Inspection on 23/02/09 for Loddon Court

This inspection was carried out on 23rd 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

Loddon Court 12/03/07

Loddon Court 01/03/06

Loddon Court 17/09/05

Loddon Court 10/02/05

Loddon Court 26/10/04

Similar services:

Hillview Farm

Dalewood Respite Care

Orchard,The

REACH Upton Court Road

Fairways

Treloar College

Pinta

Kestrel House, St Anne`s Opportunity Centre,

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

Inspecting for better lives Key inspection report Care homes for adults (18-65 years) Name: Address: Loddon Court 289 Wokingham Road Earley Nr Reading Berkshire RG6 7DU     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: Kerry Kingston     Date: 2 3 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. that people have said are important to them: They reflect the things This box tells you the outcomes that we will always inspect against when we do a key inspection. This box tells you any additional outcomes that we may inspect against when we do a key inspection. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: This box tells you our opinion of what we have looked at in this outcome area. We will say whether it is excellent, good, adequate or poor. Evidence: This box describes the information we used to come to our judgement. Copies of the National Minimum Standards – Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or bought from The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering from the Stationery Office is also available: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop The Commission for Social Care Inspection aims to: • • • • Put the people who use social care first Improve services and stamp out bad practice Be an expert voice on social care Practise what we preach in our own organisation Our duty to regulate social care services is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 2 of 29 Reader Information Document Purpose Author Audience Further copies from Copyright Inspection report CSCI General public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) Copyright © (2009) Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, free of charge, in any format or medium provided that it is not used for commercial gain. This consent is subject to the material being reproduced accurately and on proviso that it is not used in a derogatory manner or misleading context. The material should be acknowledged as CSCI copyright, with the title and date of publication of the document specified. www.csci.org.uk Internet address Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 3 of 29 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Loddon Court 289 Wokingham Road Earley Nr Reading Berkshire RG6 7DU 01189664494 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: marina.dobson@new-support.org.uk Name of registered provider(s): Type of registration: Number of places registered: Dimension (NSO) Ltd care home 8 Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 learning disability Additional conditions: The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is: 8 The registered person may provide the following category 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 category: Learning disability - LD Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Loddon Court is an eight bedroomed short break service that provides a service for people in the Wokingham area who have learning disabilities and in some cases associated complex needs. The facility is divided into two discrete units called Honeysuckle and Bluebell. The unit is staffed throughout the 24-hour period. There are waking night staff and a sleeping staff member. The building is on one level and each unit is self-sufficient, having a lounge/dining room, kitchen, bathroom, shower room toilets and individual bedrooms. There is one room that it can be used by both Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 4 of 29 Over 65 0 8 Brief description of the care home units this contains Snoozellen equipment. Loddon Court is located in a suburb of Reading called Earley. It is close to all major transport links and there is a small town centre nearby. There are, currently, approximately 50 people using the service. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 5 of 29 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 peterchart Poor Adequate Good Excellent How we did our inspection: The last Key Inspection of this service took place on the 12th March 2007. The current fees are a minimum of 160 pounds per night, dependant on assessed needs. This is a report for the key inspection, which included a routine unannounced site visit to the service. It took place between 11:00 am and and 5:00 pm on the the 23rd February 2009. The information was collected from an Annual Quality Assurance Assessment, a document sent to the service from the Commission for Social Care Inspection and completed by the service manager. Discussions with the area manager and three members of staff took place. Some people who use the service have difficulty communicating with people who do not know them so observation of people and their interactions with staff took place during the visit to the home. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 6 of 29 Any information collected by the Commission for Social care Inspection, since the last inspection has also been included in this report. What the care home does well: What has improved since the last inspection? What they could do better: If you want to know what action the person responsible for this care home is taking following this report, you can contact them using the details set out on page 4. The report of this inspection is available from our website www.csci.org.uk. You can get printed copies from enquiries@csci.gsi.gov.uk or by telephoning our order line –0870 240 7535. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 8 of 29 Details of our findings Contents Choice of home (standards 1 - 5) Individual needs and choices (standards 6-10) Lifestyle (standards 11 - 17) Personal and healthcare support (standards 18 - 21) Concerns, complaints and protection (standards 22 - 23) Environment (standards 24 - 30) Staffing (standards 31 - 36) Conduct and management of the home (standards 37 - 43) Outstanding statutory requirements Requirements and recommendations from this inspection Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 9 of 29 Choice of home These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People are confident that the care home can support them. This is because there is an accurate assessment of their needs that they, or people close to them, have been involved in. This tells the home all about them, what they hope for and want to achieve, and the support they need. People can decide whether the care home can meet their support and accommodation needs. This is because they, and people close to them, can visit the home and get full, clear, accurate and up to date information. If they decide to stay in the home they know about their rights and responsibilities because there is an easy to understand contract or statement of terms and conditions between the person and the care home that includes how much they will pay and what the home provides for the money. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. That the home ensures that it assesses peoples needs, that they or their families are involved in the assessment and it is able to meet the identified needs. Evidence: The care plans/records for two people were seen, both were admitted for the first time, approximately 18 months ago. Both files had full assessments completed by local Authority staff, the home does not admit people for a first visit until these have been completed and received. Assessments include community participation, day services, medication, personal care guidelines, family relationships and all others necessary to assess if the home is able to meet peoples needs.There is also a continuity guidelines/personal plan these are completed by parents and detail how people are assisted when at home. They include physical condition, religion and cultural needs, special items needed to meet peoples needs in areas such as continence, diet, allergies, health , personal hygiene support, communication, social interaction and dreams and aspirations. The area service manager explained that these plans are altered and changed into the homes care plans as the staff get to know people and how they behave when away from their usual living environment. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 10 of 29 Evidence: These latest plans were not in evidence on all files although regular reviews do take place. The Annual Quality Assurance Assessment noted that people could be admitted with their friends and were carefully matched, there was no evidence of this recorded but the area service manager confirmed that this was the case. There was no recorded admissions meeting or programme for individuals and only limited evidence that the home works closely with schools and previous service providers (as stated on the A.Q.A.A.) Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 11 of 29 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. The home does not always make it clear which of peoples assessed needs are going to be addressed whilst they are visiting the service. People are encouraged to make as many decisions as they are able about their life and risk assessments support people to as much independence as possible. Evidence: Care plans for six House Guests were seen. There are assessments on all care plans, which are reviewed a minimum of annually and as necessary as often, dependant on changing need as displayed by behaviours or a change in well -being. Records showed how many nights per year people had been allocated but it was not clear the reason for visits, some people just come to give parents a break and treat it as a holiday, others come for developmental reasons. Clarity of the purpose of visits may enhance the assessment and care planning process. It may assist people to understand their care plan if the home recorded peoples needs and goals when staying in the home. Care plans include how people make decisions for themselves, where possible, communication systems and usual routines. The Service has a house guests forum Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 12 of 29 Evidence: which is held every Month, if possible. Notes are kept of the meetings, the last one was on the 7th January 2009. There are different people at the meetings as it is held on different days of the week, this ensures a wider range of opinion as more House Guests can be involved. People who are staying in the home on the day of the meeting, choose whether to attend or not. Discussions in the January meeting included questions such as are you happy with the service, responses from people who do not use speech as a main communication method, were described. People were also told of any new developments such as staffing , activities, going on holidays and involvement in recruiting. Some people who use service are formally involved in the recruitment process, as part of the interview panel, including recent care staff appointments and in the imminent managers interview. The Home work closely with families/ usual carers and try to resolve any differences of opinion about the service. A senior staff member, said that generally both parties worked together and compromised, if necessary to ensure there was agreement on care issues. The home also holds families/carers forums where things can be discussed and resolutions looked for. Daily notes show how people make day to day decisions about their life and people were observed being given choices about their daily living such as what to eat and activities, on the day of the visit. Risk assessments are included on care plans, they are detailed and cover all areas that might be a risk such as a manual handling assessment for everyone who uses the service and choking on food, epilepsy, garden, being out in the car and accessing the community for specific individuals, as necessary. The risk assessments for the five people whose care plans were seen included regular reviews, completed on or before the dates given as review dates that is they are reviewed three or six monthly. Review dates are also noted in diary of the home. