Care Home: Hallgarth Nursing and Residential Care Home

What the care home does well People spoken to during the inspection said that they are happy with the care received and the level of information given. Staff were aware of how to look after people and were committed to providing a good service. Comments received were very positive for example: "the staff are wonderful, they treat me as if I were their own mother, this is my home and I couldn`t ask for better". Most of the people said that activities are suitable. The home employs an extremely enthusiastic activities organiser. She spends time with people on an individual basis to find out what activities they would like to do. One to one activities take place during the morning and group activities in the afternoon. Regular activities include card and board games, bingo, poetry sessions, horse racing board game and arts and crafts. Outside entertainers visit on a regular basis and a church service is held once per month. Relatives said that they could visit at any time and that they are always made welcome. People said that they have a choice about how they like to spend their day. They can also choose what time to get up and go to bed and when they would like to have a shower or bath. People confirmed that the food is good and that they have a choice. One person told us that there are always two choices for every meal, however the cook will prepare something else for anyone who does not like either of the choices. We checked the complaints procedure and found it to be comprehensive and included all of the details required to enable people to make a complaint. We saw that they had been several complaints since the last inspection. These had been appropriately addressed either within the home or referred to the appropriate authorities. People spoken with confirmed that they knew how to make a complaint, one relative said that they do raise issues when they occur, however they are dealt with promptly and to the satisfaction of the complainant without having to go any further through the formal procedure. We checked the files of two recently recruited staff and found that all of the relevant checks had been made. Two written references are now obtained prior to commencement of employment as required in the last inspection report. The training records confirmed that all the mandatory training is up-to-date. The home are committed to having trained workforce with a large proportion of staff being qualifiedto NVQ level II in care or above. Domestic staff have now commenced training in the appropriate level of NVQ. Staff spoken with confirmed that there is always plenty of training available and that they feel they have the appropriate skills, knowledge and experience to undertake their role and look after the people in the home, addressing all of their needs. Staffing levels are good. The manager is supernumerary for most of the time between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM Monday to Friday, although she does spend an occasional shift on the floor if someone is off sick. During the daytime hours they are normally two qualified nurses and nine carers on duty. During the night there is one qualified nurse and five carers on duty. People spoken with confirmed that staff generally respond quickly to the nurse call system. This was observed to be the case on the day of the inspection, when an emergency arose and all staff responded very quickly to the situation. Since the last inspection the registered manager has left the home. A new manager has been appointed. She is a qualified nurse and has previously been registered to manage care services. She has commenced the process of applying to be registered with CQC to be the registered manager at Hallgarth care home. Staff, the people who live in the home and relatives confirmed that the manager can be approached at any time and listens and acts upon their views where possible. What the care home could do better: There have been no new requirements or recommendations made as a result of this inspection. Random inspection report Care homes for older people Name: Address: Hallgarth Nursing and Residential Care Home Hallgarth Street Durham DH1 3AY two star good service The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: 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. This is a report of a random inspection of this care home. A random inspection is a short, focussed review of the service. Details of how to get other inspection reports for this care home, including the last key inspection report, can be found on the last page of this report. Lead inspector: Susan Lowther Date: 1 4 0 5 2 0 1 0 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Hallgarth Nursing and Residential Care Home Hallgarth Street Durham DH1 3AY 01913832244 01913832266 hallgarth@schealthcare.co.uk leeminggarth@schealthcare.co.uk Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Southern Cross (Hamilton) Limited Type of registration: Number of places registered: Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : care home 60 Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 65 old age, not falling within any other category Conditions of registration: 0 The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is: 65 The registered person may provide the following category of service only: Care home with nursing - Code N 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 - Code OP, maximum number of places: 65 Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Hallgarth is a care home registered to provide care including 24 hour nursing care for persons. It is situated on the outskirts of Durham City. All of the amenities including shops, restaurants and the major tourist attractions, which include the cathedral and castle, are easily accessible. The accommodation consists of 65 single en suite Care Homes for Older People Page 2 of 8 Brief description of the care home bedrooms located on three floors. The five bedrooms located on the lower floor have en suite shower rooms. There is a passenger lift available. There are various lounge and dining areas located throughout the home on each floor. The home is surrounded by well-maintained gardens and has ample car parking space available for visitors. Southern Cross Hamilton Limited own the home. Care Homes for Older People Page 3 of 8 What we found: This random unannounced inspection was carried out on 14 May 2010. The purpose of the visit was to establish the current management arrangements within the home, as CQC are aware that the manager registered