spending time doing the gardening. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 9 of 30 We were able to look at some important paper records about the way the home is run and organised. This includes details of how people who live at Kingsley Court are helped with any medicines they need to keep them healthy. We looked at how people are involved in planning their lives and care plans. What the care home does well People were given a lot of help and support to make sure Kingsley Court was the right place for them to be. People have told us they like being at Kingsley Court and feel safe and secure. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 10 of 30 Kingsley Court is in a nice area and the house is fresh and new inside. Everyone has their own bedroom and there is a computer for people to use. People are able to use local buses and trains to get about but there is also a car available. People have told us the food is very good and we enjoyed a freshly prepared meal. People are exploring the local area and finding interesting things to do. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 11 of 30 The manager has made sure people have new doctors and have the health checks they need. What has got better from the last inspection What the care home could do better We found that everything was going very well. Systems have been set up to make sure this continues as new people move in. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 12 of 30 If you want to read the full report of our inspection please ask the person in charge of the care home If you want to speak to the inspector please contact Sheila Knopp CQC CPC1 Capital Park Fulbourn CB21 5XE 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.cqc.org.uk. You can get printed copies from enquiries@cqc.org.uk or by telephoning our order line - 0870 240 7535 Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 13 of 30 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 14 of 30 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 excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service . People looking to move into Kingsley Court are given the help and support they need decide if it is the right place for them. Evidence: A lot of time and effort is spent in making sure people are given the information and support they need to decide whether Kingsley Court is the right place for them and the move is well managed. The information in the care records we looked at showed us there had been intensive work involving residents, their families, care workers, psychologists, psychiatrists and care managers, who know their needs. The manager had carried out individual assessments for each person staying at Kingsley Court but also had access to detailed information from other health & social care professionals. Support workers from Kingsley Court visited people before they came to stay and people looking to move in spent time in the home. One person took photographs so they could remember what it was like. The time invested in supporting people as they make changes in their lives has shown us that a high value is placed on supporting individual needs, providing reassurance and treating people with respect and dignity. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 15 of 30 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 . People living at Kingsley Court are involved in decisions about their lives and provided with support to develop their independence and lead purposeful lives. Evidence: To look at how the people who live at Kingsley Court are involved in decisions about their lives we spoke with two of the people who have recently moved in, care staff and key workers. We reviewed 4 care plans, supporting information and risk assessments. We found that people are fully involved in planning how they wish to live. Great care was taken before people moved in to provide support and continuity from their previous accommodation. The support of a multi-disciplinary team of care managers, psychiatrists and psychologist, who know the individuals concerned, has continued as new plans of care are put in place to reflect peoples new lifestyle and opportunities. We observed a positive approach to risk taking with the emphasis on making things happen. The assessments were based on individual skills and vulnerabilities. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 16 of 30 Evidence: Each person living at Kingsley Court has a key worker who spends time with them and helps them to achieve the goals set out in their care plan. The care plans we reviewed were very detailed and reflected the diverse needs of each individual. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 17 of 30 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 . People living at Kingsley Court are able to make choices about how they live their lives and spend their time within, a supportive structure designed, to provide security and reassurance to people who need these to be in place. Evidence: Links are being established to provide the people living at Kingsley Court with opportunities to be involved in the local community and have access to a range of social, recreational and educational experiences that meet their individual needs. Each persons key worker is playing and active role in supporting people to enjoy a full and stimulating lifestyle. There is a strong emphasis on supporting people to develop their independence and move out into the community. The people who live at Kingsley Court are fully involved in helping to run their home. They have regular access to an independent advocate to help them express their views. Three out of four people who completed our survey said they were involved in making decisions about their home. One person answered sometimes. Everyone said Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 18 of 30 Evidence: there were good activities and they liked the food. On the day we visited the two residents we met confirmed the food was very good. One person described the meals as excellent. A varied menu of home cooked meals is provided with residents being fully involved in choosing the menu and preparing the meals. One person got a recipe book from the local library so they could make suggestions. Dietary and health promotion needs are understood and responded to. The people who live at Kingsley Court have keys to their rooms and use them to lock their doors and maintain their privacy. Kingsley Court has a key recognition system on external doors. Any restrictions on people leaving the house unaccompanied are clearly recorded as part of their care plan and subject to risk assessment. Peoples individual contact with friends and family are understood and maintained. This includes keeping in touch with friends from previous accommodation and making new links with people where these have broken down. Information on visitor access to Kingsley Court is available in the Service User Guide. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 19 of 30 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 good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service . People can be confident that their personal care and health needs will be supported, by well trained staff, who will respect their individual choices, privacy and dignity. Evidence: The people living at Kingsley Court tell us they feel well cared for and their privacy is respected. Individuals have been involved in agreeing the support they need to promote their health and well-being. The staff we interviewed showed sensitivity to providing person centred care. The details are clearly recorded as part of each persons care plan so they experience a consistent approach in line with their preferences. Each person has a health action plan. Links with local community health services have been established and continuity of care with consultants and specialists maintained during the move to a new area. Systems have been set up within the home to make sure people receive their prescribed medicines safely. The manager reported good links have been established with a local pharmacist who is providing advice and support. Staff received extensive training in the care and support of younger people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders before Kingsley Court opened. This was to make sure experienced staff, transferring to the new service, and new staff have the skills Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 20 of 30 Evidence: required of them to confidently support people in their new environment. