Care Home: Laxton Hall

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What the care home does well The Statement of Purpose and Service User Guide for Laxton Hall provides good information on the ethos of the home, this ensures that people considering using the service can make an informed decision as to whether the home is right for them. People told us that they had been given good information about the home, before they moved in and that this had helped them to decide whether the move was right for them. One person said that the decision to move into the home had been made by their family, that they had missed their home at first but now feel that it was the right decision. People said they could continue to pursue their own interests and hobbies, from the care plans viewed there was information available on peoples individual likes, dislikes, hobbies and interests this ensures that staff can provide individualised care for people according to their needs. Some people living at the home have specific dietary needs that require foods to be pureed and drinks to be thickened, to reduce the risks of choking. Records were available within the persons care notes on their dietary needs and we observed staff providing the care according to their assessed need. Appropriate action is taken to address specific areas of risk due to immobility, frailty and failing health, such as the promotion of pressure area care, nutrition and falls prevention. General Practitioners from the local GP surgery carry out weekly visits to the home, this enables people to be seen in private and their health care closely monitored and regularly reviewed. A sample check on the medication stocks and administration records evidenced that this area is well managed, observations of people receiving their medications, showed that people received their medications as prescribed. There is a strong emphasis in keeping with Polish traditions, culture and religious festivals and the majority of staff are familiar with Poland`s history. Visitors from the local villages and outlining Polish community groups are encouraged to visit the home, there was evidence of social activities being provided such as visiting musical entertainers, children visiting from the local schools and scout groups. Mass is provided on a daily basis by the on site Pastor, this takes place within the homes own chapel. The services are open to all people who use the service, relatives and visitors from the local villages. The provision for people to join together to say grace before meals is available on a daily basis, people said that they like to do this. The meals provided at the home meet the individual needs of people and reflects traditional Polish Cuisine. People said the food was very good, observations over the lunchtime meal evidenced that the ambiance within the dining room was very calm and relaxed, and people who required additional support to eat their meals received this with sensitivity and tact from the staff. People said they felt safe and well cared for and that they were aware of how to raise any concerns if they needed to. Records of staff training evidenced that training is provided on safeguarding of adults to ensure that staff are aware of their responsibility to keep people safe. Comments received from people using the service and their representatives were in the main very positive such as: `I feel over here like at home`. `The sisters seem attentive and caring`. `They display patience and understanding towards the elderly and infirm`. `As a visitor I have been impressed by the ambiance and atmosphere at Laxton Hall over the last 14 months`. `The domestics staff also seem very caring staff ratios seem to be good especially at busy times of the day e.g. meals`. `Laxton hall is an exceptional home, my mother is very happy here, the sisters and the staff are very kind, it is the best home I have ever seen in England`. `The food and the cleanliness are excellent`. `This is a kind place my mother is very happy here, the whole family are very pleased with the high quality of care`. `Alot has been done this year to improve on the residents well being`. `We are very pleased and grateful to the staff at Laxton Hall`. The staff recruitment practices are thorough, records were available of all pre employment checks being carried out prior to staff taking up employment at the home. There is a strong emphasis on providing staff with the training to enable them to carry out their duties. Staff training records showed that staff had been provided with mandatory induction training, to include fire Safety awareness, basic food hygiene, infection control, moving and handling, first aid and safeguarding adults. Additional training is provided on dementia care, medication administration, pressure area care, nutrition awareness, diabetes, continence management risk assessment and person centred care planning. All staff receive regular 1-1 supervision and annual appraisals. We asked staff to comment on what they think of working at Laxton Hall, the following comments were received: `everything is very good, we help people to feel safe` `our home supports people to feel safe, residents have psychological comfort and twenty four hour care` `everything we do is always with love and compassion` `we always do our best with every aspect of our care, I think its the best home and excellent care` `it is a good quality home, care, food, ambiance, faith & culture` `it is an unusual home, dedicated, compassionate of a high standard. We care for Polish speaking residents with dignity and respect`, `this is a nice place to work, `I think our home is doing very well`, `I am happy to work here, I would recommend it to anyone`. There is effective systems in