Care Home: Alexandra Lodge Care Centre

Similar services:

• Chirnside House
• Keer Sands Residential Home
• Ruskin Lodge
• Bushell House
• Langrigg House
• Parkside
• Dystlegh Grange
• Thornton Lodge

What the care home does well Detailed assessments were undertaken before people came to live at the home. This makes sure that the staff know everything they need to know about what care the person needs and can reassure them that their needs can be met. Each person had a care plan that had been reviewed regularly to ensure it was accurate and up to date. This means that staff had information that told them what each person`s abilities were and what care they needed. People told us routines in the home were flexible, staff were kind and friendly and they received the care and support they needed. Comments included "Nursing staff and the carers are extremely helpful and are always willing to do anything you ask of them", "The staff take very good care of my mother and me when I visit and I think the home is a great place for any elderly person to be" and "The care and administrative staff are always cheerful when we visit my dad. They are helpful when we need to speak to anyone". People said they mainly liked the food provided at the home. Several people were served food for lunch that met their cultural preferences although details of these options were not actually written on the menu. People said the manager was approachable and supportive and that if they had any concerns or complaints she would deal with them properly. The home was clean and fresh smelling. Staffing levels were sufficient to meet the needs of people living at the home and the manager planned ahead to take into account events happening in or outside the home and busy times of day. In the AQAA the manager said that 54% of staff had successfully completed National Vocational Qualifications. This qualification is obtained following training in providing personal care. This meant that staff had a good basic knowledge of the care they needed to provide and the reasons such care was needed. Systems were in place for the manager to assess the quality of the care and services provided at the home, to check that staff were following procedures correctly and to ensure that the health and welfare of people living in the home and staff were protected. What has improved since the last inspection? At the last key inspection we made four requirements which had all been met at this inspection. We also made 14 recommendations and the manager had acted on 13 of them. The manager had registered with us after demonstrating that she had the knowledge and competence to effectively manage the home. Records for the management of medicines had improved which increased the safety for people living at the home. Staff had received training on a number of topics including fire safety, moving and handling, safeguarding adults and dementia care and were undertaking ongoing training in food hygiene and infection control. Various policies and procedures had been reviewed and added to where necessary to ensure they contained clear advice and instruction to staff about their roles and responsibilities. Assessments were more detailed and contained information about peoples` cultural and spiritual needs. The activities organiser`s hours had increased and links were being created with the local community through a local Day Centre and cooperation with other local care homes. People had been registered for Ring and Ride to enable them to go out of the home more. Since the last inspection the lounges, dining room and conservatory had been redecorated, new furniture had been bought for the dining room and a new hall and stairs carpet had been laid. The garden was well maintained. What the care home could do better: Although menus had been reviewed to offer at least 2 choices at each mealtime and we saw that people were offered choices in keeping with their cultural preferences these choices were not displayed on the menu. Although steps were being taken to increase the variety and range of social events and opportunities for people, the activities organiser would benefit from specific training in providing activities for older people to ensure her role is maximised. Investment had been made in the environment of the home and the manager reported that the owner ensured any necessary aids or equipment were available. However, some areas of the home did still need redecorating and refurbishment and we were told this was an ongoing process. Staff had undertaken training in a range of topics and should continue this to cover specific areas related to the conditions of the people they were caring for, such as nutrition, management of incontinence and pressure area care. Fire drills should be carried out more regularly and should be recorded to include the date and time and evidence that all members of staff have the opportunity to participate in them. Key inspection report Care homes for older people Name: Address: Alexandra Lodge Care Centre 355-357 Wilbraham Road Chorlton Manchester M16 8NP     The quality rating for this care home is:   two star good service A quality rating is our assessment of how well a care home 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 full review a ‘key’ inspection. Lead inspector: Fiona Bryan     Date: 1 3 0 4 2 0 1 0 This is a review of quality of outcomes that people experience in this care home. We believe high quality care should • • • • • Be safe Have the right outcomes, including clinical outcomes Be a good experience for the people that use it Help prevent illness, and promote healthy, independent living Be available to those who need it when they need it. The first part of the review gives the overall quality rating for the care home: • • • • 3 2 1 0 stars - excellent stars - good star - adequate star - poor There is also a bar chart that gives a quick way of seeing the quality of care that the home provides under key areas that matter to people. 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. that people have said are important to them: They reflect the things 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. Care Homes for Older People Page 2 of 29 We review the quality of the service against outcomes from the National Minimum Standards (NMS). Those standards are written by the Department of Health for each type of care service. 