Care Home: Laurels EPH

Annual service review Name of Service: Laurels EPH The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: two star good service 2 7 0 1 2 0 0 9 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: Angela Dalton Date of this annual service review: 2 5 0 1 2 0 1 0 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 6 Information about the service Address of service: Ely Way Luton Bedfordshire LU4 9QN 01582576877 01582847244 maria.watkins@luton.gov.uk Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:   Name of registered provider(s): Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : dementia Conditions of registration: Luton Borough Council Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 0 35 The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is: 35 The registered person may provide the following category of service only: Care home only - Code PC 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 Dementia - Code DE 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 The Laurels provides care for up to 35 older people with a diagnosis of a dementia type illness. The majority of referrals come through Social Services. The accommodation at The Laurels is on two levels with the main communal areas on the ground floor. The upper floor can be accessed via stairs or a passenger lift. The home had an enclosed garden to the rear of the building and a parking area to the front. The Laurels is situated in a residential area of Leagrave, a suburb of Luton, close to a range of amenities and public transport links. 2 7 0 1 2 0 0 9 Annual Service Review Page 2 of 6 Information regarding the homes range of fees is available. These fees do not include newspapers, hairdressers, personal telephone, toiletries or private chiropodist; these services incur an additional charge. Annual Service Review Page 3 of 6 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 had received since the previous key inspection on 26th January 2008 when the service received a good 2 star rating. The Annual Quality Assurance Assessment was sent to us in December 2009 and completed by the registered manager. The AQAA is a self assessment that focuses on how well outcomes are being met for people who use the service. It provides the service with an opportunity to inform us what they are doing well and what areas need improvement. Surveys were sent to people who use the service and to various health and social care professionals. We look at what the service has told us about things that have happened within the service and to people who use the service. We receive this information via notifications, which are a legal requirement. The findings from the previous key inspection and the results of any other visits we have made in the last 12 months are included. Relevant information from other organisations and what other people and professionals have told us about the service may be included. What has this told us about the service? The Annual Service Review (ASR) evaluates information about how the service maintains or improves the quality of care. It enables the service to demonstrate how they measure the outcomes for people who use the service and has managed any complaints: the AQAA stated that the service had received no complaints in the past twelve months. The service has notified the Commission of all safeguarding issues that occurred and how they were dealt with. The manager told us that they had received support to deal with peoples changing needs through increasing staff and purchasing assistive technology. Appropriate assessments reflect service users capacity and the introduction of any monitoring devices. Service users did not complete surveys due to their complex needs and advanced dementia. The manager told us that relatives had taken surveys to complete but none has been returned to the Commission. The services quality assurance audit reflected that service users were satisfied with the service that they received. The service has a low staff turnover and two thirds of staff hold an NVQ qualification.Three staff are working towards their NVQ Qualification at Level 2 or 3. The AQAA explains how the service has improved over the last twelve months. Departmental staff have received medication and Deprivation of Liberty Training. CCTV has been fitted on the outside of the building to increase the security of the Annual Service Review Page 4 of 6 environment. The recommendations made following the fire inspection in September 2009 have been met. People who use the service grew garden produce and this contributed to ingredients for meals. This also involved service users in devising menus. The service has been awarded a four star rating in its environmental health report. Televisions have been mounted to the was in small seating areas to enable people to sit in small groups. There are plans to install a summer house and webcam over the next twelve months. The manager is aiming to increase the provision of the activities co-ordinator in the next twelve months to offer activities over seven days. Despite a recruitment freeze the service has been maintain its staff to ensure continuity of care. The manager has been proactive and increased the staff ratio to support service users with complex needs. They hope to increase the numbers of volunteers used by the service over the next twelve months. 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 review the type of inspection we will conduct by 26th January 2011. The reasons are that there have been very few changes reflected to the current service and the manager has demonstrated what improvements are planned. Annual Service Review Page 5 of 6 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. 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