Random inspection report
Care homes for older people
Name: Address: Stowlangtoft Hall Nursing Home Stowlangtoft Hall Nursing Home Stowlangtoft Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP31 3JY two star good service 24/11/2008 The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: 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 review of the service. We call this review a ‘key’ inspection. This is a report of a random inspection of this care home. A random inspection is a short, focussed review of the service. 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: Ann Wiseman Date: 2 8 1 0 2 0 0 9 Information about the care home
Name of care home: Address: Stowlangtoft Hall Nursing Home Stowlangtoft Hall Nursing Home Stowlangtoft Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP31 3JY 01359230216 01359233346 iain@stowlangtofthall.co.uk Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Type of registration: Number of places registered: Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Mrs Hilary Anne MacDonald,Mr Hector Iain MacDonald care home 37 Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 37 0 old age, not falling within any other category physical disability Conditions of registration: Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home 0 37 2 4 1 1 2 0 0 8 The present Stowlangtoft Hall was built in 1859 for the Maitland Wilson family and stands in seven acres of garden and woodland. In 1939 the property was let to London County Council as an evacuation centre for mothers and babies from the East End of London. The Hall has been used as a nursing home since 1969. Many of the original features of the hall have been retained for the enjoyment of the residents and visitors, including an Orangery with a glazed dome roof where residents may sit in the warmer weather.
Care Homes for Older People Page 2 of 9 Brief description of the care home The home has established strong links with the local community and the larger grounds around the home are often used for community events. The home is currently registered for 37 places for older people or those with physical disabilities and are admitted for either short or long term care. The home actively encourages prospective residents and their relatives to visit and talk to management and residents about the services provided and to attend for trial visits. Consult with the Manager for details of current fees. Care Homes for Older People Page 3 of 9 What we found:
We carried out this random inspection to check that you have carried out what you had undertaken to do following the last random inspection on 7th October 2009. During the previous random inspection we noted that there were electric heaters attached to walls within reach of people passing. They were very hot to touch and people were at risk of burning themselves if they lean on them or used them for support, we also noted that the hot water in one of the bedrooms was not regulated and was hot on delivery, which put the person using it at risk of being scalded. We asked that risk assessments were carried out and that remedial action was taken to safeguard people until a permanent fix could be made. You undertook to carry out this work when we spoke at the end of the inspection. Two inspectors carried out this inspection and when we arrived at 12 noon neither you or your deputy manager were available. The deputy manager, who was the senior person on duty that day was collecting prescriptions from the doctor, in his absence we introduced ourselves to the nurse on duty and explained what we planned to do. We intended to inspect several of rooms in the house to see what steps had been taken to protect people from the hot surfaces of the electric heaters and to check a sample of the hot water outlets and measure the temperature of the water. We asked the staff member if the bath water temperatures were recorded and whether there were routine water temperature checks carried out to monitor and maintain the water within acceptable levels. We were told that none of these checks were done, when asked if the home had a thermometer the staff member said they thought so but was unable to find it when asked to. We randomly chose 15 hot water taps and showers in bedrooms, toilets and bathrooms to check the water temperatures and found that the results varied greatly. For example, room 1 had a regulator fitted to the taps but the water was tepid and only trickled out. The occupant of the room told us that they found this a nuisance and often put the plug in the sink and left it to fill while they did something else, they said that it was unpredictable and sometimes the water managed to get to an acceptable temperature. The room next to it, number 2 had scalding hot water in the sink and we were unable to keep our hand under the running water for more than a few seconds, there was no regulator fitted. Of all the taps and showers we tested six were unbearably hot, four were within an acceptable range and five were barely warm. Only four of the taps had regulators fitted. When the deputy manager returned to the building he was not able to reassure us that the risk assessment had been carried out for the heaters and we saw that not steps had been taken to stop people being burn by them. While we were in the home, the special care needs of two people was bought to our attention and we asked to see their care plans so that we could assess whether those needs were reflected in the plans. To protect peoples confidentiality we are unable to make specific reference to the individuals in this report, however we did identify them to
Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 9 the deputy manager. Both care plans failed to mention the areas that raised our concern. Also the weight records of both people showed that they had lost weight recently but there had been no review of their nutritional needs or evidence that any action had been taken to ascertain why they had lost weight. One of the care plans highlighted an area of concern, which was written in red so that it was not overlooked, but that information had not been taken into account when this person was moved to a new room recently. 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 9 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, Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards.
No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Care Homes for Older People Page 6 of 9 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 1 19 13 The provider must assess the 06/11/2009 risks posed by the hot water being unregulated in some areas of the home and of people being exposed to heaters that have an unacceptably hot surface temperature. To safeguard people remedial action must be taken to minimise the risks of scalding from hot water or heating in all areas of the home. Statutory requirements These requirements set out what the registered person must do to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, 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 All care plans must be 16/12/2009 reviewed to ensure that they reflect peoples assessed needs. Care plans that are not reviewed and updated as peoples needs change put them in danger of not receiving the proper care they need. 2 19 23 The provider must ensure that the hot water supply to all areas of the home is maintained within a safe temperature range and that 26/02/2010 Care Homes for Older People Page 7 of 9 Statutory requirements These requirements set out what the registered person must do to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, 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 all the rooms have access to a reliable water supply. The health and safety of people cant be maintained if there is not a regular supply of hot water that is maintained within a safe temperature range. 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 15 It is recommended that arrangements are made to ensure that everyone is able to enjoy meals that are hot and that are not left to become cold while waiting for staff to find time to help people eat. Care Homes for Older People Page 8 of 9 Reader Information
Document Purpose: Author: Audience: Further copies from: Inspection Report Care Quality Commission 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: 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). 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. Care Homes for Older People Page 9 of 9 - 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!