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 mission of the Care Quality Commission is to make care better for people by: • Regulating health and adult social care services to ensure quality and safety standards, drive improvement and stamp out bad practice • Protecting the rights of people who use services, particularly the most vulnerable and those detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 • Providing accessible, trustworthy information on the quality of care and services so people can make better decisions about their care and so that commissioners and providers of services can improve services. • Providing independent public accountability on how commissioners and providers of services are improving the quality of care and providing value for money. Reader Information Document Purpose Author Audience Further copies from Copyright Inspection report Care Quality Commission General public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) © Care Quality Commission 2010 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any format or medium for non-commercial purposes, provided that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a derogatory manner or in a misleading context. The source should be acknowledged, by showing the publication title and © Care Quality Commission 2010. www.cqc.org.uk Internet address Care Homes for Older People Page 3 of 29 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Alexandra Lodge Care Centre 355-357 Wilbraham Road Chorlton Manchester M16 8NP 01618605400 01618629043 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Dr Jawed Hamid Name of registered manager (if applicable) Mrs Susan Theresa Hopkinson Type of registration: Number of places registered: care home 36 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 categories of service only. Care home with Nursing - code N, to people 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. The maximum number of people who can be accommodated is: 36 Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Alexandra Lodge Care Centre can provide accommodation for 36 older people. The home is owned by Dr Jawed Hamid. The home is located in the Chorlton area of Manchester close to main public transport routes, local shops, public houses and other social and recreational amenities. Parking facilities are available to the front of the property. Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 29 Over 65 36 0 2 0 0 7 2 0 0 9 Brief description of the care home The home is a three storey detached property set within its own grounds. Bedroom accommodation is provided on all 3 floors and consists of 34 single and 1 double bedroom. Twenty-one bedrooms offer en-suite facilities. The home is accessible by steps or a ramp to the main entrance. There is a well maintained, enclosed garden area to the back of the property. Fees for accommodation at the home range from £382 to £550.00 per week. Additional charges are also made for hairdressing, chiropody services and newspapers. Care Homes for Older People Page 5 of 29 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 key unannounced inspection, which included a visit to the home took place on Tuesday 13th April 2010. The staff at the home did not know that this visit was going to take place. All the key standards were assessed at the site visit and information was taken from various sources, which included observing care practices and talking with people that live at the home, visitors, the manager and other members of the staff team. Key standards refers to those standards we feel are particularly important in ensuring the health, safety, welfare and quality of life of people living at the home. The care and services provided to two people were looked at in detail, looking at their experience of the home from their admission to the present day. A selection of staff and care records was examined, including medication records, Care Homes for Older People Page 6 of 29 training records and staff duty rotas. We also asked the manager of the home to complete a form called an Annual Quality Assurance Assessment (AQAA) to tell us what they felt they did well, and what they needed to do better. This helps us to determine if the management of the home see the service they provide the same way that we see the service. The manager completed the form well and showed that she was able to identify the areas where the service could be developed. Care Homes for Older People Page 7 of 29 What the care home does well: What has improved since the last inspection? At the last key inspection we made four requirements which had all been met at this inspection. We also made 14 recommendations and the manager had acted on 13 of them. The manager had registered with us after demonstrating that she had the knowledge and competence to effectively manage the home. Records for the management of medicines had improved which increased the safety for Care Homes for Older People Page 8 of 29 people living at the home. Staff had received training on a number of topics including fire safety, moving and handling, safeguarding adults and dementia care and were undertaking ongoing training in food hygiene and infection control. Various policies and procedures had been reviewed and added to where necessary to ensure they contained clear advice and instruction to staff about their roles and responsibilities. Assessments were more detailed and contained information about peoples cultural and spiritual needs. The activities organisers hours had increased and links were being created with the local community through a local Day Centre and cooperation with other local care homes. People had been registered for Ring and Ride to enable them to go out of the home more. Since the last inspection the lounges, dining room and conservatory had been redecorated, new furniture had been bought for the dining room and a new hall and stairs carpet had been laid. The garden was well maintained. 