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Inspection on 24/03/10 for The Cottage

Also see our care home review for The Cottage for more information

This inspection was carried out on 24th March 2010.

It is an annual review prepared by CQC after examining previous reports and information from the provider. At the time of this report, CQC judged the service to be Good.

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.

What follows are excerpts from this inspection report. For more information read the full report on the next tab.

Annual service review Name of Service: The Cottage 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 review of the service. We call this review a ‘key’ inspection We do an annual service review when there has been no key inspection of the service in the last 12 months. It does not involve a visit to the service but is a summary of new information given to us, or collected by us, since the last key inspection or annual service review.   Has this annual service review changed our opinion of the service?   No You should read the last key inspection report for this service to get a full picture of how well outcomes for the people using the service are being met. The date by which we will do a key inspection: Name of inspector: Wendy Taylor Date of this annual service review: 1 9 0 2 2 0 1 0 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 6 Information about the service Address of service: Heath Farm Heath Road Scopwick Lincolnshire LN4 3JD 01526320312 01526323600 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:   autismcareuk.com Autism Care (UK) Limited Name of registered provider(s): Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : learning disability Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 10 0 Have there been any changes in the ownership, management or the Yes service’s registration details in the last 12 months? If yes, what have they been: The manager has told us that there have not been any changes to the registration of the home since the last annual service review. Date of last key inspection: Date of last annual service review (if applicable): Brief description of the service The Cottage is located near to the village of Scopwick, and is approximately 10 miles from the town of Sleaford, Lincolnshire. It is part of a complex of services, which include four other registered homes, a resource centre, and a main administration centre on the same site. In the village of Scopwick there is a village shop and pub, and Sleaford offers a good range of shops and other amenities. The Cottage is registered for 10 people who have Autistic Spectrum Disorder and a learning disability. The accommodation is a spacious single storey building, which offers a range of living and recreational areas, including a well-kept garden area. The Cottage is owned by Autism Care (UK), and the Responsible Individual for the service is Mr Gary Thompson. Mr Peter Wakelin is the Registered Manager. Annual Service Review Page 2 of 6 Information provided by the manager shows that the current fees for the service range from £152.39 to £2559.56. Information about these costs and the day to day management of the home can be obtained from the main office in the home. Annual Service Review Page 3 of 6 Service update since the last key inspection or annual service review: What did we do for this annual service review? We looked at all of the information that we have received, or asked for, since the last annual service review. This included: a) The annual quality assurance assessment (AQAA) that was sent to us by the service. The AQAA is a self assessment that focuses on how well outcomes are being met for the people using the service. b) Surveys returned to us by the people using the service and from other people with an interest in the service. c) Information we have about how the service has managed any complaints. what the service has told us about things that have happened in the service, these are called notifications and are a legal requirement. d) The previous key inspection and annual service review. e) Relevant information from other organisations. f) What other people have told us about the service. What has this told us about the service? Our last annual service review in September 2008 showed that the home was continuing to provide positive outcomes for people. Since the last annual service review the manager has sent us their annual quality assurance assessment. The assessment was very detailed and gave us all of the information we asked for. It told us things like what policies and procedures they have and when they are reviewed, and when things like fire safety equipment was last serviced and tested. It also told us all about the things that have improved during the last year. For example, there is a new quality questionnaire for people to say what they think of their services, there is a new procedure for helping new people to settle into the home, staffing levels have increased, and a new resource centre has opened in the grounds for people to to use. The home is also planning to do things like develop an evaluation form for people to say how they were supported to move into the home, renew some flooring and furniture, and give staff some more training about peoples rights. We received some surveys from people who use the service, and they show that people are happy with the service they receive. People told us that they can make their own choices and decisions, that staff treat them well and listen to them, and they know who to speak to if they are not happy. One person said they like it when staff smile. Annual Service Review Page 4 of 6 We also had surveys from staff and other people involved with the service. They told us things like there is a good training and support package for staff, there is a close team, and staff pull together to meet peoples needs. Other people involved with the home told us that there is a highly skilled team and their expertise is of a very good standard. Records show that there has been five complaints made about the home since the last annual service review. We know that the home used their complaints policy to resolve the issues in the right way. We also know that the home has made five alerts to the Local Authority Safeguarding Adults team where they thought that a person might be at risk. The team only investigated one issue because the home had done all the right things for the rest of the issues. The team did not find any evidence to support the last issue and the home took their own actions to make sure the situation could not happen again. Our records show that the manager continues to tell us about all of the things that happen in the home that affect the people who live there, such as people going to hospital, or problems with medication. Each time the home tell us about anything that has happened, they also tell us what they have done to support people in a better way for the future, and keep them safe. What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? The information we have tells us that the service continues to provide positive outcomes for the people who use the service. We are not going to change our inspection plan. The next inspection of the service will be based on the Fees and Frequency Regulations (2007) and the assessment of risk. However we can inspect the service at any time if we have concerns about the quality of the service or the safety of the people who use it. Annual Service Review Page 5 of 6 Reader Information Document Purpose: Author: Audience: Further copies from: Annual service review CQC General Public 0870 240 7535 (national contact centre) Our duty to regulate social care services is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000. The content of which can be found on our website. 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 copy of the findings 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. Annual Service Review Page 6 of 6 - 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!