Inspection on 28/11/08 for The Woodlands

This inspection was carried out on 28th November 2008.

CSCI found this care home to be providing an Good 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

Similar services:

Chirnside House

Keer Sands Residential Home

Ruskin Lodge

Bushell House

Langrigg House

Parkside

Dystlegh Grange

Thornton Lodge

Extracts from inspection reports are licensed from CQC, this page was updated on 31/03/2009.

Inspecting for better lives Key inspection report Care homes for older people Name: Address: The Woodlands 61 Birkenhead Road Meols Wirral CH47 5AG     The quality rating for this care home is:   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 assessment of the service. We call this a ‘key’ inspection. Lead inspector: Paul Ramsden     Date: 2 8 1 1 2 0 0 8 This is a report of an inspection where we looked at how well this care home is meeting the needs of people who use it. 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. the things that people have said are important to them: They reflect 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. 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 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 Our duty to regulate social care services is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000. Care Homes for Older People Page 2 of 25 Reader Information Document Purpose Author Audience Further copies from Copyright Inspection report CSCI General public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) Copyright © (2008) Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). 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 CSCI copyright, with the title and date of publication of the document specified. www.csci.org.uk Internet address Care Homes for Older People Page 3 of 25 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: The Woodlands 61 Birkenhead Road Meols Wirral CH47 5AG 01516324724 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Miss Emma Louise Harrison Type of registration: Number of places registered: David & Michael Russell LLP care home 14 Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 old age, not falling within any other category Additional conditions: The registered person may provide the following category of service only: Care home only - Code PC To people 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 The maximum number of people who can be accommodated is: 14 Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home The Woodlands is a large Edwardian semi-detached privately owned care home for older people located in Meols on the Wirral. Although it has three-storeys residents only live on the ground and first floors. Access between floors is via a shaft lift or the stairs. The home is set back from the main road and is approximately one mile from Hoylake town centre with its range of shops, banks, churches, post office and library. Residents accommodation consists of fourteen single bedrooms, six of which have ensuite facilities. There is a lounge and dining room on the ground floor and toilet and bathroom facilities on both floors. At the front of the home there is a garden with a Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 25 Over 65 14 0 Brief description of the care home lawn, flowerbeds and trees. Parking is available at the rear of the building, where there is also a patio, lawn and pond. Seating is available. Both the front and rear gardens are accessible to residents. The current fee for the home is between £366 - £410 per week. Further details regarding fees are available from the home owners. Copies of inspection reports can be given to any prospective residents or to someone already living in the home. 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: two star good 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 unannounced visit took place on the 28 November 2008 and lasted for a total of six and a half hours. Paul Ramsden, Inspector, undertook the visit on behalf of the Commission for Social Care Inspection. Any references to us or we in the report refer to the Commission. Feedback on the findings of the inspection was given to the home manager as it progressed. This visit was just one part of the inspection. Prior to the visit the home manager was asked to complete an Annual Quality Assurance Assessment [AQAA] to provide up to date information about the service provided in the home. This is a very detailed questionnaire that provides us with a lot of information about the service before the visit. Survey forms were sent to a random sample of residents and staff members to Care Homes for Older People Page 6 of 25 find out their views and any other information received since the home was registered was reviewed. Four staff survey forms have been returned. During the visit various records and the premises were looked at. When looking at the documents relating to the type of care each person needs [assessments and care plans]we use a system called case tracking. This is a method that allows us to follow or track a particular situation in order to ensure it was dealt with appropriately. A number of residents and members and staff were spoken with; they gave their views about the home and the service provided. Some of these comments have been quoted in the report. 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 set out on page 4. The report of this inspection is available from our website www.csci.org.uk. You can get printed copies from enquiries@csci.gsi.gov.