Latest Inspection
This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 7th April 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 Amber House.
Annual service review
Name of Service: Amber House 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: Judith Last Date of this annual service review: 2 5 0 2 2 0 1 0 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 7 Information about the service
Address of service: 68-70 Avondale Road Gorleston Great Yarmouth Norfolk NR31 6DJ 01493603513 01493656702 amberhouse2@ntlworld.com Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:
Name of registered provider(s): Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : learning disability Mrs Pauline White Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 22 0 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 Amber House is a residential care home that provides accommodation and care for up to twenty two residents with a learning disability, some of whom may be over the age of sixty-five. The home is comprised of three adjacent houses that have been linked by recent building work. A range of communal areas is provided. There are several shared rooms. Work is continuing to create two new ground floor bedrooms for people who find stairs difficult to manage. There is a small well-kept garden via the rear of the next-door property owned by the proprietor and there is roadside parking to the front of the property. The home is situated in the town of Gorleston, close to the sea front and within easy walking distance of the shops and other facilities. There is a 24 hr bus service that links Gorleston to nearby Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft, each with many amenities and places of interest. There is easy access to the local doctors, dentists, opticians and other health care professionals. The proprietor has owned Amber House for a period of 40 years and some of the residents have been living there since the service opened. When we last visited the service, the fees ranged from £337 to £356
Annual Service Review Page 2 of 7 per week. At that time, copies of inspection reports are made available to the residents and their relatives upon request from the homes office. 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 gives us some numerical information about the service. Surveys returned to us by 10 people living at the home, by four of their relatives, four staff and three professionals who visit the service. Information we have about how the service has managed any complaints. What the manager has told us about things that have happened in the service. These are called notifications and are a legal requirement. The last key inspection and the results of any other visits we have made to the home, as well as the history of the service. We last visited Amber House on 29th February 2008 when the rating of two stargood was made for the service. The last annual service review of the home was on 19th January 2009. Relevant information from other organisations and what other people have told us about the service. What has this told us about the service? The manager sent us the information we asked for, by the due date. This tells us what has improved in the service since our last visit. It also tells us what else she feels needs to improve and how she is going to go about this during the next year. This shows she continues to take responsibility for monitoring and improving the quality of the service people get at Amber House. Visiting professionals tell us that they feel the home caters well for peoples individual needs. They made comments like, the staff are very good at meeting the individual needs of residents who have eating and drinking issues and require specialised diets, and they work very well with all the professionals involved with the service users and will call upon those people if they find they are having difficulties managing someones care. They to try hard to put the needs of the service user first. Relatives tell us they feel the service supports people well. One relative says they feel the person is looked after very well, that they have choice for the first time in their life. They also say the persons diet is well looked after and that they are slimmer and healthier than before. This helps support information from the manager in the AQAA and to show that peoples personal and health care needs are promoted. Annual Service Review Page 4 of 7 People living in the home were helped by staff to complete their surveys for us. Staff have recorded peoples comments when they made them. These say things like, Im happy, its OK, that the staff look after me. I am happy here and that there is lovely food. Like all the people I live with, feel safe. This shows that people are comfortable in their home and enjoy being there. We know that the home supports people who are ageing. Half of the people who completed our surveys are over 70 and two of them were over 80. A visiting professional recognises that the staff team are good at dealing with people who may be coming to the end of their lives, and also supporting others residents to deal with grief should this be needed when people pass away. This, and information from staff that they are kept up to date with changing needs, shows that the staff team are willing to adapt the way they support people. The manager also tells us that there are not more staff on duty who can provide better care, and so that people have more support and more opportunities for socialising. Staff tell us there are always enough staff on duty to meet peoples needs and shows they feel able to support people effectively. The AQAA tells us there has been a lot of work on the home to improve facilities for people - creating more en-suite facilities, refurbishing a bathroom and converting another into a shower room. However, there are limited adaptations for people who become increasingly infirm and unable to mobilise. This is recognised in one survey we received and we will want to look at this the next time we visit. The manager says that the complaints procedure has been made easy to read for people and is accessible to them. Her AQAA shows that she has an open and positive approach to complaints, seeing them as an opportunity to learn and improve the service. Nine out of ten of the people living in the home tell us that they know how to complain if they need to. One does not and the manager may like to look at opportunities people have to be made aware of the information. All of the relatives and visiting professionals say they know who to complain and that the manager has always responded appropriately if they have needed to raise concerns. This helps to show that peoples concerns would be taken seriously and addressed. When we last visited we had concerns about the way a staff member had been recruited and that all the necessary checks had not been made before they started working at the home. Information in the AQAA tells us that these are now in place for everyone who is taken on and that staff do not start work before she is sure that there are no concerns about them working with vulnerable people. This, and information that staff have had training in protecting vulnerable people, show that there are measures in place to help protect people from abuse. One visiting professional comments that they are always welcome in the home, even without an appointment and that they feel the atmosphere is always the same, that residents always appear happy and content. This helps support that people feel at ease in their home and comfortable with the staff who work with them. The manager recognises that staff supervision needs to improve. We made a requirement about this at our last visit in February 2008 and expect this to have been complied with. However, we can see that the manager is aware of shortfalls and that she has undertaken to improve. Staff surveys also tell us that the manager regularly or
Annual Service Review Page 5 of 7 often gives them enough support. We will want to look at this the next time we visit. What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? We think this information shows that people continue to receive a good service at Amber House. Because of this we are not going to change our inspection schedule. Under our current inspection regime, we would inspect the service before 28th February 2011. However, we can inspect at any time if we have any concerns that peoples health, safety and welfare are not being properly promoted. Annual Service Review Page 6 of 7 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. © 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. Annual Service Review Page 7 of 7 - 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!