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 21 of 30 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 . People can be confident they will be listened to and staff are trained to provide the support and protection they need. Evidence: Opportunities have been put in place to enable the people who live at Kingsley Court to give their views on the running of their home and any individual concerns they may have. These include a regular communal meeting, secure post box outside the manager’s office and e-mail worry box. Regular visits have been set up so people living at Kingsley Court can meet with an independent advocate. The advocate helped service users to complete our survey forms so we had an independent view. Everyone said they knew who to speak to if they were not happy and said they felt safe. Three out of four people said they were always involved in decisions about the home. One person said sometimes. Staff receive training on safeguarding vulnerable adults and how to raise concerns (whistle blowing). There are clear procedures in place for staff to refer to. The key workers we spoke to were very knowledgeable about their role in supporting people and promoting their rights. Assessments of peoples capacity to make decisions in different aspects of their lives are planned. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 22 of 30 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 . Kingsley Court enables people to be independent, within a safe, comfortable home, which has a fresh modern feel. Evidence: Kingsley Court is a newly registered home that meets the current environmental standards for care homes. The detached house blends well into the local neighbourhood and has its own driveway. It has been converted into two living areas, one on the ground floor and one on the first floor, each with their own kitchen dining room, lounge and bathroom. People living at Kingsley Court all have their own room with en-suite facilities, which they can add their personal possessions to. People have lockable furniture to keep their belongings safe. The house is decorated and furnished in a fresh, bright, modern style, in keeping with the younger people who live there. There are large screen TVs and computer access in the communal areas. There is good access to the garden from the conservatory. On the day we visited one of the residents was gardening and making plans for things to grow. There are facilities for residents to carry out their own laundry. Staff have access to personal protective clothing if required to prevent infection. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 23 of 30 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 excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service . People will receive the support they need to lead fulfilling lives, because the staff are well trained and there is a commitment to make sure staff are well supervised and able to develop their skills. Evidence: To assess if suitable staff have been employed we have taken account of the views of the people who live at Kingsley Court, interviewed 3 care workers and reviewed recruitment and training records. All the people living at Kingsley Court said that they were well treated by staff. As referred to in other areas of this report we have been impressed with the training provided to the staff team before people came to live at Kingsley Court. It has been a positive use of time and resources that benefits the residents and will ensure the smooth running of this new service as it becomes established. Staff training covers how to respond to equality and diversity issues in peoples lives and the role and responsibility of care workers, to work within the General Social Care Council Code of Conduct, to promote the rights and protect the interests of the people living at Kingsley Court. The staff induction was thorough and there are systems in place to provide staff supervision. This included providing experience for staff in other services and meeting with service users before they moved into Kingsley Court. Staff with qualifications at NVQ level 2 & 3 have been employed. Staff are receiving training Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 24 of 30 Evidence: relevant to the needs of the people they are supporting, including how to manage in challenging circumstances. Arventa Care have their own human resources department to carry out the organisations recruitment and selection procedures and support the manager. We reviewed the personnel records for 4 staff and found that robust procedures had been carried out, ensuring staff had the relevant references and criminal records checks in place before they were appointed. Staff work flexibly to meet the planned needs and activity programmes for the individuals living at Kingsley Court. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 25 of 30 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 excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service . People can be confident in the service provided at Kingsley Court because there are excellent management systems in place, to ensure the aims and objectives, set out by Arventa Care, to provide a holistic, high quality service to its service users are achieved. Evidence: The registered manager, Ayshea Mussell has over 15 years experience managing and working with people with a diagnosis of Autism. She has the NVQ 4 registered managers Award, which is the benchmark standard for managers of care services to achieve. The self assessment (AQAA) the manager sent us was detailed and the information was reliable. It sets out how the service will be run. We found that the systems had been put in place to achieve this and listen to the people who live there. The service has got of to an excellent start with the emphasis on making sure there was a thorough assessment and transfer process for people moving in and ensuring staff were trained ahead of their arrival. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 26 of 30 Evidence: Staff have received training in safe working practises and there are systems in place for regular health & safety audits and internal and external quality reviews by Arventa Care. There are procedures to include the views of people using the service and other people who are involved with Kingsley Court. There are secure systems in place to make sure people living at Kingsley Court have access to their personal finances if they are not able to manage these themselves. To keep people safe regular checks on fire safety equipment are carried out, a fire safety risk assessment is in place, low surface temperature radiators are provided and windows on the upper floors are restricted. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 27 of 30 Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection? Yes  No  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 28 of 30 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 Description 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 Description 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 Adults (18-65 years) Page 29 of 30 Helpline: Telephone: 03000 616161 or Textphone : or Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk Web: www.cqc.org.uk We want people to be able to access this information. If you would like a 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. 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