Care Home: Froome Bank

Annual service review Name of Service: Froome Bank The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: two star good service 0 3 1 1 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: Denise Reynolds Date of this annual service review: 0 5 1 1 2 0 0 9 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 6 Information about the service Address of service: Tower Hill Bromyard Herefordshire HR7 4QN 01885483469 01885489421 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:   Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Mrs Penelope Annette Brace Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : dementia old age, not falling within any other category Conditions of registration: Shaw Healthcare Ltd Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 9 0 0 18 The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is: 18 The registered person may provide the following category 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 (OP) 18 Dementia (DE) 9 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: Date of last key inspection: Date of last annual service review (if applicable): Brief description of the service Froome Bank was purpose built as part of the Bromyard Community Hospital complex but is self-contained with its own front door. It is within walking distance of Bromyard Annual Service Review Page 2 of 6 None. 0 3 1 1 2 0 0 8 town centre although the route is not flat. The building is situated so that the garden looks out over lovely countryside views and each unit has its own courtyard garden. The service provider for Froome Bank is Shaw Healthcare Ltd who took over control of the home from Herefordshire Council in 2004. During 2005 they completed a major refurbishment project. The accommodation is laid out in two self-contained units with nine places in each. One of the units, known as the Pink unit provides a service for older people with general, age related care needs. The other, known as the Blue unit accomodates people who have care needs due to having a dementia illness. Information about the charges for living at Froome Bank should be requested direct from the home. Annual Service Review Page 3 of 6 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. 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 returned to us by nine people using the service and a letter sent to us by a family in January 2009. What the service has told us about things that have happened in the service. These are called notifications and are a legal requirement. The last key inspection which was on 3rd November 2008. What has this told us about the service? The home sent us their annual quality assurance assessment (AQAA) when we asked for it. It was clear and gave us all the information we asked for. The AQAA described what the home does well and gave us information about areas they have identified they need to improve. The AQAA explains that people living there will get more chance (through audits and residents meetings) to give their views and be kept informed about how what they say will affect how the home is run. We received completed survey forms from nine people who use the service. This gave an overall positive view of life at Froome Bank. The majority of answers were positive to the questions we ask about things like care, medical attention, staffing, food and the accommodation. Three people were unclear about whether they had received a contract and four said they did not know how to make a formal complaint (although everyone said they had someone they could raise concerns with informally). This may indicate a need to check that people have information about the service explained more carefully. However, the provider has told us All service users are given a copy of the complaints procedure prior to admission, notices are placed around the home and information is printed on the Quarterly newsletter. Service users are also asked to raise any concerns during the Service Users meetings. In January we received the following letter from a relative I am writing to say how pleased I am with the care she has received throughout that time. The staff are attentive and very friendly and cannot do enough for the residents. A full programme of activities, entertainments and visits has meant that my mother is now more coherent and has better mobility than when she first went into Froome Bank. Annual Service Review Page 4 of 6 The standards of cleanliness are exceptionally high and the staff interested in helping in any way they can. Nothing is too much trouble. My husband and myself are delighted with the treatment my mother has received and write this letter to inform you of the high level of care that all of the staff at Bromyard give to those in their charge. In their surveys, some people added comments about the service they receive at the home. Under the heading What does the home do well ? these included Good food when needed.; Most things.; Cleaning.; The home does everything well. I have no complaints about anything.; I get all my needs attended to very well. I am always happy here. All the staff are very nice and Everything - home from home. Under the heading What could the home do better? people wrote I cannot say there is anything that I would change. If there was I know it would be done.; Arrange more trips or more people in to entertain us.; More staff; Nothing.; Satisfactory (dont need any more). Couldnt do much better. In the AQAA the manager told us that they are trying to keep people informed about activities they can do - Service Users are informed of any planned activities to enable them to make an informed choice of whether to participate or not. The provider has confirmed that people have an opportunity to do this at regular service user meetings and in monthly meetings with their key worker. In respect of staffing levels, one person mentioned a need for more staff but in the answers to the question Are staff available when you need them? eight people replied always and one said sometimes. The AQAA does not identify that the service needs to improve staffing levels. The provider has told us that all posts in the home are filled and that they have a good supply of bank staff. The home lets us know about things that happen such as serious illnesses and accidents. This helps us to build a picture of how well they manage situations; they could improve the information they send us by telling us more about the actions they have taken when something happens. What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? Having looked at all the evidence obtained for this annual service review our judgement is that Froome Bank continues to provide a good quality service. We are therefore not going to change our inspection plan and a key inspection of the service will take place before 03/11/2011. However we can inspect Froome Bank at any time if we have any concerns about the quality of the service or about the safety and welfare of people using the service Annual Service Review Page 5 of 6 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. 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. 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