place to promote the health and safety and well being of the residents, staff and any visitors that come to the home. This includes regular audits to ensure that the homes policies and procedures are being followed by all staff. Regular quality surveys are carried out and regular meetings take place with people using the service and their representatives, this ensures that people have a say on the care they receive. It was noted how calm and relaxed the atmosphere within the home was, a main contributing factor to this is that the staff carry personal pagers, which ensures they can discreetly attend to peoples needs as and when required and greatly helps in keeping environmental noise levels down to a minimum. What has improved since the last inspection? Some refurbishment work has taken place, to include refurbishment to the lift and stairwell, the flooring in the main hall way has been replaced with a washable decorative flooring, radiator covers have been fitted, and store cupboards have been fitted to enable the discreet storage of equipment. What the care home could do better: Consideration should be given to making improvements to the drive leading to the home. Within one of the surveys returned to CQC some concern was raised from a visitor regarding some difficulty in communicating with non English speaking Polish staff, ` I am a non Polish speaking relative and have found communication within Laxton Hall quite difficult, only a few of the senior nuns have a good command of English e.g. enough to communicate important details or changes that might have occurred`. This needs to be take into consideration when allocating staff on duty to ensure that an English speaking member of staff is available to respond to any requests etc from visitors. Key inspection report Care homes for older people Name: Address: Laxton Hall Laxton Hall Laxton Corby Northants NN17 3AU     The quality rating for this care home is:   three star excellent service A quality rating is our assessment of how well a care home 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 full review a ‘key’ inspection. Lead inspector: Irene Miller     Date: 1 8 0 1 2 0 1 0 This is a review of quality of outcomes that people experience in this care home. We believe high quality care should • • • • • Be safe Have the right outcomes, including clinical outcomes Be a good experience for the people that use it Help prevent illness, and promote healthy, independent living Be available to those who need it when they need it. The first part of the review gives the overall quality rating for the care home: • • • • 3 2 1 0 stars - excellent stars - good star - adequate star - poor There is also a bar chart that gives a quick way of seeing the quality of care that the home provides under key areas that matter to people. 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. Care Homes for Older People Page 2 of 28 We review the quality of the service against outcomes from the National Minimum Standards (NMS). Those standards are written by the Department of Health for each type of care service. Copies of the National Minimum Standards – Care Homes for Older People 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 mission of the Care Quality Commission is to make care better for people by: • Regulating health and adult social care services to ensure quality and safety standards, drive improvement and stamp out bad practice • Protecting the rights of people who use services, particularly the most vulnerable and those detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 • Providing accessible, trustworthy information on the quality of care and services so people can make better decisions about their care and so that commissioners and providers of services can improve services. • Providing independent public accountability on how commissioners and providers of services are improving the quality of care and providing value for money. Reader Information Document Purpose Author Audience Further copies from Copyright Inspection report Care Quality Commission General public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) 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. www.cqc.org.uk Internet address Care Homes for Older People Page 3 of 28 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Laxton Hall Laxton Hall Laxton Corby Northants NN17 3AU 01780444292 01780444574 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Type of registration: Number of places registered: Polish Benevolent Fund Housing Association Limited care home 29 Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 dementia old age, not falling within any other category Additional conditions: The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is 29. The registered person may provide the following categories 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 Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Laxton Hall is a care home providing personal care and accommodation for 29 older people with a special condition for 5 existing, named residents who also have mental health needs. The Home provides care for Polish people of retirement age whose main language is Polish. The Polish Catholic Mission Housing Association Limited owns the Home. The Registered Manager is Sister Teresa Sabok. A Religious Order of Nuns provides staffing in most part. The Home is located in a rural environment within its Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 28 Over 65 0 29 29 0 Brief description of the care home own grounds of approximately one hundred acres near the village of Laxton in north Northamptonshire. Nearest towns are Corby, Peterborough and Stamford. The Home was opened in November 1975 and consists of a large listed building offering 