Care Home: Ashfields

Annual service review Name of Service: Ashfields The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: three star excellent service 1 8 0 2 2 0 0 9 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: 1 5 0 3 2 0 1 0 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 7 Information about the service Address of service: 31 Salhouse Road Rackheath Norwich Norfolk NR13 6PD 01603721720 01603722346 ashfields@barchester.com www.barchester.com/oulton Barchester Healthcare Homes Ltd Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:   Name of registered provider(s): Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : dementia Conditions of registration: Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 44 0 The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is 44 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: Dementia - Code DE 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 Ashfields is a care home offering personal care for up to forty-three elderly residents who are mentally frail. Barchester Healthcare have owned and operated the home since 2004. The homes accommodation for service users is all located on the ground floor. First floor rooms are used as offices. 1 8 0 2 2 0 0 9 Annual Service Review Page 2 of 7 The home is situated in the village of Rackheath, a few miles to the north east of the city of Norwich. The front of the property provides a good degree of parking space and there are enclosed and well maintained gardens to the rear and sides. Fees are not currently set out in the service users guide but are specified in the terms and conditions of residence. Inspection reports are available in the home. 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 five relatives of people living at the home, by eight staff working there and by two visiting health professionals. 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. 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 time we needed it. She completed it fully setting out clearly what she feels the service does well and what evidence there is to support her views. She also identified where improvements can be made and how she is going to go about making these happen. This shows she is continuing to take responsibility for developing and improving the service people receive. Relatives completed comments on behalf of the people they visit, who have dementia and were unable to complete their own surveys. We had comments showing that they felt people were safe in the home, that it was clean and homely. Staff also say that they feel there is a homely environment. We had comments like the home is not at all clinical looking, and that it is kept clean and tidy. Relatives supported this and we had comments like Ashfields is clean. The manager tells us in information she sent, that the dining room has been improved, how the quality of the environment is monitored by the owners, and what plans there are for more redecoration and improvement. This information also shows that all staff have had training in infection control. We know from our previous visits and information the manager sent, that there are systems in place for monitoring the safety of the environment. These things show that people continue to benefit from a homely, comfortable, clean Annual Service Review Page 4 of 7 and safe environment. All of the staff who completed surveys for us, say that they know what to do if someone raises concerns about care. Two visiting professionals also tell us that the home has always responded appropriately if they have needed to raise any concerns. When we last visited we found that there were omissions from staff records which did not show that all the necessary information was obtained before people start work. However, staff tell us in their surveys that appropriate checks were made before they were employed. This supports information from the manager that all new staff are recruited appropriately to ensure the continued safety of residents. These things show that peoples concerns (or concerns raised on their behalf) would be taken seriously and that there are systems in place to help protect them from abuse and from unsuitable staff working with them. Both visiting professionals consider that the home seeks and acts on advice about peoples social and health care needs and ways to improve their wellbeing. One commented that they work in partnership with other health care professionals - always responsive to advice regarding residents appropriate care packages. Care staff tell us in their surveys that they have training to help them understand peoples needs and to keep them up to date with new ways of working. All of the relatives expressed views about what they felt the service does well. They made comments like the home caters for all daily needs, that there is an outstanding quality of care - comfort - nutrition and medical care. Six out of eight staff wrote that they always have up to date information about the needs of people they support and two feel this is usually the case. These things help support that staff are generally aware of the kind of support people require to meet their needs. However, one relative specifically commented that they feel staff spend more time with those who do not have such advanced dementia and levels of confusion. They commented to us that it seems the more advanced the dementia the less interaction is given and felt that the TV was used as a substitute for staff time. We will want to look at this when we next visit or review the service and the manager may like to conduct her own observations in the meantime to see if changes need to be made for some individuals. Other visitors, including professionals, are very complimentary about the service that is delivered and the quality of support offered by staff. One relative comments that in my opinion everything is done well! The level of care, commitment and genuine affection shown towards all the residents is exceptional. A visiting health professional comments that individualised care is always apparent and another that the service shows respect and dignity to individuals, giving individuals time, particularly important in view of the fact that the residents all have dementia. We think that this shows people continue to be supported in a way that meets their needs. Annual Service Review Page 5 of 7 What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? We consider that the information we have shows people continue to be well supported in the home. As a result of this review, we are not going to change our inspection plans. Under our current inspection regime this means that we would visit the service again by 18th February 2012 and will review the service again in the meantime. However, we can inspect the service at any time if we have any concerns about peoples safety and welfare in the home. 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. 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