Inspection on 27/03/07 for Stockton Road (302)

This inspection was carried out on 27th March 2007.

CSCI has not published a star rating for this report, though using similar criteria we estimate that the report is Excellent. The way we rate inspection reports is consistent for all houses, though please be aware that this may be different from an official CSCI judgement.

The inspector found no outstanding requirements from the previous inspection report, but made 2 statutory requirements (actions the home must comply with) as a result of this inspection.

Other inspections for this house

Stockton Road (302) 30/11/05

Stockton Road (302) 16/06/05

Stockton Road (302) 14/10/04

Stockton Road (302) 26/05/04

Stockton Road (302) 18/02/04

Similar services:

22 Sandown Road

The Highlands

Dilston College Of Further Education

West View House

Prince Bishop Court

Park View (15)

Craigmore House

1 Lanark Close

Extracts from inspection reports are licensed from CQC, this page was updated on 09/07/2008.

CARE HOME ADULTS 18-65 Stockton Road (302) Hartlepool TS25 1JT Lead Inspector Michaela Griffin Unannounced Inspection 27th March 2007 09:30 Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 1 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 Reader Information Document Purpose Author Audience Further copies from Copyright Inspection Report CSCI General Public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) This report is copyright Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and may only be used in its entirety. Extracts may not be used or reproduced without the express permission of CSCI www.csci.org.uk Internet address Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 2 This is a report of an inspection to assess whether services are meeting the needs of people who use them. The legal basis for conducting inspections is the Care Standards Act 2000 and the relevant National Minimum Standards for this establishment are those for Care Homes for Adults 18-65. They can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or obtained from The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop This report is a public document. Extracts may not be used or reproduced without the prior permission of the Commission for Social Care Inspection. Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 3 SERVICE INFORMATION Name of service Stockton Road (302) Address Hartlepool TS25 1JT Telephone number Fax number Email address Provider Web address Name of registered provider(s)/company (if applicable) Name of registered manager (if applicable) Type of registration No. of places registered (if applicable) 01429 223794 01429 223794 www.reallifeoptions.org Real Life Options Emma McCall Care Home 6 Category(ies) of Learning disability (6) registration, with number of places Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 4 SERVICE INFORMATION Conditions of registration: 1. One named person, aged 65 or over, may be accommodated in the care home. 30th November 2005 Date of last inspection Brief Description of the Service: 302 Stockton Road is registered to provide care for up to six adults with a learning disability. It is a large detached house situated on Stockton Road, Hartlepool, a busy main road to the south of the town. The home has a ramp and handrail at the front and there is room downstairs for people who use wheelchairs to move about easily in all the communal areas. The home is on two floors with a large shared lounge, kitchen with dining area and two shared bathrooms upstairs and toilets. Two of the six bedrooms have en-suite facilities, which include a bath. One has a shower room. The others have washbasins. There is a large shared recreation room to the rear of the property, and a safe, private garden outside. There is also a special room for service users to relax in. The home is close to shops, churches, pubs and a park, and the sea front at Seaton is within walking distance, or a short bus or car ride away. It is on major bus routes with regular buses stopping nearby. It has off street parking for several cars, used by staff and visitors. The home also provides a car for use of service users. The service is provided by Real Life Options and the property is rented from Three Rivers Housing Association. The weekly charge is from £1,196 to £1,434 (March 2007). Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 5 SUMMARY This is an overview of what the inspector found during the inspection. The inspector spent a day at the home. She met three people who live there and the manager and four other staff. She looked around the home and checked the paperwork. Six people who live in the home said what they thought about the home on survey forms. An independent advocate, who speaks up for the people who live in this home, talked to the inspector. Three relatives sent survey forms to the inspector and one sent a letter. The inspector also spoke to a care manager who knows the service. What the service does well: What has improved since the last inspection? What they could do better: The home must ask people who live here and people who visit what they think about the service. There should be a plan that says how the home will get better. The staff must have more training about the differences between people and the ways that they can help them to be treated fairly. It would be better if there were more bedrooms on the ground floor for people who cannot climb stairs, even with help, or who sometimes fall. Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 6 Please contact the provider for advice of actions taken in response to this inspection. The report of this inspection is available from enquiries@csci.gsi.gov.uk or by contacting your local CSCI office. Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 7 DETAILS OF INSPECTOR 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) Scoring of Outcomes Statutory Requirements Identified During the Inspection Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 8 Choice of Home The intended outcomes for Standards 1 – 5 are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Prospective service users have the information they need to make an informed choice about where to live. Prospective users’ individual aspirations and needs are assessed. Prospective service users know that the home that they will choose will meet their needs and aspirations. Prospective service users have an opportunity to visit and to “test drive” the home. Each service user has an individual written contract or statement of terms and conditions with the home. The Commission consider Standard 2 the key standard to be inspected at least once during a 12 month period. JUDGEMENT – we looked at outcomes for the following standard(s): Standards 1 and 2. Quality in this outcome area is excellent. This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service. Residents are given information in ways that are easier to understand, to help them make decisions. Their needs were fully assessed before they moved into the home. EVIDENCE: The home provides service users with easy to read versions of all its written information. This information is in plain English, in simple sentences and in large print, with pictures. This makes the information easier to understand for anyone who does not or can not easily read written English. Staff use this easy to read information to explain to people what the home offers and what they can expect. All of the information displayed on notice boards in the home has pictures and photographs, including weekly menus, the activities planned for the week and the staff rota. Some of this has been developed by staff using their own computers at home. The home has developed easy to read service user guides, policies and procedures and other information about the daily life of the home, to meet the needs of the current group of residents. It uses words, pictures and photographs that mean something to the people who live there now. If the home has a vacancy in the future, it should offer this information in other forms, for example Braille, on audio-tape and in languages other than English. This will let people know that this home welcomes people with different characteristics and backgrounds. The home should also consider how it can tell Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 9 people more clearly, in its Statement of Purpose and Service User Guide, that this service respects differences between people and will support people to live the lifestyle they choose and express their sexuality as adults. The three service users’ files that were checked included full and up to date information about each person’s needs. The people who live in this home said on the survey forms that they were able to visit it and to find out about the service before they moved in. One said ‘Keyworkers helped and I had an overnight stay before I moved in’. Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 10 Individual Needs and Choices The intended outcomes for Standards 6 – 10 are: 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Service users know their assessed and changing needs and personal goals are reflected in their individual Plan. Service users make decisions about their lives with assistance as needed. Service users are consulted on, and participate in, all aspects of life in the home. Service users are supported to take risks as part of an independent lifestyle. Service users know that information about them is handled appropriately, and that their confidences are kept. The Commission considers Standards 6, 7 and 9 the key standards to be inspected at least once during a 12 month period. JUDGEMENT – we looked at outcomes for the following standard(s): Standards 6, 7 and 9. Quality in this outcome area is good. This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service. Each resident has a care plan which explains the help they need and how staff should provide that help. The service treats people as individuals and they are encouraged to make choices and given help to keep them safe when they take risks. EVIDENCE: Each person has a person centred plan and the care they get is based on their needs and what the staff know about them, their own wishes and preferences. Most of the people who live in this home do not communicate using speech and sentences. So staff have to learn how each person shows their likes and dislikes and says what they want. They also learn how to explain things to them. Staff do this in ways that suit each person and use pictures and objects to help service users to understand what they are saying or asking. One support worker explained ‘Each person has their own way of telling you what they want.’ Five service users have their own ‘communication dictionary’, Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 11 which helps new staff to understand them and talk to them while they get to know them well. The home also holds regular residents’ meetings. Family members are encouraged to be involved in helping the person to make choices and do the things that they want. The home has also brought in an advocate, who is someone who works for an independent organisation and has had training in helping people to make choices and give their views. She visits all the people who live in the home, to get to know them, so that she can speak up for them and help them to have a say in their care and how the home is run. She also helps check that all decisions that affect individual service users, take their interests into account. She said ‘People are included, they feel very secure and at home here. The staff are very good at bringing people on.’ The staff are organised into ‘key teams’ who work with particular service users and get to know them well. They speak up for the individuals they support and make sure that their wishes and needs are understood. The records held on each person’s file show that full assessments are carried out on each aspect of a person’s health and wellbeing. When there is a risk that someone could be harmed or harm someone else, clear guidance is given so that staff can keep people safe and help them to lead full enjoyable lives. Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 12 Lifestyle The intended outcomes for Standards 11 - 17 are: 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. Service users have opportunities for personal development. Service users are able to take part in age, peer and culturally appropriate activities. Service users are part of the local community. Service users engage in appropriate leisure activities. Service users have appropriate personal, family and sexual relationships. Service users’ rights are respected and responsibilities recognised in their daily lives. Service users are offered a healthy diet and enjoy their meals and mealtimes. The Commission considers Standards 12, 13, 15, 16 and 17 the key standards to be inspected at least once during a 12 month period. JUDGEMENT – we looked at outcomes for the following standard(s): Standards 12, 13, 15, 16 and 17. Quality in this outcome area is excellent. This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service. Each person has a varied and individually designed programme of activities they enjoy. They are helped to maintain close relationships with their families and friends. Staff respect residents rights to privacy and dignity and to make choices. Residents enjoy a varied diet, which takes into account individual needs, likes and dislikes and are involved in the preparation of meals, as they wish. People choose when and where they eat. EVIDENCE: The home has a senior support worker who organises a three week programme of activities, based on what each person likes to do. This is clearly displayed, using pictures and photographs, so that people understand what the plans are for each day. The programme is flexible, so that people have a choice and can change their minds, depending on how they are feeling and the weather. People can have one to one attention when they need it and there are enough staff on duty to take people out individually when they want to go, either on a planned outing or just something they suddenly decide they want to do. The people who live here have separate interests, enjoy different activities, inside Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 13 and outside the home, and go on separate holidays, to a variety of places. Last year people went individually to Euro Disney, Jersey, Blackpool and Whitby. This shows that the home plans for individuals and respects their choices. At the moment almost all the staff live near the home. This is good for service users because it means that staff know the local community and share an interest with the service users in what goes on there. It also means they are close by if they need to be called on to help when other staff are off sick, so that outings or activities do not have to be cancelled. People go out in the local area visiting the nearby church, park, shops or the beach. Family members and friends are made welcome in the home and encouraged to get involved in their loved ones’ lives. Some visit frequently and stay for meals. One relative stays over on special occasions. One resident has a boyfriend who visits her. People have their own rooms and so have the privacy to make personal lifestyle choices without affecting anyone else. So they could for example, bring friends or partners to stay in their rooms and should be able to watch whatever they want on their own televisions and DVD players. Staff respect people’s rights and believe that it is good that people are different. For example, they try to make sure that the only man who lives there feels comfortable in a household with five women. They have also ensured that the person who uses a wheelchair has the equipment needed to be as independent and have as much privacy and dignity as possible. The home provides a variety of meals, chosen by the residents and they are involved in meal preparation if they wish. They also help staff to make shopping lists and each person gets the chance to go to the supermarket to buy food with staff every week. Two people are on special diets for health reasons and their needs are catered for. None of the residents has a diet preference based on a minority culture or belief. The manager would be happy to do some research and obtain guidance if someone from a minority ethnic community or culture moved into the home. She would check if any individual (whatever their background) wanted a different sort of menu from the one enjoyed by most of the white British non-vegetarian residents who currently live there. She would also seek guidance on food preparation and storage. People eat their meals when and where they choose. Some like to eat their breakfast in the kitchen, others in their own rooms. Most choose to eat main meals together in the dining area of the large recreation room, which has a pleasant outlook on to the garden. The people who live in this home also eat out regularly. There is a popular pub that serves meals nearby where they are well known and made welcome. On the day of the inspection two people went out to the sea front and bought fish and chips to eat outside. Two others had coffee and a snack, while out on a shopping trip to Teesside Park. Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 14 Personal and Healthcare Support The intended outcomes for Standards 18 - 21 are: 18. 19. 20. 