27 single bedrooms and 1 double room. There are 3 large day rooms on the ground floor and additional communal space in the large entrance hall. The building has its own Chapel and residents have access to the extensive grounds. There is a passenger lift. The weekly fees range from 361.18 to 422.83 pounds per week and fees are reviewed annually. There are additional costs for expenditure such as hairdressing, private chiropody, toiletries, newspapers, etc. Care Homes for Older People Page 5 of 28 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: three star excellent service Choice of home Health and personal care Daily life and social activities Complaints and protection Environment Staffing Management and administration peterchart Poor Adequate Good Excellent How we did our inspection: The focus of all inspections undertaken by the Care Quality Commission are based upon seeking the outcomes for people using the service and their views of the services provided. This visit was unannounced and carried out by one regulation inspector and a Polish speaking interpretor, as Laxton Hall specialises in care for people from Polish origin. The inspection focused on the key standards under the National Minimum Standards and the Care Standards Act 2000 for homes providing care for older people. The care records of people using the service were sample checked which involved looking through written information available on their care, such as their individual care plans (a care plan provides written information for staff to follow in order to ensure the individual personal, health care, social, emotional and spiritual needs of a person are met). Care Homes for Older People Page 6 of 28 During the visit we spoke with people using the service and the staff to gain an insight into the experiences of people living at Laxton Hall and the support and training provided for staff working at the home. We carried out general observations of care practices to enable judgments to be made as to the quality of service provided at Laxton Hall. Records in relation to the homes management and administration systems, quality assurance, staffing and general policies and procedures were viewed. Several weeks prior to this unannounced visit the Care Quality Commission (CQC) sent out to the provider an Annual Quality Assurance Assessment (AQAA). This document allows the provider to reflect on the service they provide and supply us with written information on how they view their own performance. The AQAA was returned to CQC within the timescale set, and gave an insight into how the home is managed and quality assessed. Also prior to this visit we sent out to the home have your say satisfaction surveys for people using the service, staff and visitors to complete and return to CQC. Comments received from the surveys appear throughout the body of this report. Throughout this report the term we is used to describe CQC as a collective body. Care Homes for Older People Page 7 of 28 What the care home does well: The Statement of Purpose and Service User Guide for Laxton Hall provides good information on the ethos of the home, this ensures that people considering using the service can make an informed decision as to whether the home is right for them. People told us that they had been given good information about the home, before they moved in and that this had helped them to decide whether the move was right for them. One person said that the decision to move into the home had been made by their family, that they had missed their home at first but now feel that it was the right decision. People said they could continue to pursue their own interests and hobbies, from the care plans viewed there was information available on peoples individual likes, dislikes, hobbies and interests this ensures that staff can provide individualised care for people according to their needs. Some people living at the home have specific dietary needs that require foods to be pureed and drinks to be thickened, to reduce the risks of choking. Records were available within the persons care notes on their dietary needs and we observed staff providing the care according to their assessed need. Appropriate action is taken to address specific areas of risk due to immobility, frailty and failing health, such as the promotion of pressure area care, nutrition and falls prevention. General Practitioners from the local GP surgery carry out weekly visits to the home, this enables people to be seen in private and their health care closely monitored and regularly reviewed. A sample check on the medication stocks and administration records evidenced that this area is well managed, observations of people receiving their medications, showed that people received their medications as prescribed. There is a strong emphasis in keeping with Polish traditions, culture and religious festivals and the majority of staff are familiar with Polands history. Visitors from the local villages and outlining Polish community groups are encouraged to visit the home, there was evidence of social activities being provided such as visiting musical entertainers, children visiting from the local schools and scout groups. Mass is provided on a daily basis by the on site Pastor, this takes place within the homes own chapel. The services are open to all people who use the service, relatives and visitors from the local villages. The provision for people to join together to say grace before meals is available on a daily basis, people said that they like to do this. The meals provided at the home meet the individual needs of people and reflects traditional Polish Cuisine. People said the food was very good, observations over the lunchtime meal evidenced that the ambiance within the dining