Care Home: King Edward House

Similar services:

• Insight - Eastchurch
• Southfields
• Thorndene
• Magenta
• Seabourne House
• 33 St John`s Church Road
• Dovedale Court
• Lyncol House

What the care home does well There is a relaxed and homely atmosphere. People say that the support workers give them the assistance they need in ways that are right for them. One person who lives in the Service says, `I talk with staff a lot about how I am and what`s on around here. I talk and they talk back and I know lots of things about here. I like it here and with things around me like home`. There are interesting occupational and social things that people can do. One person who lives in the Service says, `I do lots of things and see my friends at the other place where I go to do things like music and stuff. I like to go to the shops and get things. I like to be here at home too though. I`m going out this afternoon`. People are helped to stay in good health. This includes keeping an eye on how everyone is and then calling doctors as soon as they are needed. People`s medicines are handled safely so that they take them in the right way at the right time People are helped to lead normal lives through responsible risk taking. People are served with good quality meals. One person who lives in the Service says, `the food`s good and we all have our food together here at the table and we talk about things we`ve done`. There are reliable health and safety arrangements in place. What has improved since the last inspection? When we last completed a Key Inspection visit to the Service we found that things were going well. Therefore, there was no need for us to require that any improvements be made. The Assessment says that a number of improvements have been made since the last Key Inspection. These include the following things. The individual plans of support have been made more user-friendly. This has been done so that people who live in the Service will find it easier to be actively involved in making their own decisions. The range of social activities has been extended so that people can have more choice and variety. One person says, ` People have been better supported to promote their good health through the introduction of individual Health Action Plans. These make it easier to do things such as planning follow-up appointments. Some of the bedrooms have been redecorated and they have all had locks fitted to their doors. One of the lounges has been redecorated and fitted out with new furniture. More support workers have completed a relevant National Vocational Qualification. Support workers have completed various training courses. All of these things contribute to the Service being better able to support people in ways that are right for them. What the care home could do better: Some parts of the exterior of the building need repainting. Some parts of the accommodation are in need of refurbishment. The Registered Manager is not in day to day control of the Service. It is a legal requirement that there is a registered manager who acts in this capacity. The quality assurance system does not fully involve all of the people who live in the Service. They are not directly told about what has been said about their home and about what improvements the Registered Provider intends to make as a result of the comments that have been made. The system used to deliver fire safety training needs to be strengthened. This is important to ensure that all members of staff remain confident about what they should do if there is a fire. Inspecting for better lives Key inspection report Care homes for adults (18-65 years) Name: Address: King Edward House 77 New Street Ash Canterbury Kent CT3 2BW     The quality rating for this care home is:   two star good service 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 assessment of the service. We call this a ‘key’ inspection. Lead inspector: Mark Hemmings     Date: 1 4 0 8 2 0 0 9 This is a report of an inspection where we looked at how well this care home is meeting the needs of people who use it. There is a summary of what we think this service does well, what they have improved on and, where it applies, what they need to do better. We use the national minimum standards to describe the outcomes that people should experience. National minimum standards are written by the Department of Health for each type of care service. After the summary there is more detail about our findings. The following table explains what you will see under each outcome area. Outcome area (for example Choice of home) These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. that people have said are important to them: They reflect the things This box tells you the outcomes that we will always inspect against when we do a key inspection. This box tells you any additional outcomes that we may inspect against when we do a key inspection. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: This box tells you our opinion of what we have looked at in this outcome area. We will say whether it is excellent, good, adequate or poor. Evidence: This box describes the information we used to come to our judgement. Copies of the National Minimum Standards – Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or bought 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 The Commission for Social Care Inspection aims to: • • • • Put the people who use social care first Improve services and stamp out bad practice Be an expert voice on social care Practise what we preach in our own organisation Our duty to regulate social care services is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 2 of 29 Reader Information Document Purpose Author Audience Further copies from Copyright Inspection report CSCI General public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) Copyright © (2009) Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). 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 CSCI copyright, with the title and date of publication of the document specified. www.cqc.org.uk Internet address Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 3 of 29 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: King Edward House 77 New Street Ash Canterbury Kent CT3 2BW 01304812953 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: kingedwardhouse@aol.com Name of registered provider(s): Type of registration: Number of places registered: Mr Rex Slade Cadman care home 6 Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 learning disability Additional conditions: The maximum number of service users to be accommodated is 6 The registered person amy 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) Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Up to six people who have a learning disability can make their home in King Edward House (the Service). The property is two semi-detached houses that have been joined together. One of the bedrooms is shard by two people. Everyone else has their own bedroom. The bedrooms do not have a private wash hand basin. There are two bathrooms and two toilets. There are two lounges, lounge dining room and a small conservatory. 