with CQC is no longer working at the home. In addition we also checked whether the requirements from the previous inspection report had been met and that people are still happy with the care they are receiving. We spent time checking some of the records, toured the building and spoke with the manager, staff, people who live in the home and relatives. What the care home does well: People spoken to during the inspection said that they are happy with the care received and the level of information given. Staff were aware of how to look after people and were committed to providing a good service. Comments received were very positive for example: the staff are wonderful, they treat me as if I were their own mother, this is my home and I couldnt ask for better. Most of the people said that activities are suitable. The home employs an extremely enthusiastic activities organiser. She spends time with people on an individual basis to find out what activities they would like to do. One to one activities take place during the morning and group activities in the afternoon. Regular activities include card and board games, bingo, poetry sessions, horse racing board game and arts and crafts. Outside entertainers visit on a regular basis and a church service is held once per month. Relatives said that they could visit at any time and that they are always made welcome. People said that they have a choice about how they like to spend their day. They can also choose what time to get up and go to bed and when they would like to have a shower or bath. People confirmed that the food is good and that they have a choice. One person told us that there are always two choices for every meal, however the cook will prepare something else for anyone who does not like either of the choices. We checked the complaints procedure and found it to be comprehensive and included all of the details required to enable people to make a complaint. We saw that they had been several complaints since the last inspection. These had been appropriately addressed either within the home or referred to the appropriate authorities. People spoken with confirmed that they knew how to make a complaint, one relative said that they do raise issues when they occur, however they are dealt with promptly and to the satisfaction of the complainant without having to go any further through the formal procedure. We checked the files of two recently recruited staff and found that all of the relevant checks had been made. Two written references are now obtained prior to commencement of employment as required in the last inspection report. The training records confirmed that all the mandatory training is up-to-date. The home are committed to having trained workforce with a large proportion of staff being qualified Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 8 to NVQ level II in care or above. Domestic staff have now commenced training in the appropriate level of NVQ. Staff spoken with confirmed that there is always plenty of training available and that they feel they have the appropriate skills, knowledge and experience to undertake their role and look after the people in the home, addressing all of their needs. Staffing levels are good. The manager is supernumerary for most of the time between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM Monday to Friday, although she does spend an occasional shift on the floor if someone is off sick. During the daytime hours they are normally two qualified nurses and nine carers on duty. During the night there is one qualified nurse and five carers on duty. People spoken with confirmed that staff generally respond quickly to the nurse call system. This was observed to be the case on the day of the inspection, when an emergency arose and all staff responded very quickly to the situation. Since the last inspection the registered manager has left the home. A new manager has been appointed. She is a qualified nurse and has previously been registered to manage care services. She has commenced the process of applying to be registered with CQC to be the registered manager at Hallgarth care home. Staff, the people who live in the home and relatives confirmed that the manager can be approached at any time and listens and acts upon their views where possible. What they could do better: If you want to know what action the person responsible for this care home is taking following this report, you can contact them using the details set out on page 2. Care Homes for Older People Page 5 of 8 Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection? Yes £ No R Outstanding statutory requirements These are requirements that were set at the previous inspection, but have still not been met. They say what the registered person had to do to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Care Homes for Older People Page 6 of 8 Requirements and recommendations from this inspection: Immediate requirements: These are immediate requirements that were set on the day we visited this care home. The registered person had to meet these within 48 hours. No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Statutory requirements These requirements set out what the registered person must do to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must do this within the timescales we have set. No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Recommendations These recommendations are taken from the best practice described in the National Minimum Standards and the registered person(s) should consider them as a way of improving their service. No Refer to Standard Good Practice Recommendations Care Homes for Older People Page 7 of 8 Reader Information Document Purpose: Author: Audience: Further copies from: Inspection Report Care Quality Commission General Public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) Our duty to regulate social care services is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000. Copies of the National Minimum Standards –Care Homes for Older People can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or got from The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering from the Stationery Office is also available: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop 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 summary 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 noncommercial 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. Care Homes for Older People Page 8 of 8 - 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. 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