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 on page 4. The report of this inspection is available from our website www.cqc.org.uk. Care Homes for Older People Page 9 of 29 You can get printed copies from enquiries@cqc.org.uk or by telephoning our order line 0870 240 7535. Care Homes for Older People Page 10 of 29 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 11 of 29 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. There are systems in place to make sure that peoples needs are assessed before admission to ensure their care needs can be met. Evidence: We looked in detail at the care given to 2 people living in the home. Assessments had been undertaken for both people before they moved into the home. In the AQAA the manager said that since the last inspection improvements had been made to the assessment and care planning records to ensure all relevant information was documented and used to create care plans that properly addressed all aspects of each persons needs. People that returned surveys told us they had received enough information about the home to allow them to make a decision as to whether the home would be suitable for them. Care Homes for Older People Page 12 of 29 Evidence: Copies of the service user guide were provided in each persons bedroom and the homes statement of purpose was displayed in the reception area. Care Homes for Older People Page 13 of 29 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. Peoples health and personal care needs were being met by staff that respected their privacy and dignity. Evidence: We looked in detail at how 2 people living at the home were cared for. Both had personalised care plans that addressed all the needs identified in their assessments. Care plans contained information about each persons normal routine and preferences as well as what help they needed with every day tasks and health issues. Several of the people living at the home were from different cultural backgrounds and details about their first language and spiritual needs were recorded. Risk assessments for nutrition, moving and handling, pressure areas and falls were undertaken for each person. The manager told us that she had worked with senior carers to enable them to use the care plans more effectively and they now took responsibility for some of the written records. Staff do need to make sure that where risk assessments identify a risk, action is taken to address it. One person had lost weight and this had not been highlighted in their risk assessment for some time and Care Homes for Older People Page 14 of 29 Evidence: when it was there was no evidence that staff had followed the advice given for the level of risk, which was to refer the person to the dietician. However, on speaking to the manager about this it was clear that the persons weight loss had been noted and steps had been put in place to improve their nutrition. The most recent weight for the person showed that they were gaining weight again. One person said she was aware she had a care plan but could not remember seeing it. The manager had highlighted in the AQAA that staff needed to involve people more, if they wished, in planning and discussing their care and had allocated a member of staff to spend time with each person explaining and discussing their care plans with them. In the AQAA the manager reported that the home was taking part in a project called SHINE, which was aimed at providing better care for care home service users by working with other health care professionals especially GPs from the Primary Care Trust (PCT). As part of the project staff were attending workshops and accessing additional training. Requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection had been acted on; a mouth care assessment was now being completed for each person and where bed rails were used, a risk assessment considered the risk of entrapment. We looked at how medicines were managed for a small number of people. Medicines were counted and recorded on receipt into the home and administration records were accurate. Medicines that were disposed of were also recorded so there was an audit trail of all medicines in the home. People told us staff were kind and friendly and that they were quick to arrange appointments with their GP if they were unwell. Records showed that people had been seen regularly by podiatrists, dentists, opticians and GPs. People that returned surveys said they always (3) or usually (1) got the care and support they needed and that staff always (3) or usually (1) listened and acted on what they said. Comments included Nursing staff and the carers are extremely helpful and are always willing to do anything you ask of them, The staff take very good care of my mother and me when I visit and i think the home is a great place for any elderly person to be and The care and administrative staff are always cheerful when we visit my dad. They are helpful when we need to speak to anyone. Care Homes for Older People Page 15 of 29 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. People had choice and support to meet their expectations and preferences regarding their daily lifestyle. Evidence: An activities organiser is employed who works 20 hours per week on a flexible basis to meet the needs of people living at the home. A record was kept of how people spent their time and this showed that entertainers had been asked to come and sing at the home, special days such as Mothers Day and St Patricks Day were celebrated and individuals were helped to engage in specific pastimes that they particularly enjoyed such as arts and crafts or playing dominoes. Routines appeared to be flexible with people telling us they could get up and go to bed when they wished, entertain visitors and move around the home freely. One person told us she preferred to spend the majority of her time in her room as she had subscribed to Sky television and enjoyed watching specific programmes; however, she said the activities organiser regularly came to see her to check if there was anything else she would like to do and have a chat. The activities organiser was very friendly and very chatty we were told. Care Homes for Older People Page 16 of 29 Evidence: We observed one person chatting with the manager about the forthcoming general election and asking where he would go to vote. Further conversation took place from which it was apparent that the manager had spent time with the individual searching for family members on the Internet and had built up a good relationship with him. It was reported that everyone living at the home had just been registered for Ring and Ride in anticipation of going out more. The manager was establishing links