Latest Inspection
This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 16th February 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 Howlish Hall Care Home.
Annual service review
Name of Service: Howlish Hall Care Home The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: two star good service 2 1 1 2 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: Steve Tuck Date of this annual service review: 0 7 0 1 2 0 1 0 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 7 Information about the service
Address of service: Howlish Lane Coundon Bishop Auckland Durham DL14 8ED 01388609226 01388606871 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:
Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Mrs Debra Mary Fairless Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : dementia old age, not falling within any other category physical disability Conditions of registration: Williams & Spenceley Limited Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 0 0 44 44 44 0 The maximum number of service users who can accommodated is: 44 The registered person may provide the following categories of service only: Care home with nursing Code N, to service users of the following gender: Both, whose primary care needs on admission to the home are within the following categories: Old age, not falling within any other category - code OP: 44 Physical disability - Code PD: 44 Dementia - code DE:44 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): 2 1 1 2 2 0 0 8 Annual Service Review Page 2 of 7 Brief description of the service Howlish Hall is a Grade 2 listed building, which dates back to the early 17th Century and is set in 2.75 acres of landscaped wooded gardens near to Coundon in County Durham. A frequent bus service is available which provides links to the local towns of Coundon and Bishop Auckland. The home provides 24hr personal care with nursing for older people. Accommodation at the home is provided over two floors, with a mixture of single and double room, some being en-suite. There are a sufficient number of bathrooms and toilets to meet the needs of residents who live there. In addition there is a choice of lounge and one main dining room. Howlish Hall has recently been extended to provide a two-storey extension which allows for a further 17 bedrooms all of which are en-suite. There has also been an increase in the number of toilets, bathrooms and communal areas for use by residents. The current fee varies from £382.00 to £602 per week (Given in December 2008). The actual fees that people pay depends on their circumstances. Further details can be found in the homes Service User Guide. 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? This Annual Service Review was Carried out on 12th December 2009. The last Key Inspection was carried out on 3rd December 2008. We looked at all the information that we have received, or asked for, since the last key inspection which was finished in December 2008. This included: The annual quality assurance assessment (AQAA) that was sent to us by the manager of this home. The AQAA is a way that the manager of the service can measure and show how well the home meets the needs of people who are supported; sometimes this is called how well their outcomes are met. The AQAA also gave us some numerical information which we can use to measure how well this home is working compared to others. Information we have about how the manager of the home has dealt with any complaints or safeguarding adults referrals. What the manager of this home has told us about things that have happened here. These are called notifications and are a legal requirement. The previous Key Inspection of the home and the results of any other visits that we have made to the service in the last 12 months. Relevant information from other organisations, such as Councils and Health Service Organisations. What other people have told us about the home. We have written to the people who live at the home, people who have supported them to move there like social workers, healthcare staff such as doctors consultants and community psychiatric nurses, and also the staff who work at the home to get their views about how well the home supports people. What has this told us about the service? Eighteen people returned surveys which said what they thought about this home. People who live at this home made comments about what it is like to live there. They said things like: The home cares for my every day needs well. They all try their best the home is up to standard. Its nice to be all together in activities and when there is a singer and (people) join in Annual Service Review Page 4 of 7 it makes the day. There is plenty of food (and) lots of fruit. The home is good at make(ing) me feel comfortable. There are well cooked and presented meals, rooms kept well cleaned and aired and staff very good and cheerful to all people. Two people commented that the home would be better if there were more staff. Everyone said that the home is always or usually fresh and clean and everyone indicated that they could speak to someone if they are unhappy. Staff who work at the home made comments in their surveys. They said thinks like: We try to give the best care we can in a homely atmosphere. We try to improve all the time. The home constantly maintains high standards of care. Good support of family and residents. One staff commented that the home would be better if there was better guidance about training. Another commented that communication could be better and staff moral can be low at times. The homes manager sent us an annual quality assurance assessment (AQAA) when we asked for it. It was clear and detailed with evidence to back up all of the statements that were made and because of this, gave us the information we asked for about how the home is working. This information included the age range, gender and ethnicity of staff, and the review dates for policies and procedures. The manager has told us that she has given some thought about further improvements they could make. They have looked at how the home provides value for money and how peoples views and comments are used to measure the quality of the service and to help to improve it further. The home manager said that they regularly talk to people about how they would like the home and their support to be arranged. How the home makes sure that peoples race, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion and belief are promoted and incorporated into how the service is run. Since the last Inspection, there have been no complaints to the Commission which have shown that the service was at fault nor has anyone contacted us to make sure
Annual Service Review Page 5 of 7 that people are safeguarded from abuse. The owners, manager and other staff, keep us up to date with things that have happened since our last key inspection. We looked at the information from the questionnaires and in the AQAA and our judgement, based on the information given, is that the home is still providing a Good service. What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? We are not going to change our inspection plan, and will carry out a Key Inspection by 2nd March 2011. However we can inspect the home at any time if we have concerns about the quality of the service or the safety of the people living there. 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:
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