room was very calm and relaxed, and people who required additional support to eat their meals received this with sensitivity and tact from the staff. People said they felt safe and well cared for and that they were aware of how to raise Care Homes for Older People Page 8 of 28 any concerns if they needed to. Records of staff training evidenced that training is provided on safeguarding of adults to ensure that staff are aware of their responsibility to keep people safe. Comments received from people using the service and their representatives were in the main very positive such as: I feel over here like at home. The sisters seem attentive and caring. They display patience and understanding towards the elderly and infirm. As a visitor I have been impressed by the ambiance and atmosphere at Laxton Hall over the last 14 months. The domestics staff also seem very caring staff ratios seem to be good especially at busy times of the day e.g. meals. Laxton hall is an exceptional home, my mother is very happy here, the sisters and the staff are very kind, it is the best home I have ever seen in England. The food and the cleanliness are excellent. This is a kind place my mother is very happy here, the whole family are very pleased with the high quality of care. Alot has been done this year to improve on the residents well being. We are very pleased and grateful to the staff at Laxton Hall. The staff recruitment practices are thorough, records were available of all pre employment checks being carried out prior to staff taking up employment at the home. There is a strong emphasis on providing staff with the training to enable them to carry out their duties. Staff training records showed that staff had been provided with mandatory induction training, to include fire Safety awareness, basic food hygiene, infection control, moving and handling, first aid and safeguarding adults. Additional training is provided on dementia care, medication administration, pressure area care, nutrition awareness, diabetes, continence management risk assessment and person centred care planning. All staff receive regular 1-1 supervision and annual appraisals. We asked staff to comment on what they think of working at Laxton Hall, the following comments were received: everything is very good, we help people to feel safe our home supports people to feel safe, residents have psychological comfort and twenty four hour care everything we do is always with love and compassion we always do our best with every aspect of our care, I think its the best home and excellent care it is a good quality home, care, food, ambiance, faith & culture it is an unusual home, dedicated, compassionate of a high standard. We care for Polish speaking residents with dignity and respect, this is a nice place to work, I think our home is doing very well, I am happy to work here, I would recommend it to anyone. There is effective systems in place to promote the health and safety and well being of the residents, staff and any visitors that come to the home. This includes regular audits to ensure that the homes policies and procedures are being followed by all staff. Regular quality surveys are carried out and regular meetings take place with people using the service and their representatives, this ensures that people have a say on the care they receive. It was noted how calm and relaxed the atmosphere within the home was, a main contributing factor to this is that the staff carry personal pagers, which ensures they can discreetly attend to peoples needs as and when required and greatly helps in keeping environmental noise levels down to a minimum. Care Homes for Older People Page 9 of 28 What has improved since the last inspection? 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 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 Older People Page 10 of 28 Details of our findings Contents Choice of home (standards 1 - 6) Health and personal care (standards 7 - 11) Daily life and social activities (standards 12 - 15) Complaints and protection (standards 16 - 18) Environment (standards 19 - 26) Staffing (standards 27 - 30) Management and administration (standards 31 - 38) Outstanding statutory requirements Requirements and recommendations from this inspection Care Homes for Older People Page 11 of 28 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 and the support they need. People who stay at the home only for intermediate care, have a clear assessment that includes a plan on what they hope for and want to achieve when they return home. People can decide whether the care home can meet their support and accommodation needs. This is because they, or people close to them, have been able to visit the home and have got full, clear, accurate and up to date information about the home. 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 them 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 are provided with information about the home, this helps them to decide if it is the right move for them. Evidence: The Statement of Purpose and Service User Guide for Laxton Hall are available within the front sitting area of the home, these documents are also available to download on Laxton halls website. These documents detail the training and experience of the staff working at the home and the range of services available, together with background information on the purpose of Laxton Hall they give a good insight into ethos of care provided at the home. Copies of the last key inspection report carried out by The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI now called The care Quality Commission CQC) are available within the front sitting area. The majority of people living at Laxton Hall speak and read Polish, and it was noted that both reports