Latest Inspection
This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 6th 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 Downing View.
Annual service review
Name of Service: Downing View The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: two star good service 0 5 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: Nicky Hone Date of this annual service review: 0 4 0 3 2 0 1 0 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 7 Information about the service
Address of service: 1-3 Loring Road Dunstable Beds LU6 1DZ 01582604416 01582670226 downingview@bedscc.gov.uk Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:
Name of registered provider(s): Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : learning disability Conditions of registration: Age: 18 - 65 years Category: Learning Disability Gender: Male & Female No of residents: 2 Central Bedfordshire Council Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 2 0 Period of stay: Respite only - up to a maximum of 6 weeks Until reprovision of this service takes place, the premises must be safe, and meet the service users` individual and collective needs. Have there been any changes in the ownership, management or the Yes service’s registration details in the last 12 months? If yes, what have they been: The service is now provided by Central Bedfordshire Council. There is no registered manager. Date of last key inspection: Date of last annual service review (if applicable): Brief description of the service Downing View is a respite service located on the outskirts of Dunstable. The accommodation and grounds are owned and maintained by Aldwyck Housing
Annual Service Review Page 2 of 7 0 5 0 2 2 0 0 9 Association, with Central Bedfordshire Council providing the staffing and care support. The long-term plan for this service is re-provision. This is because the building does not meet the National Minimum Standards for Younger Adults (18-65) environmental requirements. It is hoped that the service will remain in the local area. The accommodation comprises of a small flat, which provides respite care for up to 2 adults with learning disabilities at any one time. Stays are limited to a maximum of six weeks. There are two single bedrooms, a shared kitchen, bathroom (with shower facilities only), and living/dining area. The accommodation would not meet the needs of people with a severe physical disability. Community facilities and shops are a short distance from the home, which is also in easy access of local transport routes. There is ample parking to the front and rear of the property, and there is a small enclosed garden. 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 of Downing View (respite care home). This included: - The annual quality assurance assessment (AQAA) that was sent to us by the manager (Mark Edmunds) in January 2010. The AQAA is a self-assessment that focuses on how well outcomes are being met for people who stay in this care home. It gives the manager the opportunity to say what the home is doing to meet the standards and regulations, and how it can improve to make life even better for the people it supports. It also gives us some numerical/factual information about the service; - Surveys returned to us by people who stay here. We received 1 reply, completed by the parent of one of the people who stays here; - Surveys returned to us by the homes staff. We received 5 surveys; - Information about how the home has managed any complaints; - What the home has told us about things that have happened here, these are called notifications and are a legal requirement; - Any other information we have received from or about the home since our last inspection; and - The key inspection we carried out on 05/02/09. A few weeks before we carried out this review, the registered manager, Mark Edmunds, told us that he was swapping with another care home manager, Geraldine ONeill, initially for a period of 6 months. What has this told us about the service? The manager sent us the AQAA on 11/01/2010. The manager gave us a lot of information about the home, what it does well and where improvements could be made. The dataset at the end of the AQAA was completed, so we know some factual information about people who receive the service, and the staff. According to the data in the AQAA there are 3 permanent staff, 2 of whom have been awarded a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in care. We carried out a key inspection of this home in February 2009. We judged the home was providing good outcomes for the people staying here, so we awarded the home a 2 star good quality rating. We said We were impressed with this service. The manager and staff team are working hard to give the best possible service they can to each of the people who stays here. Just about everything about this service was good or moving towards excellent. We saw several letters and cards that people had written to thank the staff team for the great job they do, and the staff we spoke with clearly love the job they do. Staff said how supportive and forward-thinking the managers are. Annual Service Review Page 4 of 7 The people staying at the home on the day we visited were clearly comfortable and happy to be here. One of them was staying for 3 weeks and was happy to do so. They both had good, friendly relationships with staff, who clearly cared about doing the best they can for the people they support. There had been a misunderstanding about tests of the fire alarm and emergency lighting, as the service is located in a small flat joined to a larger building where the systems are based. We made an immediate requirement for regular tests to be undertaken and we had confidence the manager would do this. We also made a requirement that the building was to be re-decorated. In the AQAA the manager told us that a system of testing the fire alarm and emergency lighting regularly had been put in place immediately, and the decoration had been completed in May 2009. The relative who returned our survey seemed generally satisfied with the service provided at Downing View. When asked What does the home do well? this relative wrote The staff are very kind and caring. When asked What could the home do better? this relative said Could do with an update of daughters needs. Staff who returned our survey were reasonably positive about most aspects of the service such as the information they have about people they support, the recruitment checks carried out before they started work, their training, communication, and the support they get from the manager. When asked What does the home do well? they wrote When possible service users who are friends, or have the same likes and dislikes are booked in at the same time; Able to support customers with a wide range of abilities and complex diagnosis. Staff are well-trained and generally lone-work. Relationships and communication with parents/carers are good. Independence is encouraged along with confidence building and self-worth; Treating service users as individuals; and The home has good facilities to support service users. The manager is approachable and supportive to both staff and parents/guardians of service users. When they returned our survey, 4 of the 5 staff indicated that there are not always enough staff on duty to meet the needs of the people staying here. When we asked What could the home do better?, they commented on in-house activities; the need for larger rooms, a walk-in shower and more storage space; and more funding. One staff member told us We struggle to meet the expectations of respite for some families as we only have 2 beds - weekend being a premium request. In the AQAA summary the manager told us: 1. What our service does well: The service is able to respond to the needs of customers with a variety of complex needs. The service provides a truly Person Centred Approach to the respite experience working with individuals at their own pace. The service is able to manage bookings that take into account customers personalities and friendships. All bookings are at the request of service users and their families, rather than the service allocating set dates which appears to be the traditional model available in other respite services. 2. How we have improved in the last 12 months. I feel staff confidence in dealing with service users with a variety of complex needs or medical conditions, in the lone working environment, has increased and developed to
Annual Service Review Page 5 of 7 the point that they are able to make complex decisions and use their own initiative. 3. What we could do better, and how we are going to do this: The service is efficient in supporting customers who are less able , however we need to be aware of extending the skills of our more able customers, by setting achievable goals. The AQAA identified that in the last 12 months the agency has received no complaints. There have been two safeguarding referrals and investigations. The manager confirmed that all the core policies are in place for this service, but he did not give any dates when these were last reviewed, so we do not know how up to date they are. During 2009 we received information that the fire officer had visited and made some requirements about fire safety measures. What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? From the information we have received we are satisfied that the home continues to offer good outcomes to the people who live here. We expect the new manager to make sure that the service continues to strive for improvement. By way of this report we are asking the new manager to let us know, within one month of receiving this report, what has been done regarding the fire officers requirements. We are not going to change our inspection plan, and will do a key inspection by 05/02/2012. 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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