Inspection on 21/07/09 for Norton House

This inspection was carried out on 21st July 2009.

CQC found this care home to be providing an Adequate 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

Norton House 30/07/07

Norton House 24/08/06

Norton House 27/01/06

Norton House 12/08/05

Similar services:

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Larchfield Manor

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Extracts from inspection reports are licensed from CQC, this page was updated on 08/06/2011.

Key inspection report Care homes for older people Name: Address: Norton House Norton Street Elland West Yorkshire HX5 0LU     The quality rating for this care home is:   one star adequate service A quality rating is our assessment of how well a care home is meeting the needs of the people who use it. We give a quality rating following a full review of the service. We call this full review a ‘key’ inspection. Lead inspector: Cheryl Stovin     Date: 2 1 0 7 2 0 0 9 This is a review of quality of outcomes that people experience in this care home. We believe high quality care should • • • • • Be safe Have the right outcomes, including clinical outcomes Be a good experience for the people that use it Help prevent illness, and promote healthy, independent living Be available to those who need it when they need it. The first part of the review gives the overall quality rating for the care home: • • • • 3 2 1 0 stars - excellent stars - good star - adequate star - poor There is also a bar chart that gives a quick way of seeing the quality of care that the home provides under key areas that matter to people. 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. Care Homes for Older People Page 2 of 25 We review the quality of the service against outcomes from the National Minimum Standards (NMS). Those standards are written by the Department of Health for each type of care service. 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 mission of the Care Quality Commission is to make care better for people by: • Regulating health and adult social care services to ensure quality and safety standards, drive improvement and stamp out bad practice • Protecting the rights of people who use services, particularly the most vulnerable and those detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 • Providing accessible, trustworthy information on the quality of care and services so people can make better decisions about their care and so that commissioners and providers of services can improve services. • Providing independent public accountability on how commissioners and providers of services are improving the quality of care and providing value for money. Reader Information Document Purpose Author Audience Further copies from Copyright Inspection report Care Quality Commission General public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) Copyright © (2009) Care Quality Commission (CQC). 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 CQC copyright, with the title and date of publication of the document specified. www.cqc.org.uk Internet address Care Homes for Older People Page 3 of 25 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Norton House Norton Street Elland West Yorkshire HX5 0LU 01422379072 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Type of registration: Number of places registered: www.highleecarehome.com Mrs Patricia Beaumont care home 23 Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 old age, not falling within any other category Additional conditions: The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is: 23 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 category Old Age, not falling within any other category , Code OP Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Norton House is a privately owned care home registered to provide accommodation and care for up to twenty three older people. The establishment is situated in a residential area close to the town centre of Elland and with easy access to Halifax by public transport. The property, a stone built detached period property is set in well maintained gardens and grounds. The home is generally well maintained and a major programme of refurbishment and redecoration is currently taking place. The accommodation comprises of single and shared bedrooms with spacious and comfortable communal facilities. Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 25 Over 65 23 0 Brief description of the care home The weekly charges range from £450 to £500. Additional charges are made for hairdressing, chiropody, and personal newspapers. 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: one star adequate service Choice of home Health and personal care Daily life and social activities Complaints and protection Environment Staffing Management and administration peterchart Poor Adequate Good Excellent How we did our inspection: This report brings together evidence gathered during a Key Inspection. This included an unannounced visit to Norton House on 21st July 2009 by one inspector over a period of 6 hours. During this visit records were examined and discussion took place with people living at the home and management and staff. The purpose of the inspection is to make sure that people receive the care and support they need and that they and their families are satisfied with the service. The last inspection of Norton House was on 26th July 2007, no further visits have been made to the service. An Annual Quality Assurance Assessment (AQAA) was completed by the service which contained useful information about the service provided and about staff and people who use the agency. Care Homes for Older People Page 6 of 25 We have reviewed our practice when making requirements, to improve national consistency. Some requirements from previous inspection reports may have been deleted or carried forward into this report as recommendations, but only when it is considered that people who use services are not being put at significant risk of harm. In future, if a requirement is repeated, it is likely that enforcement action will be taken. Care Homes for Older People Page 7 of 25 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 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 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. Peoples needs are assessed to make sure that the home is suitable for them. Evidence: The care records of six people living at the home were seen. There was evidence in the records that the manager had assessed peoples needs to make sure that the home will be suitable for them and that the staff can meet their needs. Where possible the home encourages people and their families to visit and talk to the people who already live at the home, their relatives and the staff. The home invites them to come and spend time there, have lunch and tea and maybe take part in the days activities. This means that the homes staff can get to know the persons needs and the individual has the information he or she needs to make a decision. People are provided with written information about the home which details the services and facilities provided. This makes sure that people know what to expect Care Homes for Older People Page 10 of 25 Evidence: whilst living at the home. A contract was seen to be in place which details what is and is not included in the weekly charges and the rights and responsibilities of everybody. Intermediate care is not provided in the home. 