Inspecting for better lives Random inspection report
Care homes for older people
Name: Address: Longfield Preston New Road Billinge End Blackburn Lancs BB2 6PS The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: 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. This is a report of a random inspection of this care home. A random inspection is a short, focussed inspection. Details of how to get other inspection reports for this care home, including the last key inspection report, can be found on the last page of this report. Lead inspector: Stephanie West Date: 0 6 1 0 2 0 0 8 Information about the care home
Name of care home: Address: Longfield Preston New Road Billinge End Blackburn Lancs BB2 6PS 01254675532 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: longfieldcare@btconnect.com Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Miss Dawn Irene Watson Type of registration: Number of places registered: Longfield (Care Homes) Ltd care home 24 Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 dementia mental disorder, excluding learning disability or dementia 24 24 Over 65 0 0 Conditions of registration: The registered person may provide the following category 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: Dementia - Code DE Mental disorder, excluding learning disability or dementia - Code MD The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is: 24 Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Longfield Care Home provides 24 hour long term personal care for up to 24 older people who have a mental disorder or dementia. The property is a detached, converted Care Homes for Older People Page 2 of 8 house in its own grounds. The enclosed garden area is accessible to all residents. Parking for staff and visitors is available to the side of the property. Accommodation is offered in single and twin-bedded rooms. Communal rooms are spacious. The home is situated on a main road leading into Blackburn, approximately one and a half miles from the town centre and easily accessible by public transport. The current fee charged at Longfield is £400 per week. Additional charges are payable for hairdressing and newspapers. A copy of the statement of purpose and service user guide is available to prospective service users and their relatives on request. Care Homes for Older People Page 3 of 8 What we found:
The home was randomly selected for a visit to look at the arrangements for handling medication. The visit lasted approximately two and a half hours and involved discussing the handling of medication with the senior-in-charge, examination of medicine records and storage arrangements. At the end of the inspection feedback was given to the senior-in-charge and later to the new manager by telephone. Overall, we found that medicines are mostly safely managed. But care needs to be taken to ensure the homes medicines procedures are always followed, to ensure people are best protected. We observed part of the morning medication round. To help ensure medicines were administered as prescribed records were referred to and completed at the time of administration to each person. We found that arrangements were in place to help ensure medicines were given at the right times of day. But, we saw that on occasion medicines that should be administered before breakfast were missed, or given later on. It is important that any special instructions such as before food are always followed to ensure medicines work properly. Where medicines were prescribed when required there was some written guidance for staff about when they may be needed and how this need may be communicated. But, in some cases this was quite brief and could be usefully expanded. This is particularly important when people may find it difficult to tell staff about their medicines needs. We looked at how medicines were recorded and found recent records of receipt, administration and disposal to be generally clear and accurate. There was the occasional gap in records showing the administration of medication. This was particularly evident for prescribed creams. Care needs to be taken to ensure administration records are fully and clearly completed. Where medicines are not given/applied the reason should be recorded. Staff explained that the new manager had given them advice about recording information from healthcare professionals and on the whole this was now clearly recorded, so changes to peoples medicines could be easily tracked. It was not always possible to track older changes, but this will be addressed as the new manager was organising medication reviews with peoples doctors. We found that all medicines including Controlled Drugs were safely locked away; this helps to ensure that they are not misused or mishandled. The Controlled Drugs were not kept in a proper cupboard (described in law), but the manager had ordered one. New systems of stock control had been introduced to help ensure adequate supplies of medication were kept in the home without overstocking. The handling of Controlled Drugs was recorded and witnessed in a proper register, but there had been some omissions. The manager had carried out a stock check and amended register. To demonstrate the safe handling of Controlled Drugs it is important that this register is accurate and up-to-date. Care needs to be taken to ensure that all staff handling Controlled Drugs are aware of the correct procedure. The homes medicines policy was available for reference, but in some areas it could be usefully reviewed to provider clearer guidance for staff. The manager said all staff had completed a formal medicines training course and confirmed that assessments of Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 8 competence in medication handling would be carried out. This will help to ensure staff follow the homes procedures, helping to protect people from medication errors. Regular audits were also planned to ensure that medicines are being administered correctly and that should any weaknesses arise they can be dealt with promptly. What the care home does well: 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 2. Care Homes for Older People Page 5 of 8 Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection? Yes R No £ Outstanding statutory requirements These requirements were set at the last inspection. They may not have been looked at during this inspection, as a random inspection is short and focussed. The registered person must take the necessary action to comply with these requirements within the timescales set.
No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action 1 38 13(5) To prevent residents from 29/06/2007 being injured members of staff must always use approved safe moving and handling procedures. Appropriate equipment must be obtained if necessary. Care Homes for Older People Page 6 of 8 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 9 Regular checks should be carried out to ensure Controlled Drugs are safely handled and recorded. The arrangements for ensuring any special instructions such as before food are followed should be reviewed to ensure they are effective. Care Homes for Older People Page 7 of 8 Reader Information
Document Purpose: Author: Audience: Further copies from: Inspection Report CSCI General Public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) Our duty to regulate social care services is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000. Copies of the National Minimum Standards –Care Homes for Older People can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or got 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 Helpline: Telephone: 0845 015 0120 or 0191 233 3323 Textphone: 0845 015 2255 or 0191 233 3588 Email: enquiries@csci.gsi.gov.uk Web: www.csci.org.uk We want people to be able to access this information. If you would like a summary in a different format or language please contact our helpline or go to our website. Copyright © (2008) Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, free of charge, in any format or medium provided that it is not used for commercial gain. This consent is subject to the material being reproduced accurately and on proviso that it is not used in a derogatory manner or misleading context. The material should be acknowledged as CSCI copyright, with the title and date of publication of the document specified. Care Homes for Older People Page 8 of 8 - 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!