with the community and had just arranged for 6 people to visit a local Day Centre once a week to have lunch and join an arts and crafts session. Further plans were being made to run a gardening club and raise funds to create a sensory garden. In the AQAA the manager said that the mobile library visited once a month and links were established with a local Afro Caribbean club. There was a monthly news letter on display in the main reception area which included a weekly activity plan. One person that returned a survey said there was always activities that they could join in with and another said there usually were. Another person said they did not know if activities were provided and another said that so far they had not been able to take part in any. The activities organiser had not received any training in providing activities for older people and this would be beneficial. Since the last inspection menus had been reviewed to include a choice of dishes at all mealtimes. Although we recommended at the last inspection that a better record was kept to show how peoples religious or cultural dietary needs were met, this was still addressed quite informally, as none of the meals detailed on the menus were ethnic in origin. However, we saw at lunch time on the day of the inspection that several people were served yam and salmon, which was not on the menu but had been provided because the chef knew their tastes and had automatically catered for them. Of the people that returned surveys 1 said they always liked the food and 2 said they usually did, whilst 1 said they sometimes did. People that we spoke to on the day of the inspection said they were enjoying their lunch. One person said he had no complaints about the food. Another person said the food had improved but could still be better; however she had not given any feedback about the meals to the manager or staff so the manager was not aware that the meals did not always suit her. The manager said she would have some further discussion with this person to see if their likes and dislikes could be better accommodated. Care Homes for Older People Page 17 of 29 Evidence: Care Homes for Older People Page 18 of 29 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. People using the service were protected by the complaints and safeguarding procedures, which were understood by staff. Evidence: The complaints procedure was displayed in the main reception area and was also provided in the service user guide in each persons bedroom. All 4 people that returned surveys said there was someone they could speak to if they were unhappy and 3 of the 4 said they knew how to make a formal complaint. People we spoke to during the inspection said they would speak to the manager if they had a complaint and felt confident she would listen to them. All of the staff that returned comments cards said they were aware of the action to take if they received a complaint. A record of complaints had been kept and this showed that the one complaint received since the last inspection had been responded to and addressed promptly. At the last inspection it was highlighted that less than 50 of staff had undertaken training in safeguarding adults. In the AQAA the manager said that all staff had now received training in this topic and the training matrix confirmed this. Staff that we spoke to were aware of the procedures to follow if they suspected abuse. The manager was very clear about her role and reporting procedures for safeguarding. We have not received any complaints about the service since the last inspection and Care Homes for Older People Page 19 of 29 Evidence: there have been no safeguarding referrals or investigations. Care Homes for Older People Page 20 of 29 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 adequate quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. A clean, pleasant and comfortable environment is provided. Evidence: A partial tour of the home was undertaken. The home was clean, bright and fresh smelling. People that returned surveys said the home was always (2) or usually (2) clean and fresh. Since the last inspection the lounges, dining room and conservatory had been redecorated, new furniture had been bought for the dining room and a new hall and stairs carpet had been laid. The garden was well maintained and the manager said a gas barbecue had been bought and people had enjoyed eating outside last summer. It was reported that new bedroom furniture had been provided in about 6 rooms. This furniture was a great improvement on the old provision but many rooms did still contain old, worn and mismatched furniture. The manager said there was a commitment to continuing the replacement of furniture as part of a rolling programme. A number of profiling beds were seen in peoples rooms and other aids and equipment such as hoists and hand rails were provided. Care Homes for Older People Page 21 of 29 Evidence: Bedrooms were homely and comfortable and many had been personalised with ornaments, pictures and photographs. Since the last inspection the home has been visited by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and Environmental Health officers. Both these agencies were generally satisfied with the arrangements in place to ensure the health and safety of people living at the home and staff. Care Homes for Older People Page 22 of 29 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. Staffing arrangements, recruitment and training ensure that people are cared for and supported safely. Evidence: On the day of our inspection there were 24 people living in the home. The manager was on duty together with 1 nurse and 4 carers. Examination of staff duty rotas confirmed that these staffing levels were the norm, with one of the carers usually being a senior carer. The night duty rotas showed that there was 1 nurse and 2 carers to provide care from 8pm -8am. A full time maintenance person was also employed, a chef that worked from 8am-6pm daily and a domestic who did the cleaning and worked in the laundry from 8am -6pm daily. Staff rotas also showed that the manager planned staff levels flexibly, with particular attention given to busy times of the day and the changing needs of people living in the home. For example the activities organiser was asked to work in the morning rather than the afternoon if she was needed to escort someone