Latest Inspection
This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 4th 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.
For extracts, read the latest CQC inspection for Alexandra House.
Annual service review
Name of Service: Alexandra House The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: two star good service 1 5 1 2 2 0 0 8 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: Ray Finney Date of this annual service review: 0 1 0 2 2 0 1 0 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 7 Information about the service
Address of service: Marine Parade Dovercourt Harwich Essex CO12 3JY 01255503340 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:
home.DOV@mha.org.uk www.mha.org.uk Methodist Homes for the Aged Name of registered provider(s): Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : old age, not falling within any other category Conditions of registration: Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 0 30 The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is 30 The registered person may provide the following categories of service only: Care Home only - Code PC, to service users of the following gender: Either, whose primary care needs on admission to the home are within the following categories: Old age, not falling within any other category - Code OP Have there been any changes in the ownership, management or the No service’s registration details in the last 12 months? If yes, what have they been: Date of last key inspection: Date of last annual service review (if applicable): Brief description of the service Alexandra House provides care for up to 30 elderly people over the age of 65 years. The home is situated near the centre of Dovercourt overlooking the seafront. Accommodation is provided on three floors which are accessible by a passenger lift or stairs. The well maintained communal areas include two large lounges, a quiet room and dining room. There are pleasant gardens to the front and rear of the property.
Annual Service Review Page 2 of 7 1 5 1 2 2 0 0 8 The home charges between £465 and £497 per week for the service they provide. Additional charges are made for chiropody, hairdressing and toiletries. This information was given to us in December 2008. Information about the home can be obtained by contacting the manager. Annual Service Review Page 3 of 7 Service update since the last key inspection or annual service review:
What did we do for this annual service review? We looked at all the information that we have received, or asked for, since the last key inspection or annual service review. This included: 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 people using the service. It also gave us some numerical information about the service. Surveys were sent by us to people using the service and to other people with an interest in the service. What the service has told us about things that have happened in the service, these are called notifications and are a legal requirement. The previous key inspection and the results of any other visits that we have made to the service in the last 12 months. Any relevant information from other organisations. What has this told us about the service? The manager sent us their annual quality assurance assessment (AQAA). They had completed all sections of the AQAA to a good standard, giving ample detail of what they do well, how they have improved in the past 12 months and their plans for improvement in the next 12 months. However, some of the sections relating to what the home can do better could have contained greater detail. Overall, the standard of the information provided was what we would expect from a 2 star good service. Throughout the AQAA the manager gave us details of how the service responds to the wishes and needs of people living there. The information provided gave us a good picture of a service that keeps outcomes for people using the service at the centre of what they do. Previous pre-inspection information provided by the manager has been found to be accurate when evidence was examined at unannounced inspections. Notifications sent to us under Regulation 37 of the Care Standards Act are submitted promptly and contain sufficient detail. At the last key inspection on 15th December 2008 no statutory requirements were made. One good practice recommendation was made to develop the care plans to include more detail. Outcome groups relating to Choice of Home, Health and Personal Care, Daily Life and Social Activities, Complaints and Protection, Environment, Staffing and Management and Administration were all judged to be good. Overall the home was judged to provide a good service. We have not received and are not aware of any concerns or complaints about this Annual Service Review Page 4 of 7 service during the period since the last inspection and we have not been made aware of any referrals under the local authoritys Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults protocols. The manager told us in the AQAA some of the methods used by the service to obtain the views of people using the service including, An annual resident satisfaction survey is conducted by an independent external company. Residents are invited to join our Governing Body (1/6 is made up of those using our service) thus enabling them to contribute to MHAs [Methodist Homes for the Aged] strategy and decision making. We hold regular resident and relative meetings. An internal home newsletter gives residents up to date news and information, as well as our corporate MHA newsletter Heart and Soul. Our Compliments, Complaints and Comments system is advertised and leaflets are available to give additional options for residents and relatives to give their views. We ask residents to help with staff recruitment by meeting applicants and discussing their skills. We have a two-part internal quality assurance system, the homes quality audit and an annual Standards and Values Assessment, both of which involve talking with residents and ascertaining their views and experiences. Both of these result in action plans for improving our service to them. At the time of considering information for this Annual Service Review we had received seven completed surveys from people living in Alexandra House. We also received four completed surveys from relatives, four from members of staff and two from advocates. The comments in the completed surveys were positive about the service and the care it provides. A member of staff who completed as survey told us what the home does well is, Looks after residents well. It is well known around the local town and everybody seems to want to come into the home and there is a long waiting list. A relative who completed as survey told us, Alexandra House fosters a caring community within the home. It is difficult to constantly stimulate elderly confused residents but maximum effort is given to try to achieve this and Whenever I visit [my relative] is always clean and looking comfortable. Another said the home, provides a warm and friendly environment for the residents and another stated, There is a consistent high standard of care at Alexandra House. A person living in the home said that what the home does well is, provides me with care and comfort, a clean room and bed. People were complimentary about the staff. One relative told us, I feel the staff do an excellent job in caring for the needs of the residents and another said, The attention to detail and the commitment of the staff is obvious and sincere. The manager told us in the AQAA how activities and lifestyle have improved in the past year. She stated, we have introduced a broader range of activities and therapies, including a full 7-day programme, massage and reflexology and more individualised personal activities. We have also provided more reminiscence and multi-sensory materials and have worked on developing more of a natural environment in the home with opportunities for residents to experience plants, animals and children. Positive comments were also received about the lifestyle in the surveys we received. A person living in the home told us that what the home does well is, supply in-built entertainment and a very varied menu. Some suggestions about what the service could do better were received. One person suggested maybe more staff for more one-to-one time and another suggested they
Annual Service Review Page 5 of 7 could provide more mental activity for the residents, More stimulation to keep the brain active, even if this is only conversation and discussion. These responses support our judgement that the home is managed in a way that shows it has the interests of the people using the service at the centre of what they do. Overall the evidence indicates that the service continues to provide good outcomes for the people who use it. What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? We are not going to change our inspection plan and will carry our an inspection of the service in line with our statutory responsibilities. 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 using the service. Annual Service Review Page 6 of 7 Reader Information
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