6 Over 65 0 Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 4 of 29 Brief description of the care home At the back of the building there is a garden where there is a table and chairs. The Service does not have its own transport. However, it can use a people carrier vehicle that is based at nearby residential service that is also run by the Registered Provider. The Service is in Ash. This is a small village that has a general store. The nearest big town is Sandwich and that is about three miles away. There is a bus stop outside the Service and there is plenty of parking both on street and off street. The nearest rail service is in Sandwich. The Registered Provider is a private individual. The weekly fee for living in King Edward House runs from £349.00 to £1300.00. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 5 of 29 Summary This is an overview of what we found during the inspection. The quality rating for this care home is: Our judgement for each outcome: two star good service Choice of home Individual needs and choices Lifestyle Personal and healthcare support Concerns, complaints and protection Environment Staffing Conduct and management of the home peterchart Poor Adequate Good Excellent How we did our inspection: The quality rating for this Service is 2 Star. This means that the people who use this Service experience good quality outcomes. The previous Key Inspection was completed on 22 February 2008. The previous Annual Service Review was completed on 29 November 2008. The Annual Service Review is when we complete an office based review of how things are going in the Service. It is based on what we have been told by people who live in the Service, the Registered Provider and by our partner agencies. For the present Key Inspection, we arrived unannounced at the Service at about half past eight in the morning in the morning and we were there for about five and a half hours. It was a thorough look at how well things are going. We took into account information provided by the Registered Provider in its self assessment. This is called Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 6 of 29 the Annual Quality Assurance Assessment (the Assessment). We did not receive this Assessment on time and it was not adequately detailed. Some of the sections were not completed at all. It is a legal requirement that we receive on time a fully completed Assessment. Further, we considered any information that we have received about the Service since the last Key Inspection and Annual Service Review. During the inspection, we spoke with all of the six people who live in the Service. We also spoke with the Registered Provider, the Manager and with two of the support workers. We walked around parts of the accommodation and the grounds. Also, we looked at a selection of key records and documents. These included things like the individual written plans of care, medication records, the activities plan, the menu, the complaints documents, the staff roster, personnel files, staff training records, financial records and various health and safety certificates. Before we visited the Service, we asked all of the people who live and work there to fill out a questionnaire for us. We wanted them to tell us what they think of King Edward House. Everyone who lives there and four members of staff kindly completed them for us. Later on in our report, we will tell you the main things that people are saying in these questionnaires. The Registered Provider has also recently asked the people who live in the Service what they think about the Service. As we go through our report we will tell you some of the things that people who live in the Service are saying in their replies. What the care home does well: What has improved since the last inspection? When we last completed a Key Inspection visit to the Service we found that things were going well. Therefore, there was no need for us to require that any improvements be made. The Assessment says that a number of improvements have been made since the last Key Inspection. These include the following things. The individual plans of support have been made more user-friendly. This has been done so that people who live in the Service will find it easier to be actively involved in making their own decisions. The range of social activities has been extended so that people can have more choice and variety. One person says, People have been better supported to promote their good health through the introduction of individual Health Action Plans. These make it easier to do things such as planning follow-up appointments. Some of the bedrooms have been redecorated and they have all had locks fitted to their doors. One of the lounges has been redecorated and fitted out with new furniture. More support workers have completed a relevant National Vocational Qualification. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 8 of 29 Support workers have completed various training courses. All of these things contribute to the Service being better able to support people in ways that are right for them. 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 4. The report of this inspection is available from our website www.cqc.org.uk. You can get printed copies from enquiries@cqc.org.uk or by telephoning our order line –0870 240 7535. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 9 of 29 Details of our findings Contents Choice of home (standards 1 - 5) Individual needs and choices (standards 6-10) Lifestyle (standards 11 - 17) Personal and healthcare support (standards 18 - 21) Concerns, complaints and protection (standards 22 - 23) Environment (standards 24 - 30) Staffing (standards 31 - 36) Conduct and management of the home (standards 37 - 43) Outstanding statutory requirements Requirements and recommendations from this inspection Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 10 of 29 Choice of home These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People are confident that the care home can support them. This is because there is an accurate assessment of their needs that they, or people close to them, have been involved in. This tells the home all about them, what they hope for and want to achieve, and the support they need. People can decide whether the care home can meet their support and accommodation needs. This is because they, and people close to them, can visit the home and get full, clear, accurate and up to date information. If they decide to stay in the home they know about their rights and responsibilities because there is an easy to understand contract or statement of terms and conditions between the person and the care home that includes how much they will pay and what the home provides for the money. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People who are thinking of moving in are asked about what support they need and how they want this to be done. They are encouraged to visit the Service to get a first hand feeling of what it is like. Evidence: The Manager asks people who are thinking of moving in about what support they need and want. She also invites the person to visit the Service, usually on more than one occasion. This is done so that they can be confident that moving in to King Edward House is the right thing for them. She also talks with family members and with people like care managers (social workers). All of this helps her to build up a really good picture of how the person can best be supported. In our questionnaire we ask people who live in the Service, did you receive enough information about this home before you moved in so you could decide if it was the right place for you? Everyone says that yes they did. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 11 of 29 Evidence: The Manager says that when she gets the information she shares it with the support workers so that they know what support they will need to provide. We asked one of the support workers about how all of this works out in practice. They say that they are indeed told about people who are about to move in. They say that as a team they discuss how best to help the person in the first few days, while they get to know them better. One support worker says, moving in is a really big thing for everyone both the new person and the people who are already here. We pan it carefully so that everyone can get used to the new arrangement. We get lots of information from (the Manager) and we discuss it so that we really know the person and what help they need. No one has moved into the Service since our last Key Inspection and no one is due to move out in the foreseeable future. The Service does not offer short term care. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 12 of 29 Individual needs and choices These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People’s needs and goals are met. The home has a plan of care that the person, or someone close to them, has been involved in making. People are able to make decisions about their life, including their finances, with support if they need it. This is because the staff promote their rights and choices. People are supported to take risks to enable them to stay independent. This is because the staff have appropriate information on which to base decisions. People are asked about, and are involved in, all aspects of life in the home. This is because the manager and staff offer them opportunities to participate in the day to day running of the home and enable them to influence key decisions. People are confident that the home handles information about them appropriately. This is because the home has clear policies and procedures that staff follow. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People are actively involved in deciding what support they need and they receive it in ways that are right for them. People are helped to manage their financial affairs. There is a sensible approach to risk taking. Evidence: The people who live in the Service say that the support workers offer them all the assistance they need. Each person has contributed to preparing a written summary of how they want to be supported to do things. This has been helped by the way parts of the plans are written in a user friendly manner. These plans of support are important because they help people say what they want. Also, the plans give information to support workers so that they know best to help each person. We looked at three these plans in some detail. They give a clear account of who needs to do what and why. For example, there is useful information about things such as helping someone when they become anxious about things. In another instance there is information about the sorts of activities the person likes to be supported to do. In our questionnaire for people who live in the Service we ask, do you receive the care and support you need? Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 13 of 29 Evidence: Everyone says that they always do. One person says, I talk with staff a lot about how I am and whats on around here. I talk and they talk back and I know lots of things about here. I like it here and with things around me like home. The Registered Providers questionnaire asks, when your care is planned are you encouraged to be involved? Everyone says that they are. Support workers have a good knowledge of each persons individual requirements. They understand the ways in which each person is different. They know how important it is for everyone to be respected as an individual. The support plans are kept up to date so that they are accurate. This involves people who live in the Service taking part in regular reviews of how things are going. This year there have also been more detailed reviews that have been completed by a care manager. Sensible steps are taken to support people to lead everyday lives of their own choosing. This includes support workers helping people to take sensible risks and to avoid situations that might be harmful. For example, one person is okay to go out on their own while it is best for the others to be accompanied when they are our and about. The Registered Provider does not get involved in running peoples financial affairs. Instead, all of them receive this sort of support from the local authority. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 14 of 29 Lifestyle These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: Each person is treated as an individual and the care home is responsive to his or her race, culture, religion, age, disability, gender and sexual orientation. They can take part in activities that are appropriate to their age and culture and are part of their local community. The care home supports people to follow personal interests and activities. People are able to keep in touch with family, friends and representatives and the home supports them to have appropriate personal, family and sexual relationships. People are as independent as they can be, lead their chosen lifestyle and have the opportunity to make the most of their abilities. Their dignity and rights are respected in their daily life. People have healthy, well-presented meals and snacks, at a time and place to suit them. People have opportunities to develop their social, emotional, communication and independent living skills. This is because the staff support their personal development. People choose and participate in suitable leisure activities. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. There are interesting occupational and social things for people to do. People are free to receive visitors and to spend the day as they wish. Good quality meals are served. Evidence: There is a range of occupational things that people can do if they want to. These include helping out around the house and helping out with the shopping. There are also social things to do such as arts and crafts, musical movement and going out to places of interest. In our questionnaire for people who live in the Service we ask, can you do what you want to during the day? Everyone says that yes they can. In their answers to the Registered Providers questionnaire everyone says that they enjoy their trips out. Two people sum up the general mood when they say, I do lots of things and see my Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 15 of 29 Evidence: friends at the other place where I go to do things like music and stuff. I like to go to the shops and get things. I like to be here at home too though. Im going out this afternoon. The other person says, I like to go out places and I like to be with staff and do the shops. I do lots and lots and am always doing things I like. One of the support workers says, the people who live here are always out and about. They do music and arts up at (the other service), or theyre out for walks with us or to the shops. Everyone is out and about most days and theres no question of them spending too much time hanging about. The records are consistent with this description. People are helped to keep in touch with members of their families, if this is necessary and if this is what they want. This includes people being helped to send cards and to make and receive telephone calls. Family members and friends are welcome to call to the Service at any reasonable time. The Manager keeps in touch with family members so that they know how things are going. People are encouraged to make their bedrooms their own private space. Recently, locks have been fitted to bedroom doors so that people can keep them secure if they want to. People can arrange their bedrooms as they wish and they can use their bedrooms whenever they want. They can choose to have private time on their own or to be in company. When answering the Registered Providers questionnaire, everyone says that they can talk in private with their relatives if they want to do so. There is a varied menu and good quality meals are served. People who live in the Service consider the meals to be a good quality. They say that the meal times are a relaxed and pleasant affair. The lunchtime meal on the day of our inspection was fish pie. We saw it being prepared and it looked appetising. We also heard people chatting and laughing while they were having their lunch. After the meal everyone said that they had enjoyed it. One person summarises the overall tone of the comments we received when they say, the foods good and we all have our food together here at the table and we talk about things weve done. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 16 of 29 Personal and healthcare support These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People receive personal support from staff in the way they prefer and want. Their physical and emotional health needs are met because the home has procedures in place that staff follow. If people take medicine, they manage it themselves if they can. If they cannot manage their medicine, the care home supports them with it in a safe way. If people are approaching the end of their life, the care home will respect their choices and help them to feel comfortable and secure. They, and people close to them, are reassured that their death will be handled with sensitivity, dignity and respect, and take account of their spiritual and cultural wishes. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People are helped in ways that are right for them. They are helped to stay well. There are safe systems to manage medicines. Evidence: The support workers are relaxed and informal in how they are. They help people to organise themselves without being bossy. People are helped to wear neat and clean clothes so that they can look how they want. In our questionnaire for people who live in the Service we ask, do the carers listen and act on what you say? Everyone says that they always do. We asked people about this when we were in the Service. One person says, I get on good with people at home. I dont have any problems at home and I get on with my own things. Another person says theyre good to me. The Registered Providers questionnaire asks, are the carers are always nice to you. Everyone says that they are. Each person has a Health Action Plan. This is a document that describes how each person is going to be supported to stay well. It also records things such as the medical attention they have received and the checkups needed in the future. Support workers keep a tactful eye open so that a doctor can be seem if someone is becoming unwell. Since our last inspection, people have seen their doctors Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 17 of 29 Evidence: as and when necessary. In our questionnaire for people who live in the Service we ask, do you receive the medical support you need? Everyone says that they always do. People can manage their own medication if they want to and if it is safe for them to do it. At the moment, everyone who lives in the Service prefers to have members of staff sorting out their medication for them. There is a system to check that the correct medicines are received from the chemist. Once in the Service, medicines are stored securely. The Assessment says that all members of staff who give out medication have been trained so that they know what they are doing. There is a procedure for administering medicines. This is designed to double check that the right medicines are given to the right people at the right time. There is a record that is completed on each occasion that a medicine is given. These are being completed correctly. People are also helped to take care of themselves in a positive way. For example, people are helped to watch their weight. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 18 of 29 Concerns, complaints and protection These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: If people have concerns with their care, they or people close to them, know how to complain. Their concern is looked into and action taken to put things right. The care home safeguards people from abuse, neglect and self-harm and takes action to follow up any allegations. There are no additional outcomes. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. There is a complaints procedure. There are arrangements to make sure that complaints are dealt with properly. People are kept safe. Evidence: People say that they can make a complaint or raise a concern if they want to. They are confident that they what they say will be investigated. One person sums up the overall mood when they observe that, Im happy and okay. I can speak to someone (pointing to a member of staff) if Im sad about a thing. In our questionnaire for people who live in the Service we ask, do you know how to make a complaint? Everyone says that yes they do. The Manager says that she has not received any complaints since our last Key Inspection. The records are consistent with this account. We have not received any complaints about the Service since our last Key Inspection. People who live in the Service are confident that they are safe and that their wellbeing will be promoted. Our questionnaire for people who live in the Service asks, do the staff treat you well? Everyone says that yes they do. When answering the Registered Providers questionnaire everyone says that they are well looked after and they also say that they can talk with their care manager if there is something concerning them. The support workers are confident that people are being kept safe. One member of Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 19 of 29 Evidence: staff summarises the general mood when they say, I am absolutely sure that all of the boys are completely safe here. Theres never been anything wrong. They are like family members and we all genuinely care about them or we wouldnt being doing this job in the first place. Ive never seen anything but kindness towards the (service users). All of the people who use the Service have arranged for support workers to help them to manage their personal spending allowance. This involves the Registered Provider paying for things such as meals out. He then claims the money back from the local authority that manages the persons financial affairs. There is a record kept of each transaction and purchases are supported by receipts. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 20 of 29 Environment These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People stay in a safe and well-maintained home that is homely, clean, comfortable, pleasant and hygienic. People stay in a home that has enough space and facilities for them to lead the life they choose and to meet their needs. The home makes sure they have the right specialist equipment that encourages and promotes their independence. Their room feels like their own, it is comfortable and they feel safe when they use it. People have enough privacy when using toilets and bathrooms. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The accommodation is comfortable. Some areas need redecoration. There is a modern fire safety system. The kitchen is well equipped. There is a suitable laundry. Evidence: The building provides a suitable range of facilities for the people who live there. These are in line with what the Registered Provider has committed itself to deliver in its Statement of Purpose. The building is generally well maintained on the outside. However, some of the paintwork on the wooden fascia boards and on the guttering has become discoloured and is quite badly peeling away. On the inside, the accommodation in general is well decorated and furnished. Recently, some of the bedrooms and one of the lounges have been refurbished. There are some damaged ceramic wall tiles in one of the bathrooms. Also, in this bathroom the radiator is quite rusty. Two of the double glazed windows in the kitchen have failed and are misted up inside. There are various signs and posters on the walls. For example no smoking signs and posters to do with health and safety things. They take away from the homely feeling that is otherwise achieved. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 21 of 29 Evidence: There is a modern automatic fire detection system that is checked regularly. The local Department of Environmental Health has not examined the kitchen for a number of years. We looked in the kitchen. It is clean and well organised. There is a system to make sure that the fridge and the freezer keep foods cold enough. There is also a system to make sure that foods are used promptly once they are opened. The support workers know about good food hygiene practices. For example, about the need to keep uncooked meats separate from other foods when they are being prepared. People say that the accommodation is kept comfortably warm. They also say that there is an adequate supply of hot water. Most of the people who live in the Service are older people. At the moment everyone is able to get about without any real difficulty. The Manager says that this will be carefully monitored so that arrangements can be made to promote peoples mobility when the need arises. The Service has a washing machine and a dryer. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 22 of 29 Staffing These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People have safe and appropriate support as there are enough competent, qualified staff on duty at all times. They have confidence in the staff at the home because checks have been done to make sure that they are suitable. People’s needs are met and they are supported because staff get the right training, supervision and support they need from their managers. People are supported by an effective staff team who understand and do what is expected of them. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. There are enough support workers on duty. Support workers receive training and they have the necessary skills to assist people in ways that are right for them. Security checks are completed on new members of staff. Evidence: The records show that there are two support workers on duty plus the manager. At night there is a staff presence. There are no other members of staff such as a housekeeper and a cook. The support workers do these things as part of their normal duties. In our questionnaire we ask members of staff we ask, are there enough staff to meet the individual needs of all the people who use the Service? Everyone says that there always are. The Registered Providers questionnaire, asks do you see carers often enough. Everyone says that they do. When we were in the Service we kept a look out for things that might give us a clue about how well the place is being staffed in practice. We noticed that one person who was anxious about having to wait before going out was reassured. They were then helped to get ready to go without too much delay. Another person was quickly helped to change their clothes after they had spilt something. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 23 of 29 Evidence: The records show that the Registered Provider completes a number of security checks on new support workers. These include things such as confirming their identity, taking up references and doing a police check. This is done to make sure that they are trustworthy people to work in the Service. The people who live in the Service are actively involved in the recruitment of new members of staff. Applicants are asked to meet with them so that people who live in the Service can say if they would like to invite them into their home. The records show that support workers are doing quite a lot of training. This includes introductory training for new members of staff. In our questionnaire for members of staff we ask, did your introductory training cover everything you needed to know to do the job when you started? Everyone says that it met their needs very well. After their introduction, there is ongoing training in key subjects such as first aid, health and safety and responding to difficult situations. The records show that most of this training is up to date. In our questionnaire we ask members of staff, are you being given training that is relevant to your role and that keeps you up to date with new ways of working? Everyone says that yes they are. Recently, some of the support workers have done extra training that focuses upon how best to support people with special needs who want to develop close relationships. All but one of the support workers have completed a relevant National Vocational Qualification (NVQ). The Manager says that all new support workers will be encouraged to study for the award. Our observations show that support workers are well supported by the training they receive so that they can appropriately support the people who live in the Service. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 24 of 29 Conduct and management of the home These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People have confidence in the care home because it is run and managed appropriately. People’s opinions are central to how the home develops and reviews their practice, as the home has appropriate ways of making sure they continue to get things right. The environment is safe for people and staff because health and safety practices are carried out. People get the right support from the care home because the manager runs it appropriately, with an open approach that makes them feel valued and respected. They are safeguarded because the home follows clear financial and accounting procedures, keeps records appropriately and makes sure staff understand the way things should be done. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The person who is registered to be the manager is not in day to day control of the Service. The quality assurance system does not fully involve the people who live in the Service. Sensible health and safety measures are in place. However, the arrangments for fire training need to be strengthened. Evidence: Although the Registered Provider often calls to the Service, he is not in day to day control of it. Given this, it is a legal requirement that he has a registered manager to oversee the operation of the Service. There is a registered manager but he is acting as a support worker. The person who is acting as the Manager is not registered with us. The Registered Provider has told us that he will now submit an application to have the acting manager registered in her role. He says that this will be done by 1 October 2009. The (acting) Manager has a good knowledge of how things are going. She also holds both of the qualifications that are recommended by the National Minimum Standards. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 25 of 29 Evidence: Support workers say that there is good team work between them. There are handover meetings at the beginning and end of each shift. These are held so that support workers can be kept up to date with developments. In our questionnaire for members of staff we ask, do you feel that you have enough support, experience and knowledge to meet the different needs of the people who live in the Service? Everyone says that they always do. One person says, the team work is excellent here. We dont really think of it as a team because its more like a family and so we know what everyone is doing and we help each other out. You dont need complicated systems in a Service thats small like this. We just all get on. People who live in the Service are regularly asked what they think about their home as part of everyday life. About once a month there are also residents meetings. These are where the people who live in the Service get together with a member of staff to review how things are going and to suggest any improvements. Each year the Registered Provider also asks the people who live in the Service to fill in the questionnaires from which we have already quoted. However, there is no organised system to feed back to people what has been said in the questionnaires and what is going to be done to introduce any suggested improvements. The Manager says that the Registered Provider intends to address this in the near future. There are regular fire drills and support workers all do fire safety training. The Manager is going to strengthen the way this training is organised to make sure that no one gets overlooked. She is going to do this by 1 October 2009. The Manager says that all items of equipment used in the Service remain in good working order. The records confirm this. The records show that there have not been any accidents in the Service since the last Key Inspection. The building is regularly checked to help make sure that there are no hazards that might result in someone having an accident. The Manager says that there are no obvious hazards around the place and we did not notice any. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 26 of 29 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, Care Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 27 of 29 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, Care Homes 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 Adults (18-65 years) Page 28 of 29 Helpline: Telephone: 03000 616161 or Textphone: or 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. Copyright © (2009) Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). 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 CSCI copyright, with the title and date of publication of the document specified. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 29 of 29 - 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!