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 adequate quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. Peoples health and personal care needs generally are met, and personal support is given in a way that promotes and protects people privacy and dignity. The care plans, however, could contain more detail about actually how the care is to be given. Evidence: The care records of six people living at the home were seen. The records contained a basic care plan. The care plans did not include sufficient information to show how the care was actually to be provided. An example of this was in one care plan it was identified that the person needs assistance with washing and dressing. No further information was recorded about what actual assistance is required. Another care plan identified that a person required assistance with mobility, again no detail as to what the assistance required was. It is important that details of the actual assistance required is so that any staff unfamiliar with peoples needs can safely deliver the care. There was no information about peoples previous lifestyles and interests nor of people important to them. This information would assist the staff to help people follow their own interests and to see the person as a whole. To make sure that peoples needs Care Homes for Older People Page 12 of 25 Evidence: are met, how the care is actually to be provided needs to recorded in more detail, so that all staff provide consistent care in a manner which meets with peoples preferences. A requirement has been made in respect of this. Healthcare visits and treatments are recorded in detail and everyone who commented said they always receive the healthcare they need. One person said the staff are first class and lovely and very helpful, I feel better here than when I was at home. People look well cared for clean, tidy and well groomed. Attention had been paid to detail. People had their hair styled, wore jewellry and make-up if they wished and their glasses were clean. Staff were patient, gentle and kind when interacting with people. They were discreet and respectful of peoples dignity when attending to any personal care needs. The people we spoke with said they are satisfied with the care they receive and everyone who commented said they are looked after well. The medicines are kept safe and secure in a locked cabinet and the medicine cabinet was locked when unattended. Most of the medicines are supplied by the pharmacy in a monitored dosage system. We looked at the Medicines Administration Record (MAR) charts, which showed clearly the quantities of medicines received and in stock for each person. All staff responsible for administering medication have received training which makes sure that peoples medication is given correctly. One person handles their own medication with a monitoring system in place to make sure that they are administering it safely. 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. People are supported to take part in a range of activities, and are offered a good choice of meals to make sure their dietary needs and preferences are met. Evidence: The home has a warm and welcoming atmosphere and visiting relatives said that this was always the case. There are some activities provided in the home for people to participate in if they choose to do so and on the day of the visit people were enjoying a game of bingo. The manager has identified providing more activities as an area for improvement in the homes Annual Quality Assurance Assessment. People can choose where to spend their time, some people prefer to stay in their own rooms, and the majority choose to join others in the communal areas. The people who live at Norton House said they can do what they want, when they want. This confirmed our observations that the staff support people to live their life in the way they choose. The people we spoke to at the home said that they liked living there and made the Care Homes for Older People Page 14 of 25 Evidence: following comments: its home from home, one hundred percent, its better than home and first class. People are given the opportunity to influence the way the home is run, for example, residents meetings. People said that they enjoy the food served at Norton House, one person described the food as first class home cooking. The main meal of the day is served at lunchtime and on the day of the visit was Shepherds pie, cauliflower, carrots and cauliflower followed by apple and bramble pie and custard. The mealtime was seen to be a relaxed and social occasion with tables attractively set. There are no catering staff employed at the home, the food is prepared by the care staff. The staff told us that they enjoyed cooking and that it adds variety to their working week. The meal served during the visit appeared to be well presented and appitising. Visitors were seen to be welcomed into the home and told us that they are kept up to date with any important issues affecting their relative or friend. 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. People are aware of how to raise a concern or make a complaint if they are dissatisfied with the service, and the staff understand the adult protection policies and procedures. Evidence: The home has a complaints procedure in place which is given to everybody living at the home and to their visitors. There has been one complaint investigated by the home since the last inspection. A record is kept of the complaint received and of the investigation and the outcome. One anonymous complaint was received by the Commission and was found to be not substantiated. All staff have received training in the Protection of Vulnerable Adults and staff we spoke to had a good understanding of safeguarding issues. They knew what they would do if they witnessed or suspected that people were not being treated properly. The homes recruitment procedure, however, does not fully protect people living at the home (see staffing section of this home). 