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. Information and opportunities to visit before moving in are available and residents are assessed before moving in to ensure their needs can be met at the home. Evidence: The home provides a range of information to prospective residents; these are presented in a brochure, service user guide and statement of purpose. These contain all of the information required and state; Prospective residents are free to visit the home, view the premises and chat to other residents and staff. Prospective residents always enter the home for a trial period; during which time they have the opportunity to assess the home to ensure their needs can be met. We think these documents should provide sufficient information for anybody who is thinking of moving into the home. An assessment demonstrating that the residents individual needs could be met by the Care Homes for Older People Page 10 of 25 Evidence: home had been undertaken prior to admission for the the three people whose files were looked at. The manager usually carries out the assessments and will visit people in their own home, another care home or hospital to gather the necessary information before admitting someone. This provides an opportunity to make sure the home can accommodate the person and their individual needs. When someone is funded by the Local Authority they also provide an assessment of the persons needs prior to admission. This provides background information as to the reasons why a move to the home is needed and is very useful when combined with the homes own assessment. Intermediate care is not provided at The Woodlands. 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 good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The residents care plans seen were well maintained and provided all of the information needed for staff members to be able to take appropriate action to meet an individuals needs. Evidence: The deputy manager has the responsibility for completing the care plans; the templates for these are kept on the computer and are easily amended and reviewed, the old care plan is then archived. The care plans seen were all up to date and were written in a style that would enable someone reading it to have a very good idea of what help and assistance someone needed at that time. We felt that they provided staff members with all of the necessary information for them to look after a persons needs. Staff members spoken with could show that they had a good understanding of the people they were supporting and they were able to meet their diverse needs. Care Homes for Older People Page 12 of 25 Evidence: Care staff work to a good standard in order to ensure that residents receive the care they need. They monitor a residents health and emotional needs daily and there was evidence to show that people were receiving the appropriate support from district nurses, GPs etc. The changing needs of individuals are discussed as and when required. We were able to see this in practice during the visit when information about individual residents was passed to the staff members who were changing shifts. It was seen throughout the visit that the people using the service were being treated with courtesy, respect and good humour by staff. They were seen to be interacting with individuals in an appropriate way, knocking on bedroom doors before entering and addressing people according to their wishes. All personal care is carried out in the privacy of a residents bedroom or one of the bathrooms. Policies and procedures in relation to medication are in place. Medicines are administered using a blister pack system provided by a local pharmacist. The arrangements for the administration of medicines were looked at during this visit; we discussed a couple of issues with the manager which she agreed to address. People are being given their medication as prescribed. 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. Residents using the service are able to maintain contact with family and friends and those spoken with were positive about the home and the support they received. Evidence: Residents were able to move freely around the home and a choice of sitting areas was available. Routines within the home were flexible and residents confirmed that they were able to make choices in many areas of daily living; for example, times of rising and retiring, whether or not to join in with planned activities and where to spend time and with whom. The residents spoken with made a number of positive comments during the inspection. These included: I like living here; its easy going and I can please myself. The home employs an activities co-ordinator for 16 to 20 hours per week; this role is to work with residents both on an individual basis or in groups. We were told that these hours are not always used as the person also works as a carer, due to the small size of the home we did not notice any problems with this and no negative comments about a lack of activties being provided were received. On the day of the visit a visitor was playing a keyboard and people were heard to be joining in; this is a regular event. Care Homes for Older People Page 14 of 25 Evidence: One resident went out to her local bridge club and a variety of activities had been planned during the Christmas period. Various religious denominations conduct services in the home and residents are free to attend if they wish to do so. People can also attend their local church. A hairdresser visits the home on a regular basis. Links with the local community are maintained and people are able to go out with their families whenever they like. Meals can be eaten in the main dining room or in the privacy of a residents own room. The menu has the flexibility to meet individual needs and choices and we saw that choices were available. Special diets can be provided if needed. The kitchen area was seen to be clean and well organised. A new kitchen is due to be fitted and practical arrangements for the five days it will not be available are in hand. 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. Residents and relatives are able to complain/make suggestions and action would be taken to respond to their concerns. Evidence: There is a written complaints procedure for the home; this is detailed in the service user guide that is given to all of the people using the service. Those residents that commented said they would inform the manager or another senior staff member of any issues. We have not received any complaints. The home has a safeguarding procedure that complies with all of the relevant legislation and good practice guidelines. This is designed to ensure that any possible problems that arise are dealt with openly and people are protected from possible harm. All staff members undertake training in this area. We have not received any issues regarding safeguarding. 