for a hospital appointment. Also, a senior carer had just been promoted to the role of team leader to alleviate pressure during the mornings by working in a supernumerary capacity, liaising with other health care professionals, booking appointments, ordering prescriptions etc. These were all tasks previously carried out by the nurse in charge which took them away from administering medicines and other nursing duties. Care Homes for Older People Page 23 of 29 Evidence: Of 4 people that returned surveys 3 said there were always enough staff available and 1 said there usually was. People we spoke to during the inspection said there were usually enough staff and they did not have to wait an excessive time for help when they needed it. A sample of staff files were looked at to see whether the required documentation was in place and the necessary safety checks had been made. All the files seen contained the required documentation. Seven staff returned surveys to us before the inspection and they all confirmed that they had been asked to provide references and obtain CRBs before employment. In addition the manager provided evidence to show that when agency staff came to work at the home she had asked the agency to confirm their credentials. In the AQAA the manager reported that 54 of care staff had successfully completed NVQ level 2 or above. A staff training matrix showed that the majority of staff had completed training in dementia care, moving and handling, fire safety, safeguarding adults and the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards since the last inspection. Ongoing training via distance learning courses was taking place relating to infection control and food hygiene. Most of the training was delivered through distance learning and the manager said once staff had completed the course work books they undertook a written assessment which was sent off to the training company for accreditation. The manager said this worked well as it ensured that staff had understood and assimilated what they had learned. We looked at the induction programme used for new staff and found that it met Skills for Care Common Induction Standards. Staff that returned surveys said their induction had covered all they needed to know either very well (4) or mostly (3). All agreed that they were given further training relevant to their role. Staff had not undertaken much training in specific topics relevant to the conditions of the people they were caring for, such as nutrition, management of incontinence and pressure area care so the manager should consider this and access further appropriate training where it is identified as needed. Care Homes for Older People Page 24 of 29 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 run in the best interests of people who live there and their welfare is promoted and protected. Evidence: Since the last inspection the manager has registered with us after demonstrating that she has the skills and experience to manage the home. In the AQAA the manager was able to describe improvements that had been made to the service since the last inspection and also demonstrated that she could identify shortfalls and plan further developments. Since the last inspection she has attended training to ensure her knowledge and skills remain current and she showed enthusiasm for ensuring people living at the home were happy and content and also ensuring that staff were well supported and trained. People living at the home and staff told us that the manager was approachable and supportive. We observed people coming to chat with the manager and it was clear she knew them well and had built up good relationships with them. A newsletter displayed on the noticeboard in reception kept families informed about what was happening in the home and resident/relative meetings were held to Care Homes for Older People Page 25 of 29 Evidence: enable people to have a say in how the home was running. It was reported that a satisfaction survey was conducted every 6 months. The most recent one had been analysed by the manager and a report produced. Twelve people had responded and the feedback was mainly positive. The manager had identified the few areas for improvement and had written an action plan for how these were going to be addressed. Surveys had also been distributed to relatives and other visitors to the home such as GPs and district nurses. These showed that people were mainly satisfied with the service provided. Monthly checks (audits) were carried out by the manager to check that staff were following the correct procedures in a range of areas such as medicine management, care planning and accident reporting. Systems were in place for peoples finances to be managed. The system was secure and records provided evidence of running totals for individual people and included receipts for any purchases made on peoples behalf. In the AQAA the manager said that a policy had been developed regarding the management of peoples money, as recommended at the last inspection. Records were in place to show that the building and equipment were checked regularly in respect of fire safety and health and safety. Fire drills had taken place but the records were not dated and the times of the fire drills was not recorded. It was recommended at the last inspection that records of fire drills be improved and this still needs to be done. Care Homes for Older People Page 26 of 29 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 27 of 29 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 1 12 The activities organiser should undertake training in providing activities to older people to build on her skills and knowledge to fulfill this role. It is recommended that some improvements are made to the decor and furnishing of the home in order to provide a well maintained environment for the people who live there. Further training should be accessed for staff in specific topics relevant to the care they have to provide to people. This will ensure staff have up to date knowledge about best practice. To ensure that people are not put at risk it is recommended that accurate records are kept of all fire drills that are undertaken. 2 19 3 30 4 38 Care Homes for Older People Page 28 of 29 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 29 of 29 - 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!