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. People live in a well maintained and clean and comfortable environment. Evidence: The home is situated in a residential area close to the shops and community facilities of Elland. The town centre of Halifax can be easily accessed by public transport. A full tour of the building showed that the home is well maintained throughout and furnished and fitted to a good standard. Since the last inspection an additional six bedrooms have been built, these rooms are spacious and attractive. The rest of the accommodation is in the process of being refurbished and will result in all rooms having en-suite facilities. People are encouraged to bring personal items into the home and the majority of the bedrooms are personalised to reflect peoples interests and tastes. This makes people feel at home. People said that they were satisfied with their rooms and had all the facilities they require. One person told me that they particularly appreciate having a fridge in their room to keep their drinks cold. The communal areas are spacious and comfortable with sufficient space for people to greet visitors in private. Care Homes for Older People Page 17 of 25 Evidence: The gardens are attractive and well kept and are a pleasant place for people to sit out in. The home has recently had some landscaping done in the gardens and an attractive patio area completed. The home was seen to be clean and hygienic throughout and people said that this was always the case. One visitor told us that they had chosen Norton House because it was so clean and had no odours. There are infection control measures in place and staff are provided with protective clothing to make sure that peoples health is promoted. 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 adequate quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. Sufficient staff are employed who have the necessary skills to meet peoples needs, however, recruitment practices need to be improved to protect the people living at the home. Evidence: The staff rotas, and peoples comments, confirmed our observations that there are enough staff on duty to meet peoples care, social and leisure needs. In addition to the manager, there are four care assistants on duty during the day and two waking night staff. There are also housekeeping staff on duty each day. These staffing levels seem to be sufficient to provide care and support for the people who currently live at Norton House. The staff confirmed that staffing levels are adjusted to meet peoples needs. People who live at the home said there are enough staff around and our observations confirmed this. One person said there are always staff around, making sure that everyone is well looked after. One person described the staff as lovely and another said they are very helpful and caring and cannot do enough for you. There is plenty of training provided for the staff including a programme of National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in care and all of the care staff have completed their award. This means that the staff have the necessary qualifications to meet the needs of people living at the home. Care Homes for Older People Page 19 of 25 Evidence: The recruitment files of four staff working at the home were looked at. All contained evidence that Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) disclosures had been obtained before being employed at the home. In two of the four files seen there were no references. To make sure that only suitable people are employed at the home two written references must be obtained before an offer of employment is made. This is to make sure that people living at the home are protected. A requirement has been made in respect of this. 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 adequate quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The home is adequately managed but the manager must make sure that the home is run in the best interests of the people living there. Evidence: The registered manager of the home is qualified and competent to run the home. He holds the NVQ level 4 Registered Managers Award. He is committed to ensuring that an open and positive atmosphere is prevalent in the home. Staff and visitors told us that he is approachable and listens to what people say. Other outcome areas in this report do not, however, fully support that the home is being run in the best interests of the people living there. There are health and safety policies and procedures in place and all staff receive training in safe working practices. Health and safety and maintenance records showed that all the required safety checks are up to date. This makes sure that people live in a safe environment. Care Homes for Older People Page 21 of 25 Evidence: There are financial procedures which make sure that any money held is handled safely. There are quality assurance systems in place which makes sure that peoples views are fully taken into account about how the home is run, questionnaires are regularly sent to people living at the homeand to their relatives. It would be good practice for the results of these surveys to be published and displayed in the home. At present there are no people living at the home who are subject to a deprivation of their liberty authorisation, under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. We received the homes annual self assessment. It contained information about the home and the services that are provided, the improvements they have made and their plans for the coming twelve months. More detail would have given us us a fuller picture of the service provided. 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 1 7 15 A care plan must be held for each person living at the home which identifies how peoples health, personal and social needs are to be met. To make sure that peoples health, personal and social needs are met. 31/12/2009 2 29 19 Two written references must 30/11/2009 be obtained before staff are employed at the home. To make sure that people are protected by employing only suitable people at the home. 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: 03000 616161 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) Care Quality Commission (CQC). 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