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 13 of 29 Lifestyle These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: Each person is treated as an individual and the care home is responsive to his or her race, culture, religion, age, disability, gender and sexual orientation. They can take part in activities that are appropriate to their age and culture and are part of their local community. The care home supports people to follow personal interests and activities. People are able to keep in touch with family, friends and representatives and the home supports them to have appropriate personal, family and sexual relationships. People are as independent as they can be, lead their chosen lifestyle and have the opportunity to make the most of their abilities. Their dignity and rights are respected in their daily life. People have healthy, well-presented meals and snacks, at a time and place to suit them. People have opportunities to develop their social, emotional, communication and independent living skills. This is because the staff support their personal development. People choose and participate in suitable leisure activities. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The home make sure that people can continue to access their usual activities, during the day. They encourage people to participate in a variety of in-house activities and support them to access the community, as is appropriate. The home provide a healthy diet, which is produced in the way that is most suitable to the individuals who are staying in the home. They make sure that any special dietary requirements are adhered to. Evidence: The home offers short breaks to the people who use it. Generally, people continue to attend their usual day time activities during the week. Daytime activity routines including transport arrangements and how people access their activities is included on their care plans. The Home work hard to make sure people can access their usual activities and get there on time. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 14 of 29 Evidence: Peoples diversity is recognised and respected for instance one person has his activities represented pictorially to help him to understand what is oing on and thereby assist him to stay in the necessary routine. He is helped to celebrate various festivals and religious periods and is taken to his place of worship if he wishes to go. One person spends the majority of week days at a day service, it is clear what time she needs to be ready by and what she needs to take with her for the day. At weekends the service take people into the community and give them the opportunity to participate in outings, some were noted in the diary such as attendance at a disco, out to lunch, cinema visit, out to a party, visit to Didcot train station, shopping, walking , going for a drive and a visit to the pub. The service also respect peoples wish to spend time in their bedrooms or not to participate, this was recorded in daily notes such as chose to spend time listening to music in room, watched t.v in room. There are a variety of activities undertaken in the home during evenings such as snooker, games, computer games, artwork, music , drawing. The home recognises t hat people of different ages or backgrounds may have different needs and choices with regard to activities for instance the use of computer games and current music for the younger adults. Older or less physically well people may want to go to bed early or just relax in the evenings. Peoples participation in the day to day running of the home is also used as an activity and skill practise and includes people helping clear tables, laying tables, shopping and making their own sandwiches. The home has recently enabled some users to go on holiday with friends rather then with families, which was very successful in assisting their development, social interactions and independence. The Home has good relationships with families and carers of the people who use the service and work closely with them. There is a families and carers forum held approximately quarterly and social activities are held, on occasion throughout the year to keep people in touch. Families and carers are involved in reviews and assessments, as appropriate. On the day of the visit two family members visited the home and appeared to be very comfortable, discussing issues with staff. The Home is separated into two units, in Honeysuckle, generally more independent people choose and prepare what they want to eat. They choose their menu on a daily basis with advice and supervision, as necessary. Bluebells has a more fixed menu , meals are prepared by staff with some help from House Guests, if appropriate. The menus were seen to be balanced and varied, with good quality ingredients being prepared for the meal, on the day of inspection. If people dont like whats on the menu they can choose an alternative. Peoples special nutritional requirements, whether for their physical or cultural Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 15 of 29 Evidence: /religious needs are carefully noted, such as some people having no beef, some no pork, some soft diet and thickened drinks. A list of likes and dislikes is kept in the kitchen and menus are usually planned around people the staff know are visiting that evening. A new staff member was observed to be being advised of one person not eating beef and why they should be especially carefully not to give foods that may contain beef , which may not be obvious such as shepherds pie. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 16 of 29 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. The home meets the needs of people in the way they they prefer. It helps people , as much as is appropriate, to look after their physical and emotional health needs. Medication policies and procedures are robust and staff adhere to them to ensure medicines are safely administered. Evidence: The five care plans seen , included peoples preferences, needs and choices. The home use continuity guidelines/personal plan as completed by families and usual carers to ensure they offered care in the way people prefer. They guidelines describe in detail what people like and how they like their care delivered. The home look at what peoples needs are taking into account age, culture, behaviour and preferences. The home have behaviour guidelines, in place to help people to control any behaviours that are distressing to themselves and/or others. They make sure there are robust behaviour guidelines and enough staff so that people who need extra supervision or support in the community are not disadvantaged because of diverse or special needs. People use the service for fairly short stays, the main responsibility for peoples Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 17 of 29 Evidence: physical and emotional needs remain with the main carers. The home do offer support to families and house guests who may need some help to meet their physical or emotional needs such as helping someone to access health professionals and providing a venue for appointments. The Home reported several medication errors in 2008. New policies and procedures and ways of ensuring staff adhere to them were produced as a result and the risks of medication errors recurring has been minimised. There have been no medication errors reported for the last two months. There is a list displayed on the in the office of the staff who are trained to administer medication. Staff are trained in medication administration, they are competency assessed by a senior staff member before they are allowed to administer medication. Their competency is re-assessed regularly (six monthly) and as necessary for example if a medication error is made. Individuals have a medication file that is put in the daily medication recods when they are resident in the building. The home have medication procedures for parents/carers to follow although these are not always adhered to. The home advise people of the medication policy and continue to reinforce it but it is difficult to ensure families/carers always fully co-operate with the procedure. The medication administration records seen on the day of the inspection were accurate, including the amount of medication on the premises. People who are prescribed medication to be taken as required do not always have individual guidelines for when staff should administer them. There were no guidelines for staff detailing how people display pain or at what point they should be given the medication. One person self-medicates, the Senior staff member said that their medication is locked in the cabinet in their allocated bedroom, on arrival and staff check that they have taken it at the agreed times. The pharmacist regularly checks the medication system, the last report , dated 16/01/09, noted that all standards were met and there were no actions to take. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 18 of 29 Concerns, complaints and protection These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: If people have concerns with their care, they or people close to them, know how to complain. Their concern is looked into and action taken to put things right. The care home safeguards people from abuse, neglect and self-harm and takes action to follow up any allegations. There are no additional outcomes. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The home ensures that peoples views are listened to and acted upon and are protected from all forms of abuse. Evidence: The Complaints procedure is produced in a user friendly format which includes pictures/words and symbols, it is further discussed in House Guest meetings and is individually explained to people, if necessary. Complaints records were seen, there have been three since the last inspection, two of these were recorded as complaints although people who made them said that they are concerns and wanted them attended to as such. All complaints are properly recorded with details of the complaints , the outcomes and the action to be taken to avoid recurrence. There has been one safeguarding referral made to the Local Authority safeguarding co-ordinator, the manager was not available and there was therefore no access to records of the referral. There was no access to training records to confirm safeguarding training but the area manager confirmed that all staff had received training and this was up-dated as necessary.Two staff spoken with, including one that had been in the home for approximately two weeks fully understood their responsibility to protect the people in their care and confirmed that they had received Protection of Vulnerable Adults (Safeguarding) training. As a short break service the home handles very little money for people, they have a Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 19 of 29 Evidence: small amount of personal allowance which is kept safe for some people and this is kept locked away and is in individual purses/wallets. Receipts are kept for all expenditure, these are either kept on the premises or sent to parents/carers at their request.All expenditure is recorded. Some people look after their own money and are provided with a lockable cabinet to enable them to keep it safely. Staff have training to enable them to deal with difficult behaviours that may be displayed by some people, on occasion, but they do not use any form of physical restraint. Guests respond to strategies developed to support them with their behaviours. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 20 of 29 Environment These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People stay in a safe and well-maintained home that is homely, clean, comfortable, pleasant and hygienic. People stay in a home that has enough space and facilities for them to lead the life they choose and to meet their needs. The home makes sure they have the right specialist equipment that encourages and promotes their independence. Their room feels like their own, it is comfortable and they feel safe when they use it. People have enough privacy when using toilets and bathrooms. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The home provides a pleasant environment that meets the needs of individuals and the group. It is kept clean and hygienic. Evidence: The home has eight beds in two semi-separate units, with four bedrooms in each. One unit has an adapted bedroom and special bathing facilities, so that people with physical disabilities are able to access it. The other unit has some adaptations but has bigger beds and different types of decor to recognise peoples diverse needs. The bedrooms are large and people are able to bring personal possessions with them when they visit, all rooms have a T.V and/or music centre. The house is reasonably maintained , but there are areas where small repairs such as bedroom furniture door handles falling off, need to be completed. The home offers a service to approximately 50 people which means that it gets hard use and in consequence is in constant need of redecoration or minor repairs. The home has a part time cleaner who ensures that all areas are clean and hygienic, including the kitchens, bathrooms and toilets. On the day of the visit the home was clean, tidy and hygienic. The laundry was well organised and in good order. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 21 of 29 Evidence: Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 22 of 29 Staffing These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People have safe and appropriate support as there are enough competent, qualified staff on duty at all times. They have confidence in the staff at the home because checks have been done to make sure that they are suitable. People’s needs are met and they are supported because staff get the right training, supervision and support they need from their managers. People are supported by an effective staff team who understand and do what is expected of them. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The home have a competent and well trained staff team who are able to meet the diverse needs of the people who use the service. The service has a robust recruitment policy to ensure that staff are safe to work with the people who visit the home. Evidence: The home operates with up to five staff per shift, this is dependant on the numbers and needs of the guests in residence. The home manages the varying number of guests by employing 10 permanent staff, a part time administrator and a part time cleaner and regular bank staff. The bank staff mean that the home can have some flexibility for short notice and /or emergency bookings. The home only take emergency bookings from people who already use the service in circumstances such as carers being ill and/or hospitalised. All staff have job descriptions and roles and responsibilities are clear such as senior staff being designated areas of responsibility for instance one team leader is the lifestyle co-ordinator, which means that she has the responsibility for looking at the provision of activities, holidays and outings. The manager was unavailable so there was no access to staff recruitment information. The area manager confirmed that all the necessary checks are carried out and a robust recruitment process is followed. The newest staff member spoken to confirmed Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 23 of 29 Evidence: that she had brought all her necessary documents to interview, she had completed a full application form, a medical form and had not begun work until her CRB clearance was received. She added that some of the house guests had been involved in her interview but she knew them anyway as she has been working as an agency staff member in the home. The area manager confirmed that the core training is completed by staff and is regularly up-dated, as necessary, three staff confirmed that this is the case. The Annual Quality Assurance Assessment noted that 5 of the 11 care staff have completed N.V.Q 2 or above training. Two staff spoken to have completed NVQ 3 and the new member of staff is to enrol on NVQ 2 when she has completed her induction and probationary period. Staff were observed to be interacting positively and respectfully with the people who use the service. There was a pleasant atmosphere and house guests appeared very confident to indicate to staff if they wanted anything. Staff responded quickly to peoples communication systems, as none of the house guests, on the day of the visit were able to fully verbalise their needs. Staff are supervised monthly, if possible but a minimum of six times a year. The supervision plan was displayed in the office but there was no access to supervision notes to look at the quality of supervision. Three staff said that they have regular supervision and feel well supported by the manager, they also agreed that they have plenty of training opportunities. Staff felt that the home gives very good care and two people said that opportunities to participate in social activities is increasing. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 24 of 29 Conduct and management of the home These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People have confidence in the care home because it is run and managed appropriately. People’s opinions are central to how the home develops and reviews their practice, as the home has appropriate ways of making sure they continue to get things right. The environment is safe for people and staff because health and safety practices are carried out. People get the right support from the care home because the manager runs it appropriately, with an open approach that makes them feel valued and respected. They are safeguarded because the home follows clear financial and accounting procedures, keeps records appropriately and makes sure staff understand the way things should be done. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The home is well managed and people are kept as safe as possible by the homes adherence to health and safety policy and procedures. Evidence: The Registered Manager officially resigned on the 17th November 2008, she had previously been seconded for several months to an acting area manager post. The acting manager has been in post for approximately one year. The manager role has been advertised recently and interviews will take place on the 25th March 2009. The area manager said that the successful applicant will be registered after appointment. The prospective managers are to be interviewed by the area manager, a director of the company and two house guests. The service is developing some more flexible ways of offering short breaks such as outreach and day care, it is hoped that these will develop further so that people will have more choice. All the people who use the service are clients of Wokingham Community Team for People with Learning Disabilities, accordingly the service work closely with them to ensure that the service is useful to the community and to the Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 25 of 29 Evidence: people who use it. The Quality Assurance System includes monthly regulation 26 visits and questionnaires sent to families, people who use the service and other professionals. The information is collated and informs the PATH meeting (Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope), which is a meeting to which all interested parties are invited, to review last years progress and produce a development plan for the future. The outcome of the meeting is simply presented and shows development,improvements, and achievements with appropriate time scales. Information to inform the PATH is also collected from complaints,compliments, guest meetings and parent/carer forums. Developments made as a direct result of listening to house guests, this year, include bigger beds(3/4 rather than single) in four bedrooms, independent (from family) holidays and health and safety workshops that people who use the service can attend. The small sample of Health and Safety records seen, fire risk assessment, weekly water temperature testing, carbon monoxide alarm testing and the gas safety certificate were all up-to-date. The AQAA noted that all maintenance checks are current. Accident and incident reports are kept on individuals files and in a general file. The statistics are collated three monthly and sent to head office to the Health and Safety officer for auditing and comment . The manager audits reports at least three monthly and adds any comments or action to be taken to minimise the risk of recurrence. The organisation have a Health and Safety officer who completes an annual check of the service and is able to offer any specialist advice, as necessary. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 26 of 29 Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection? Yes £ No R Outstanding statutory requirements These are requirements that were set at the previous inspection, but have still not been met. They say what the registered person had to do to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Care Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 27 of 29 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 1 6 To include the purpose of peoples short visits and amend care plans accordingly so that House Guests know why they are staying and what is to be expected from their stay. To consider producing more detailed, individual guidelines for the use of medication that is prescribed to be taken as required, so that staff are confident that these medications are prescribed at the right times and with consistency. 2 20 Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 28 of 29 Helpline: Telephone: 0845 015 0120 or 0191 233 3323 Textphone: 0845 015 2255 or 0191 233 3588 Email: enquiries@csci.gsi.gov.uk Web: www.csci.org.uk We want people to be able to access this information. If you would like a summary in a different format or language please contact our helpline or go to our website. Copyright © (2009) Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, free of charge, in any format or medium provided that it is not used for commercial gain. This consent is subject to the material being reproduced accurately and on proviso that it is not used in a derogatory manner or misleading context. The material should be acknowledged as CSCI copyright, with the title and date of publication of the document specified. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 29 of 29 - 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!