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Inspection on 03/10/06 for The Gouldings
Also see our care home review for The Gouldings for more information
This inspection was carried out on 3rd October 2006.
CSCI has not published a star rating for this report, though using similar criteria we estimate that the report is Good. 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 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.
What the care home does well
Services provided at The Gouldings are clearly in line with current social policy, offering older persons in the local community with flexible, responsive services and support that enable people recovering from hospital stays to return to their own homes, after a period of rehab and/or rest/respite. The service also supports carers of older persons providing them with regular or occasional respite from these caring duties, thus sustaining and supporting carers in the local community. The service also enables other support professionals to have the time to assess the needs of residents, in order to put appropriate support packages in place for their safe return home. The nine bedded rehab wing of the home is a model of good practice, and joint working between health and social services, to the direct benefit of local citizens, as well as local NHS resources.Outcomes for residents were of a good quality, and all resident comment cards and feedback during the site visit was very positive. Service users explained that they felt at the very centre of the service, even though they were only staying temporarily. In addition to this the one permanent resident stated that the service at the home was excellent. Service users, visitors and external professionals all said that the service was very good.
What has improved since the last inspection?
Action had been taken at the home to ensure that emergency referrals, received as full a pre-admission assessment as possible within reasonable timescales. Practices, assessments and plans of care and/or support now appear to give assurance that residents admitted as an emergency will have their needs met. Additionally, where a risk to service users is now identified an appropriate risk assessment is carried out and fully recorded.
What the care home could do better:
As identified above the 9-bedded rehab wing has been developed to provide 9 single bedrooms all with en suite facilities. The quality of facilities of this wing now needs to be extended to all other areas of the home. Currently the day service is running at the home and due to the way the home is laid out day service users have to use/share communal areas of the home. In addition to this external community groups are using communal facilities in residential areas of the home, and one room on the upper floor is occasionally used for departmental business that has nothing to do with the homes stated purpose, or indeed client group. The front door is left open at all times during the day, and people external to the home appear to come and go as they please. It should be understood that contact with and the involvement of the local community is a vital part of the homes service, and the ethos of the home to enable and promote service users returning to their communities post placement, but potentially the above issues may compromise service users privacy and/or security, who reside at the home, even though temporarily. Communal WC door locks do not allow waiting users to know if the WC is vacant or engaged. The home currently has 10 shared bedrooms, but managers do everything they can to ensure these shared rooms are only used to accommodate couples who actively request a double bedroom. Many of the single bedrooms are small, but as the service only provides temporary accommodation the use of small bedrooms, below standard size has been agreed. As the upper floors of the home are developed to the same standard as the rehab wing, the provider should review how the services are configured, in order to minimise any potential disruption for people who reside at the home, and to provide separate facilities for day care and community groups who may need to use resources on the site of The Gouldings. Service users will also need to be regularly consulted about these developments.