were published in English. Care Homes for Older People Page 12 of 28 Evidence: We asked people about their experience of moving into Laxton Hall, in many cases people told us that they had been given good information about the home, before they moved in and that this had helped them to decide whether the move was right for them. One person said that the decision to move into the home had been made by their family, that they had missed their home at first but now feel that it was the right decision. We looked at a sample of care plans (care plans provide written information on how the home aims to meet the health, social, emotional and spiritual needs of people). Within the care plans viewed there was records of pre admission assessments having been carried out prior to the person moving into the home. Obtaining this information ensures that peoples needs are known and ensures that the care home can meet the assessed needs. Care Homes for Older People Page 13 of 28 Health and personal care 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 health, personal and social care needs are met. The home has a plan of care that the person, or someone close to them, has been involved in making. If they 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. People’s right to privacy is respected and the support they get from staff is given in a way that maintains their dignity. If people are approaching the end of their life, the care home will respect their choices and help them 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 excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. Peoples health and personal care needs are met and their preferences respected. Evidence: Each person who lives at Laxton Hall has a care plan, written in both English and Polish languages. The information within the care plan ensures that staff can provide individualised care for people according to their needs. in discussion with people using the service all comments were positive, such as, the staff are wonderful, marvelous, they do whatever I ask of them, they are like angels. We sent out surveys to people using the service and relatives to complete, within the surveys we asked what did they think that the home does well. We received the following comments: The sisters seem attentive and caring. They display patience and understanding towards the elderly and infirm. As a visitor I have been impressed by the ambiance and atmosphere at Laxton Hall over the last 14 months. The domestics staff also seem very caring staff ratios seem to be good especially at busy Care Homes for Older People Page 14 of 28 Evidence: times of the day e.g. meals. Laxton hall is an exceptional home, my mother is very happy here, the sisters and the staff are very kind, it is the best home I have ever seen in England. The food and the cleanliness are excellent. We asked what the home could do better, we received the following comments: I am a non Polish speaking relative and have found communication within Laxton Hall quite difficult. Only a few of the senior nuns have a good command of English e.g. enough to communicate important details or changes that might have occured. We honestly do not think it could be improved. Other comments received were: The accomodation and ambience are both traditional and comfortable. The food is adequate and varied. My father has settled in and feels secure at Laxtonoccurredaccommodationambiance Hall. He can be quite difficult socially and is very independently minded, but these things have been taken into consideration with both love and a tactful understanding of his needs. I know his family would feel we have made the right choice for him. This is a kind place my mother is very happy here, the whole family are very pleased with the high quality of care. We are very pleased and grateful to the staff at Laxton Hall Some people living at the home have specific healthcare needs such as special dietary needs, such as, foods needing to be pureed and drinks needing to be thickened to reduce the risks of choking. We looked at the care of a person who required this kind of support with eating and drinking. There were records available to show that the staff are fully aware of the persons dietary needs, we observed this person receiving their lunchtime meal and the actions taken by the staff demonstrated that the person was receiving the right care. Within the care plans viewed there was records of people having full access to health and social care professionals such as general practitioners, podiatrists and occupational therapists. Each week a GP surgery is held at the home, when a GP visits to carry out medication reviews. There was evidence of people being assessed for any risks of developing pressure sores, risks of falling and any risks relating to their nutrition. Records show that where people were shown to be at risk appropriate action is taken to address the risks, such as people being assisted to change position and specialist pressure relieving equipment being used. We sample checked the medication stocks and administration records and all appeared well managed. We observed people receiving their medications and staff were observed to administer medications discreetly taking into consideration peoples preferences. Care Homes for Older People Page 15 of 28 Evidence: During the inspection visit staff were observed to treat people with dignity and respect, addressing people by their preferred name, and promoting independence and choice. Care Homes for Older People Page 16 of 28 Daily life and social activities 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 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. They are as independent as they can be, lead their chosen lifestyle and have the opportunity to make the most of their abilities. People have nutritious and attractive meals and snacks, at a time and place to suit them. There are no additional outcomes. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People are happy with the lifestyle that they have at Laxton Hall. Evidence: Many of the people living at Laxton Hall are Polish ex-servicemen and women and their spouses, who have lived in England for many years. In discussion with people using the service they confirmed that they were able to pursue their own interests and hobbies. The main lounge/dining room had an ample supply of books, board games and puzzles available. People using the service were observed socialising with each other and staff, and to move around the home as they wished, some preferring to be within the communal areas of the home and others to spend time in their own rooms. People were seen to sit in small groups conversing with each other and staff, looking at newspapers and magazines and to watch Polish TV programmes. Visitors from the local villages and outlining Polish community groups regularly visit the home, such as musical entertainers, local school children, scout groups, and the Care Homes for Older People Page 17 of 28 Evidence: local parish priest. Mass is provided on a daily basis by the on site priest, which takes place within the homes own chapel. The services are open to all people who use the service, relatives and visitors from the local villages. There is a strong emphasis in keeping with Polish traditions, culture and religious festivals which are celebrated throughout the year. Many of the staff are familiar with Polands history and the themed activities and discussions reflect this. Each day before lunch there is the provision for people to join together to say grace, people said that they like to do this. The meals provided at the home meet the individual needs of people and reflects traditional Polish Cuisine. People said the food was very good, we observed the lunchtime meal being served, which was minestrone soup and a traditional Polish meatball dish, with noodles, mixed vegetables and fresh salad. The ambiance within the dining room was very calm and relaxed, people who required additional support to eat their meals received this with sensitivity and tact from the staff. Care Homes for Older People Page 18 of 28 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. Any concern is looked into and action taken to put things right. The care home safeguards people from abuse and neglect and takes action to follow up any allegations. People’s legal rights are protected, including being able to vote in elections. 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 protected by the homes policies, procedures and practices. Evidence: The home had received one recent complaint, that had been referred to the Northampton Local Authority Safeguarding Team, and was currently still being investigated. The complaints policy was on display within the main reception sitting area, however the contact information for CQC required updating as still had reference to the former regulator The Commission for Social Care Inspection and its previous contact address. This was brought to the attention of the registered manager during the inspection who made arrangements for the information to be updated. People spoken to said they felt safe and well cared for and that they were aware of how to raise any concerns if they needed to. Records of staff training evidenced that training is provided on safeguarding of adults to ensure that staff are aware of their responsibility to keep people safe. Care Homes for Older People Page 19 of 28 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, 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. 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 provided with accomodation that is well-maintained, clean and homely. Evidence: There are three main communal areas within the home, one adjacent to the front entrance and the dining room, one more formal lounge which contains a grand piano and extensive library, and another used as a main sitting room, with occasional tables, two dining tables, and a TV area. All areas viewed throughout the home were clean and pleasant. Bedrooms viewed were personalised with peoples own items of furniture, photographs, pictures and ornaments and within the communal areas of the home there was many, well tendered pot plants, that give a warm homely feel. Refurbishment and redecoration work has taken place such as, refurbishment to the lift and stairwell, the flooring in the main hall way has been replaced with a washable decorative flooring, radiator covers have been fitted, and store cupboards have been fitted to enable the discreet storage of equipment. Also a partially wireless fire alarm circuit has been fitted. It was noted how calm and relaxed the atmosphere within the home was, a main contributing factor to this is that the staff carry personal pagers, which ensures they can discreetly attend to peoples needs as and when required and greatly helps in Care Homes for Older People Page 20 of 28 Evidence: keeping environmental noise levels down to a minimum. The main kitchen and laundry were viewed and both were seen to be kept clean and well organised. There was evidence of cross infection control practices being followed, staff were observed to wear protective clothing and hand sanitiser gels were available throughout certain areas of the home. Care Homes for Older People Page 21 of 28 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 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 to care for them. Their needs are met and they are cared for by staff who get the relevant training and support from their managers. 