Care Home: Gate House

Annual service review Name of Service: Gate House The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: three star excellent service 1 6 1 0 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: Julie Sumner Date of this annual service review: 2 7 0 1 2 0 1 0 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 7 Information about the service Address of service: High Street Eastry Sandwich Kent CT13 0HE 01304621895 01304612411 rosemarychapman@fchltd.co.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: Family Care Homes Ltd Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 7 0 The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is: 7 The registered person may provide the following category of service only: Care home only - PC to service users of the following gender: Either whose primary care needs on admission to the home are within the following category: Learning disability - LD 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 Gate House is a purpose built unit within the grounds of Eastry House. Gate House provides a service to 7 men and women with learning disabilities, complex needs and challenging behaviour. Gate House has its own registration, although the registered manager of Eastry House and Eastry Villas has retained the overall management responsibility for the home. The unit is modern in design, and this is reflected in the minimalist style of the decor and furnishings, which are of good quality. The accommodation is arranged around the Annual Service Review Page 2 of 7 1 6 1 0 2 0 0 8 centralised open plan communal spaces, with bedrooms, kitchen, laundry and staff office coming off this. All people living at the home have single occupancy bedrooms with en-suite facilities of either a shower or bath dependent on their preference. Limited parking is available in the main car park although there is a free car park in the village high street and some street parking is also available. A bus service is available to Eastry and runs through the the high street. The village has a number of small shops, two pubs, and a post office. Information on the homes services and the CQC reports for prospective service users will be detailed in the Statement of Purpose and Service User Guide. For information about the fees for this service please contact the provider. The provider web address is included in the previous page with other contact details. 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 carried out a key unannounced inspection on 16th October 2008. We looked at all the information that we have received, or asked for, since the last inspection. This included: 1. 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. 2. Information we have about how the service has managed any complaints. 3. What the service has told us about things that have happened in the service. These are called notifications and are a legal requirement. 4. The previous key inspection and the results of any other visits that we have made to the service in the last 12 months. 5. Relevant information from other organisations. 6. What other people have told us about the service. 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 a reasonable level of information but needs more detail next time about how some of the improvements have been made and what is planned for the next year. We looked at the information in the AQAA and our records, and our judgement is that the home is still providing an excellent service and that they know what further improvements they need to make. All the people living in Gate House have lived there for some years and no one has moved out or in since the last inspection. The manager told us in the AQAA about the further improvements that they have made in the last 12 months. They have looked at the care plans and listened to peoples views and have been revising them so that they are person centred and are called All About Me. They involve the people living in the home by having one-to-one meetings with them and giving communication support to people who do not speak. The need for an additional post had been identified and the position for an Activities Assistant was developed, to provide additional support to the daily structure. They said they have maintained good family contact, both in person and via the telephone and e-mails. They also have a communication book that they use between Annual Service Review Page 4 of 7 the family and home to communicate messages to eachother. They told us that each person has a health action plan and are supported to manage their day to day health care and any medical conditions. The manager said they have maintained good links with the health professions, for all health related issues e.g. GP, community Learning Disability Team, who will come into the home, psychiatrist, psychologist, consultants at local hospitals and in London. Staff have attended training to make sure they have the skills and confidence to support people with their health needs. The people are supported to communicate their needs by a variety of communication aids and the staff taking the time to listen to what is being expressed. The AQAA told us that there have been no complaints and no safeguarding referrals. Our records show that we have not received any either. Staff are given training to make sure they are aware of what to do if they suspect abuse. There is a clear flow chart for staff to know the reporting procedure. The registered manager contacts external agencies including the safeguarding coordinator if there is a need for advice. They told us they have continued to improve the environment. They have replaced items of furniture, which have become damaged, without delay. They have improved some of the bedrooms and provided equipment and made adaptations as needs have changed or developed. The manager told us in the AQAA that they are continuing to provide a range of training to meet the individual needs of the people living in the home. Some of this training designed specifically around individuals needs and the trainers come over to the home to deliver it. The manager told us they plan to develop the environment by building a conservatory and provide a quiet room. They are going to hold another Quality Review Group involving family members to get further feedback about how the service is doing and what could be better. They receive verbal feedback from visiting professionals and trainers and send surveys out as part of the quality monitoring of the service. A development plan will be designed following the information gathering. The last inspection report was very positive about the home and the outcomes for the people living there. We have good communication with the home and company. The home continues to let us know about things that have happened since our last key inspection and they have shown that they have managed issues well. They work well with us and have shown us that their service continues to provide excellent outcomes for the people who use it. What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? 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. We do not have any current concerns about this service and will do an unannounced key inspection in the future. Annual Service Review Page 5 of 7 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. 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. 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!