Care Home: Herondale

Similar services:

• Claremont House
• Oak Ridge
• Sun Court Nursing Home
• Ashville House
• Bilney Hall
• Hill Barn
• Mabbs Hall Nursing Home
• Henrietta House

Annual service review Name of Service: Herondale The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: two star good service 2 4 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: Judith Last Date of this annual service review: 1 8 1 1 2 0 0 9 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 7 Information about the service Address of service: Bridewell Lane Acle Norwich Norfolk NR13 3RA 01493750716 01493752026 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:   Name of registered provider(s): Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : old age, not falling within any other category Conditions of registration: Age Concern Norfolk Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 0 34 The home may from time to time admit a maximum of two service users living in the home aged between 52 and 64 years. 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 Herondale is a short stay residential care home providing personal care and accommodation for 28 older people and 6 who need help with rehabilitation. It is operated as a short term, respite, care service owned by Norfolk County Council, and managed by Age Concern Norfolk. The home comprises of a single storey building set in its own grounds and can accommodate 34 older people in 22 single rooms and 6 shared rooms. All bedrooms contain a washbasin and there is communal access to four bathrooms and thirteen toilets situated throughout the home, a main lounge in the centre of the home, two Annual Service Review Page 2 of 7 2 4 1 1 2 0 0 8 other smaller lounges, a dining room and a shop and bar. One of the wings, Swallow Lodge, has been established as a re-enablement unit to give support to 6 service users to regain independent living skills, with support from a dedicated staff team. The home has well kept gardens surrounding the property with ample areas to sit, a patio and is designed to provide pleasant designated walkways. There is parking to the side of the property and the home is located in the village of Acle and is sited close to a medical centre, library and local amenities. When we last visited, fees for people booking the service privately were £69 per night. Social services block book other beds and the manager says that they explain to people whether and how much they will need to contribute to their stay. 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 two people using respite services at the home, by 10 care staff working there and from two visiting health care 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? We know from our previous visits that people are given an information pack about the home. Both the people who wrote to us say they got enough information about the service to help them make a decision about whether they wanted to stay there. We know from our previous visits that efforts are made to gather information about the support people need before they stay at the home. One visiting professional says the services assessment arrangements usually ensure that accurate information about peoples needs is gathered and the right service is planned for them. Another feels this is always the case. Eight out of ten staff (80 ) say that they always have up to date information about the needs of people they are to support and two feel this is usually the case. This indicates that staff have access to information setting out peoples needs and what support they are expected to offer to meet them. One professional does say that occasionally, referrals are taken for people with more acute care needs which are then difficult to meet. The other professional supports this in commenting that increasingly patients have medical needs which are beyond the remit if re-ablement. The last time we visited we were informed by staff that sometimes the work load is difficult as there may be a lot of people staying at the same time who need high levels of support with their personal care. Our surveys ask staff to say whether they feel there are enough of them to meet the individual needs of people using the service. (We acknowledge this can be difficult because the guest group varies a good deal because the home specialises in respite care and Annual Service Review Page 4 of 7 rehabilitation.) Six out of ten staff (60 ) say that there are usually enough staff to meet peoples needs. The remainder (40 ) says this is sometimes the case. None was able to confirm they felt that there were always sufficient staff. The manager has outlined her intentions in writing, to improve in the next 12 months with more detailed monitoring that will assist us in planing the workload and allocation of staff enabling sufficient staff to meet the guests needs. She also plans to review staff rosters and continue to increase the supply of bank staff who can cover when needed. She will need to implement proposed systems robustly to address this area. However, both of the people using the service wrote they feel they always receive the care and support they need and that staff always listen to them and act on what they say. This shows that the staff team work hard to make sure people are supported with their health and personal care in the way they require. The manager tells us in information she sent, about the activities that take place in the home and how they have improved. However, one person who wrote to us felt that there had been very little in the way of activities they could take part in, during their stay. The other person says that the home arranges activities they can take part in sometimes. We will want to look at this next time to see whether the managers plans for improvement in assessing demands upon staff, recruiting more relief (bank) staff and volunteers have made a difference to how people feel about social and recreational opportunities open to them. All of the staff who wrote to us say they know what to do if someone expresses concerns about the home. Both of the people staying at the home who wrote to us, say there is someone they can speak to informally if they are not happy, but one does not know how to make a formal complaint. However, we know from our previous visits that people have a copy of the complaints procedure in their rooms. The manager says in information sent to us that this is still the case so people should know how to make a complaint if they need to. Staff surveys confirm that proper checks were made, such as checks on any criminal record they may have, and on their references, before they started work. The manager confirms that no one starts work at the home without the appropriate checks and that staff have training to help them understand how they should respond if they have any concerns about the way people are treated. The Head of Development and Operations for Age Concern in Norfolk, is a member of the Norfolk Safeguarding Board, showing a commitment to safeguarding vulnerable people. These things help show there are measures in place to protect people from abuse. The organisation has systems for monitoring the quality of the service. These include audits, surveys, visits and opportunities for people to comment informally at meetings, in the comments log. There is an annual development plan setting out what the service will do to improve. The manager confirms that these systems are still in place and that staff have been given formal opportunities to comment. The manager also sent us her self assessment about the quality of the service, by the date we needed it. She completed it fully and gave us range of evidence to support what the service does well. She also identified clearly where she considers the service could improve and what she intends to address in the next 12 months. This supports that she is clear about her responsibilities to monitor and improve the service that guests receive. Annual Service Review Page 5 of 7 What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? We think that people continue to receive a good service at Herondale, which supports them properly with their health and personal care and where there are measures in place to protect vulnerable people. We are not going to change our inspection programme as a result of this review. Under our current inspection regime this means that we will carry out a key inspection of Herondale by 23rd November 2011. We will carry out another review of the service before then. However, we can inspect at any time if we have concerns about peoples health, safety and welfare at 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. 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!