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. People are cared for by a trained, caring and dedicated staff team. Evidence: We sample checked records of staff recruitment and training, all of the files viewed contained the necessary information to evidence that thorough recruitment checks are carried out prior to staff taking up employment at the home. This involves checks with the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the protection of Vulnerable Adults Register (POVA) and written references from previous employers. Staff training records viewed had evidence that staff had been provided with mandatory induction training, to include Fire Safety, Food Hygiene,Infection Control, Moving and Handling, First Aid and Safeguarding Adults. there was records of staff having further training on Dementia care, Risk Assessment, Medication Administration, Pressure Sore Management, Diabetes Awareness, Continence Management, Person Centred Care Planning and Nutrition Awareness. We sent out surveys for staff to complete to tell us their opinion on the level of training and support they receive, positive comments were received such as, I have completed all necessary courses, a recent study day on dementia was very good. We asked staff to comment on what they think the home does well, we received the following comments: everything is very good, we help people to feel safe our home Care Homes for Older People Page 22 of 28 Evidence: supports people to feel safe, residents have psychological comfort and twenty four hour care everything we do is always with love and compassion we always do our best with every aspect of our care, I think its the best home and excellent care it is a good quality home, care, food, ambiance, faith & culture it is an unusual home, dedicated, compassionate of a high standard. We care for Polish speaking residents with dignity and respect this is a nice place to work, I think our home is doing very well. I am happy to work here I would recommend it to anyone. We asked staff to comment on what they think the home could do better the following replies were received: I would like to keep on studying whilst I work, to consolidate ideas to be up to date with dementia care we are always striving to keep up to pace with our professional practice more time to spend with residents less paperwork to continue to keep getting better it is important that the drive to the home is upgraded, it is like a dirt track. Other comments received were: the atmosphere is friendly for families, residents and staff no public transport from Laxton Hall to nearby towns, this is a shame the atmosphere is always positive, warm and welcoming towards residents families, all visitors and staff an oasis of peace is here, the air is fresh the home is wonderful, no public transport is a shame. it is a wonderful home in splendid grounds. residents have a lot of space as well as good care. I have worked here 35 years and everyday we improve our care. It is a special place - peacful and loving there is a welcoming atmosphere all residents have individual care plans, everyone is looked after. It is an ideal place for elderly people, but no public transport. Staff were observed caring for people in a kind and sensitive manner. Care Homes for Older People Page 23 of 28 Management and administration 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 led and managed appropriately. People control their own money and choose how they spend it. If they or someone close to them cannot manage their money, it is managed by the care home in their best interests. The environment is safe for people and staff because appropriate 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. The people staying at the home are safeguarded because it follows clear financial and accounting procedures, keeps records appropriately and ensures their staff understand the way things should be done. They get the right care because the staff are supervised and supported by their managers. 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. Laxton Hall is managed in the best interests of the people using the service. Evidence: The Registered Manager is a qualified RGN with an NVQ Level 4 and is also a qualified NVQ assessor. She has 29 years experience in nursing and social care of which 7 have been at management level. There is effective systems in place to ensure that the health and safety and well being of the residents, staff and any visitors that come to the home. This includes regular audits to ensure that the homes policies and procedures are being followed by all staff. The home carries out regular quality surveys and holds regular meeting with people using the service and their representatives this ensures that people have a say on the care they would like to receive. Care Homes for Older People Page 24 of 28 Evidence: All staff receive regular 1-1 supervision and annual appraisals, this individual areas of training and development are identified and provided. There is effective systems in place to ensure that money held on behalf of people using the service is stored securely and supported with records and receipts. Care Homes for Older People Page 25 of 28 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 Older People Page 26 of 28 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 1 27 Consideration should be given to ensuring that there is a mix of English and Polish speaking staff on duty at all times. This would assist in improving communications with non Polish speaking relatives and visitors. Care Homes for Older People Page 27 of 28 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. Copyright © (2009) Care Quality Commission (CQC). 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