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. The facilities and accommodation provide residents with a comfortable and homely place to live. Evidence: A tour of the premises was undertaken; this included communal [lounges/dining room]areas and a number of bedrooms. These were seen to be personalised and contained many personal items. All areas of the home were homely and comfortable and we think that the Woodlands can fully meet the needs of the residents that live there. The manager explained that the new owners were gradually refurbishing the home and a new kitchen was due to be fitted. Some rooms were being redecorated and new carpets were also being provided. Aids to help maintain independence, for example bathing aids have been provided. There are fully accessible garden areas available for residents to use. The laundry within the home is well equipped and good systems are in place for the care of peoples clothes. Care Homes for Older People Page 17 of 25 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 good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. Staff members work positively with residents and families to improve the quality of life of residents living in the home and a robust staff recruitment process is in place to protect residents from possible harm. Evidence: Care staff on duty and rotas seen demonstrated that staffing levels and the skill mix of staff was able to meet the needs of the residents within the home. The staff members were cheerful and friendly and the residents spoken with were complimentary about their attitude and competence. The manager said that she had recently undertaken a recruitment drive and some new staff members had been appointed. Due to the size of the home staff members will cover any jobs and on the day of the visit they were covering for the domestic who was ill. Whilst this is not an ideal situation it did not appear to cause any problems during the day. According to the AQAA 12 of the 14 care staff members are either qualified to National Vocational Qualification [NVQ] level 2 or 3 in care, a recognised qualification for people working in the care profession or are working toward this. Care Homes for Older People Page 19 of 25 Evidence: The staff files seen contained all of the required information and a robust recruitment procedure was in place for the protection of residents. The homes manager confirmed that all new staff are checked against the POVA list and that a satisfactory CRB disclosure must be obtained before employment commences. The current staff team have the skills, knowledge and experience to meet the diverse needs of the people using the service. New staff members undertake an induction training programme a copy of which was seen on the day. Although The Woodlands provides a range of training courses for staff members the manager said she was unable to confirm whether all of the required mandatory training was up to date. In discussions with staff members they said that they had received a variety of training the previous 12 months. It was agreed with the manager that in order to help address this possible issue a training audit, listing both the staff names and the courses they need would be completed as soon as possible; she could then address any shortfalls. As this has already been agreed a requirement has not been made. 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 good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The home is being well run and managed on a day to day basis and there are appropriate procedures in place to maintain the safety of the people using the service. Evidence: The manager was registered with us when the new owners took over the home. She is experienced and can show a clear sense of direction and best practice. She attends courses/training in order to keep her practice up to date and to fulfill her management responsibilities. She has completed her NVQ 4 in management and can clearly demonstrate an awareness of the needs of the residents living in the home and how to manage the staff team. A deputy manager and senior staff members support the manager. This is a strong team supported by very capable care staff who are all committed to providing a good service to the people living in the home. The Woodlands has a quality assurance system in place in order to ascertain whether residents and families are happy with the standards of care being provided. We Care Homes for Older People Page 21 of 25 Evidence: recommended that the results from the recent survey are collated and the findings made available to people. A suggestion box is also available in the entrance area. The home keeps some personal allowances for the residents. There are efficient systems in place to ensure people are safeguarded and the management of peoples monies, including record keeping is of a good standard. All staff members are supervised on a continuous basis; they also receive one-to-one sessions periodically. Any accidents are recorded and the home or deputy managers regularly audits these in order to ensure that any trends, for example, a resident having a number of falls are identified and addressed. The home has a range of policies and procedures to promote and protect both residents and staff members health and safety. The maintenance records seen demonstrated that the appropriate service contracts were in place. These included, the fire alarm system and the gas and electrical installations. The fire safety log book showed that the tests on the system and emergency lighting were being carried out at the recommended intervals. The manager confirmed that she had not carried out a drill since the new owners had taken over the home but would do so immediately. 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 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: 0845 015 0120 or 0191 233 3323 Textphone: 0845 015 2255 or 0191 233 3588 Email: enquiries@csci.gsi.gov.uk Web: www.csci.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 © (2008) Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). 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 CSCI copyright, with the title and date of publication of the document specified. Care Homes for Older People Page 25 of 25 - 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!