21. Service users receive personal support in the way they prefer and require. Service users’ physical and emotional health needs are met. Service users retain, administer and control their own medication where appropriate, and are protected by the home’s policies and procedures for dealing with medicines. The ageing, illness and death of a service user are handled with respect and as the individual would wish. The Commission considers Standards 18, 19, and 20 the key standards to be inspected at least once during a 12 month period. JUDGEMENT – we looked at outcomes for the following standard(s): Standards 18, 19 and 20. Quality in this outcome area is excellent. This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service. Care plans provide the information to staff so that residents receive the personal support they need. The staff work closely with health care teams to make sure that residents receive the health care they need. Medication is given to people safely. EVIDENCE: Each person who lives in this home has a person centred plan and a health care plan that allows staff to provide care in a flexible and consistent way. This means that care is based on the needs of the person, it is always provided by people who have the right skills and training and who know how the individual likes things done for him or her. But it can also be changed easily and does not always have to be given in the same way at the same time, if this does not suit the person or the way they are feeling. These plans are discussed regularly, in reviews, and the home involves the service user concerned in these discussions in a way that suits them. The advocate, who has been at review meetings with service users, explained ‘People are included, they feel secure and at home.’ The people who live in this home need care and treatment from several different health professionals and some of their needs are complex. The Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 15 support workers who were interviewed said that they felt that the service gives them all the training, guidance and support they need to care for people properly and to meet their complex health and social care needs. The staff understand that it is important to respect the privacy and dignity of individuals, especially when they are helping them with their personal care needs like using the toilet or bathing. The manager realised that it would be better if the support workers were not all women. The home has recruited a man support worker and the advocate commented that all the service users have benefited from having him on the team. The manager said that they would like to recruit more men, and that they are thinking about ways of encouraging more to apply for vacancies. A senior support worker said ‘We are conscious that ideally there should be a man available on every shift.’ The staff work with health care professionals to plan and give care in the best way to suit the needs of each individual. A member of the community learning disability team said how the team have had training provided by health practitioners, designed to show them how to care for the particular people who live in the home. They followed the guidelines given very carefully and skilfully. He said: ‘We have been very pleased with how they have worked with us. It is a very good team.’ Although the home provides a very professional and specialist service, for people with a combination of health and social needs, it still has a warm, relaxed and homely atmosphere. The advocate described the ethos of the home as very caring and supportive. She said ‘Each time I go there I notice the feeling of care. The emotional part of caring is what the staff excel at.’ A relative commented on how friendly the staff are and how the home tries to keep families involved. He said ‘During times when my sister has been unwell, the staff keep in telephone contact with me, ensuring that I am kept aware of how my sister is and that I am consulted where appropriate.’ The home has clear policies and procedures that tell staff how they must store and give out medicine safely and what they must write down. Staff have training and pass a test to show that they understand how to deal with medicines safely before they are allowed to help people with medication. None of the service users manages to keep and take their own medication without help from staff. There is a clear plan that explains how each person prefers to take their medicine and what staff must look for and write down. A relative said : ‘Overall, I cannot imagine that my sister could receive a higher standard of care than is already offered to her by the team at 302 Stockton Road, and am grateful to them and know that my sister is too.’ Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 16 Concerns, Complaints and Protection The intended outcomes for Standards 22 – 23 are: 22. 23. Service users feel their views are listened to and acted on. Service users are protected from abuse, neglect and self-harm. The Commission considers Standards 22, and 23 the key standards to be inspected at least once during a 12 month period. JUDGEMENT – we looked at outcomes for the following standard(s): Standards 22 & 23. Quality in this outcome area is good. This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service. The home helps people to express their views and to make complaints. Residents are protected from abuse. EVIDENCE: The home has a clear complaints policy and procedure. This encourages staff to listen to service users and to support them if they want to complain. The home has had one complaint since the last inspection. This was from a member of staff. The records showed that it was investigated properly and the person who complained was satisfied with the outcome. There is an easy to read version of the complaints procedure, with pictures, in the guide each service user has. The users who filled in a survey form, with the help of the advocate, said that they would feel able to make a complaint. A user commented ‘I have an advocate who would support me with this if needed.’ Most of the relatives said that they would know how to make a complaint, but that they had not needed to. One relative wrote: ‘My experience of the staff and management so far is such that if I ever had cause for complaint, I firmly believe that they would listen to my concerns and seek to come to a satisfactory outcome with me.’ The homes policies and procedures help protect people from abuse and harm through neglect of their needs. Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 17 All the staff are given training that tells them how to recognise the signs that someone has been abused and what they must do to keep people safe and to report their concerns. They have this when they first start work as part of the induction programme, which is basic training that introduces them to the service and their responsibilities. Certificates held on file show that the more experienced staff have also had ‘No Secrets’ training, provided by Hartlepool Borough Council. This gives them more training on protecting people and what to do if they think that someone has been or could be harmed. The support workers interviewed showed that they understood this training and how important it is when they are caring for people. One said ‘I learned what to do if I suspected that someone was being abused. We need to be able to understand the signs and symptoms of abuse when people can’t speak up for themselves.’ Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 18 Environment The intended outcomes for Standards 24 – 30 are: 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. Service users live in a homely, comfortable and safe environment. Service users’ bedrooms suit their needs and lifestyles. Service users’ bedrooms promote their independence. Service users’ toilets and bathrooms provide sufficient privacy and meet their individual needs. Shared spaces complement and supplement service users’ individual rooms. Service users have the specialist equipment they require to maximise their independence. The home is clean and hygienic. The Commission considers Standards 24, and 30 the key standards to be inspected at least once during a 12 month period. JUDGEMENT – we looked at outcomes for the following standard(s): Standards 24 & 30. Quality in this outcome area is good. This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service. The home is a comfortable, spacious and safe place to live. It is decorated and furnished in a domestic style but with special equipment and adaptations to suit the people who live there. It appeared clean, tidy and free from unpleasant odours on the day of inspection. EVIDENCE: The home is a large detached house set back from a busy main road and close to a range of community facilities, like shops, a park, churches and pubs. The home has a ramp and handrail at the front and there is room down stairs for people who use wheelchairs to move about easily in all the communal areas. People can also come into the house from a quieter street at the back of the property. There is a pleasant, enclosed, back garden, with a patio area and table and a secure gate to the home’s small car park. The home is very roomy, with plenty of space for people to be together for activities or company and quiet areas for people to sit quietly or spend time with visitors. Each person has their own large bedroom, with a lockable door. Three bedrooms have their own private bath or shower room and most are big enough to have a double bed and sitting area. One bedroom is on the ground floor. Unfortunately the home is on two floors, and does not have a through Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 19 floor or stair lift. This means that most of the people who live in this home must be able to climb stairs safely, with help from staff. All the bedrooms are decorated and furnished to suit the personality and interests of the person who lives there. One resident is interested in the sea and in aeroplanes. The room is decorated with a nautical theme and models and pictures of ships and planes are displayed. Another resident is interested in pop music and boy bands. These interests are reflected in the posters of concerts she has attended and the choice of music she can play on the Compact Disc player in her room. The home is kept clean and tidy by the care and support team, who involve the people who live there in looking after their own rooms especially. It has good laundry facilities, convenient to use but separate from the kitchen and living rooms. Routine maintenance and health and safety checks are kept up to date and recorded. Where hazards are noted, action is taken to reduce the risks of harm to service users or staff to a minimum. The manager said that the landlord is very good at carrying out repairs soon after they are reported. The housing association employs a housing support manager who makes sure that work is carried out properly and quickly. She has regular meetings with the manager and they agree and plan improvements. They are currently planning to have the kitchen re-fitted and to include new equipment and worktops at different heights to make it easier for residents to get involved in preparing food. Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 20 Staffing The intended outcomes for Standards 31 – 36 are: 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. Service users benefit from clarity of staff roles and responsibilities. Service users are supported by competent and qualified staff. Service users are supported by an effective staff team. Service users are supported and protected by the home’s recruitment policy and practices. Service users’ individual and joint needs are met by appropriately trained staff. Service users benefit from well supported and supervised staff. The Commission considers Standards 32, 34 and 35 the key standards to be inspected at least once during a 12 month period. JUDGEMENT – we looked at outcomes for the following standard(s): Standards 32, 34, 35 and 36. Quality in this outcome area is good. This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service. The recruitment procedures treat people fairly and protect vulnerable people. There are enough staff on duty to meet each individual’s needs. The staff receive the training and support they need to look after residents safely. EVIDENCE: There are at least five staff on duty during the day and two at night, with a senior available on call. They are organised into small ‘key teams’ that work with particular service users, so they get to know them well and this helps ensure that their needs can be met in both a consistent and flexible way. Staff explained that they all get on well and support each other. The advocate commented ‘They work very well as a team.’ Recruitment records show that the home carries out checks on everyone who applies for a job, to make sure that there is nothing in their background that would make them unsuitable to work with vulnerable people. The home also has an equal opportunities policy, and tries to make sure that people from different communities and lifestyles have a fair chance of getting a job and bringing their individual skills and experience to the work. The advocate commented: ‘They always seem to choose the right staff. They learn quickly and keep coming to work, even though it’s sometimes hard.’ Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 21 There is an annual training programme for staff, which shows training planned for the year and what each member of staff needs and gets. All new staff go through a Learning Disability Awards Framework induction and foundation programme. This gives them basic training in the values, knowledge and skills they need to care for people with learning difficulties. The staff said that this training was very good. One support worker explained ‘It was very useful. It covered all aspects of care.’ After this basic training, staff work for National Vocational Qualifications in Care. Nineteen of the thirty-two staff have already achieved this qualification at level two or higher. This means that the service has done better than the national target that each service should have at least half its care staff suitably qualified. Most of the staff have been working in this home for more than a year. Two have been there since it opened ten years ago and another six have been there more than five years. So they know the service and the people who live in the home well, and have had plenty of training so that they understand what they are expected to do and how they should care for people safely and well. The staff have had basic training on equality and diversity issues, in their induction and foundation training or while studying for their National Vocational Qualifications. Some have also had extra training on the particular ways in which people can be different and be denied their rights as adult citizens, for example on grounds of religion or sexual preference. The staff show in the way they care for people and talk about them that they understand the values that the service promotes and believe that disabled people suffer from discrimination and should have the same rights as everyone else. A support worker explained the home’s philosophy, which is made up of the opinions, beliefs and values that the service is based on. She said ‘It’s about treating people as individuals, allowing people to be themselves. Everyone is different.’ The advocate said ‘The home has a friendly atmosphere and new staff soon learn about the high standards of care expected and you can see that they share the values and respect the residents.’ All staff should have more training about the ways in which people are different and require support and respect. They should also discuss and be given guidance about how they can put these good ideas and values into practice, for example in helping people to express their sexuality. The records checked showed that staff get supervision at least every two months. Supervisions are meetings between an individual support worker and a senior, which gives them a chance to talk about how they are doing their jobs and any help or training they may need to do them better. These sessions are private, planned in advance and notes are taken, which both sign. So both the supervisor and staff member can prepare for the meetings and can check that they each have done what they agreed at the last meeting. The staff interviewed said that they find supervison very helpful. There is also an annual appraisal system, which is when managers and staff agree the things that they Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 22 need to achieve in the next year and decide the training that will be needed. Staff can talk to the manager between these formal meetings and training needs. And plans are also discussed at regular staff meetings, for the whole team. Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 23 Conduct and Management of the Home The intended outcomes for Standards 37 – 43 are: 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. Service users benefit from a well run home. Service users benefit from the ethos, leadership and management approach of the home. Service users are confident their views underpin all self-monitoring, review and development by the home. Service users’ rights and best interests are safeguarded by the home’s policies and procedures. Service users’ rights and best interests are safeguarded by the home’s record keeping policies and procedures. The health, safety and welfare of service users are promoted and protected. Service users benefit from competent and accountable management of the service. The Commission considers Standards 37, 39, and 42 the key standards to be inspected at least once during a 12 month period. JUDGEMENT – we looked at outcomes for the following standard(s): Standards 37, 38, 39 & 42. Quality in this outcome area is good. This judgement has been made using available evidence including a visit to this service. The manager is suitably experienced and qualified to run the home. There are systems in place to make sure that the health and safety of service users and staff are protected and promoted. Real Life Options is developing and improving its quality assurance systems. EVIDENCE: The manager has been running this home for over a year and has worked in the service for ten years. She has shown the Commission for Social Care Inspection that she is a fit person to run the service, and has the knowledge and experience required and has been the Registered Manager since February 2007. She is currently working towards her Registered Managers Award, at Riverside College Stockton. This is the nationally recognised qualification for service managers, because it tells people that the person who completes this training successfully has learned the skills she needs to run a home well. Other professionals respect this manager. A care manager from the community learning disability team, said ‘The manager is very pro-active and switched on. Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 24 I have been very impressed with the service provided overall.’ The advocate said ‘The manager is very intelligent and competent.’ An area manager visits the home regularly to make sure that policies and procedures are being followed and records showed that routine health and safety checks are carried out in the home. For example, an electrician contractor tests all the portable electrical equipment regulalry. Real Life Options has appointed a quality manager who is developing and improving the quality assurance systems for the whole organisation. The home does not have its own system of collecting views about the service and using them to produce a yearly plan for improving and developing it. The staff do not have a computer or access to a word processor, e mail or the internet, so many of the quality related jobs are done centrally, by the head office. This includes surveys of staff views and relatives. The home does not have a systematic way of asking and recording the views of many professionals who visit service users the home and who work with its staff. The manager reviews policies and procedures, regularly, so that she can check that they are up to date and still tell people clearly how to do their jobs. But she must send them to head office to be re-typed and sent out again. The manager must draw up a plan for improving and developing this home based on surveys of the views of the staff team and visiting professionals, as well as consultation with relatives and service users. This should include identifying risks to the service and the service users and ways of managing and reducing them, when appropriate. The plan should be backed up by an explanation of costs and how they will be met and it should be available for inspection. It will be more important in future that the manager keeps all the information about the service and the service users up to date, because of changes in the way that inspections will be carried out. Managers will be required by law to provide the Commission for Social Care Inspection with more detailed information about their services and to show that they are taking responsibility for making sure that the service meets the national standards as well as those set by the organisation. Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 25 SCORING OF OUTCOMES This page summarises the assessment of the extent to which the National Minimum Standards for Care Homes for Adults 18-65 have been met and uses the following scale. The scale ranges from: 4 Standard Exceeded 2 Standard Almost Met (Commendable) (Minor Shortfalls) 3 Standard Met 1 Standard Not Met (No Shortfalls) (Major Shortfalls) “X” in the standard met box denotes standard not assessed on this occasion “N/A” in the standard met box denotes standard not applicable CHOICE OF HOME Standard No Score 1 4 2 4 3 x 4 x 5 x INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AND CHOICES Standard No 6 7 8 9 10 Score CONCERNS AND COMPLAINTS Standard No Score 22 3 23 3 ENVIRONMENT Standard No Score 24 3 25 x 26 x 27 x 28 x 29 x 30 3 STAFFING Standard No Score 31 x 32 3 33 x 34 3 35 3 36 4 CONDUCT AND MANAGEMENT OF THE HOME Standard No 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 Score 4 3 x 3 x LIFESTYLES Standard No Score 11 x 12 3 13 4 14 4 15 3 16 3 17 4 PERSONAL AND HEALTHCARE SUPPORT Standard No 18 19 20 21 Score 4 4 3 x 3 4 3 x x 3 x Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 26 No Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection? STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS This section sets out the actions, which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Care Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The Registered Provider(s) must comply with the given timescales. No. 1. Standard YA39 Regulation 24 Requirement A plan for improving and developing this home must be drawn up based on surveys of the views of the staff team and visiting professionals, as well as consultation with relatives and service users. All staff must have training and support that enables them to put their values into practice in their daily work, in a way that promotes equality and diversity. Timescale for action 30/12/07 2. YA35 12 (4) b 04/07/07 RECOMMENDATIONS These recommendations relate to National Minimum Standards and are seen as good practice for the Registered Provider/s to consider carrying out. No. 1 Refer to Standard YA24 Good Practice Recommendations The home should consider ways in which it can offer more ground floor accommodation or provide safer ways for people who have problems climbing stairs to live there, for as long as they want to. Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 27 Commission for Social Care Inspection Darlington Area Office No. 1 Hopetown Studios Brinkburn Road Darlington DL3 6DS National Enquiry Line: 0845 015 0120 Email: enquiries@csci.gsi.gov.uk Web: www.csci.org.uk © This report is copyright Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and may only be used in its entirety. Extracts may not be used or reproduced without the express permission of CSCI Stockton Road (302) DS0000021755.V301082.R02.S.doc Version 5.2 Page 28 - 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. 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