Care Home: Margaret House (Barley)

Similar services:

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

What the care home does well Comprehensive information is provided for all new and prospective users of the service, so that people are completely clear about the facilities available in the home. Trial visits and short stays are encouraged for people to fully experience life in the home. The staff go out of their way to welcome new residents and a welcome pack is provided which includes a card, flowers and fruit basket. Residents are fully involved in planning how they spend their days and how their care is provided. People who use the service are involved in their care planning and in individual reviews and in choosing the activities provided. Residents influence the meal planning and the facilities in the home and at their request a new shower room has been provided. The manager is planning to have a resident representative on all staff interview panels and to have residents` input in the planned newsletter for the home. The Commission had nine completed quality surveys returned from residents and ten from staff. Every survey contained positive comments and three said the home "does everything well". In answer to the question "what could the service do better ?" there were no responses except "nothing". Comments included praise for the meals and activities provided and several said the manager is "really good" and some staff said the manager "always supports the residents and staff". One member of staff commented that " it is a pleasure to work for the management of this home". There is a well established staff team at the home which provides continuity of care for the residents and the staff receive good levels of training and have up to date information provided for them, which enables them to provide very high standards of care. Every member of staff has either completed NVQ training or is currently completing this training. The manager and deputy are well trained and have kept up to date with all the changing legislation and guidelines relevant to care provision. The home is very well maintained both inside and out and provides excellent facilities and a very pleasant and comfortable environment for people living in the home, which they clearly appreciate. What has improved since the last inspection? The frontage to the home has been completely upgraded and now provides easier parking facilities and good wheel chair access. In addition the front entrance, both inside and in the entrance hall, have been remodelled and to a very high standard. The laundry area and staff room have been refurbished and the home has been redecorated throughout. Despite the home being a listed building, windows have been replaced appropriately and these and some improved lighting have provided more light for the residents to enjoy. Flat screen televisions have been provided for those residents who wanted them. What the care home could do better: No requirements have been made as a result of this inspection. Key inspection report Care homes for older people Name: Address: Margaret House (Barley) Church End Barley Nr. Royston Hertfordshire SG8 8JS     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: Patricia House     Date: 1 8 0 3 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 27 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) © Care Quality Commission 2010 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any format or medium for non-commercial purposes, provided that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a derogatory manner or in a misleading context. The source should be acknowledged, by showing the publication title and © Care Quality Commission 2010. www.cqc.org.uk Internet address Care Homes for Older People Page 3 of 27 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Margaret House (Barley) Church End Barley Nr. Royston Hertfordshire SG8 8JS 01763848272 01763848867 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Type of registration: Number of places registered: Mr T Kelly care home 28 Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 old age, not falling within any other category Additional conditions: Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Margaret House is a large Victorian detached house, which has been converted to provide care for 28 elderly people. There are three floors connected by a passenger lift and staircases. The conversion and extensions to the house have been sympathetically made and the house retains elegant period features whilst being suitable for its use as a care home. All the bedrooms are single occupancy and ten now have en-suite facilities. There is parking at the front of the house, behind a large brick wall. The grounds are extensive and beautifully kept and there is a large conservatory with lovely views. The home is situated in the quiet village of Barley, not far from the town of Royston. The village has a Post Office, shop, Health Centre and Church and Margaret House forms an integral part of this community. The homes Statement of Purpose/Service Users Guide and last inspection report are displayed in the entrance hall. Current fees for the home range from £650 to £850 per Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 27 Over 65 28 0 Brief description of the care home week. Fees include the cost of all outings and events at the home and some fees include the cost of hairdressing and chiropody, depending on the contract. The only costs not included in any fees are charges for private telephones. Care Homes for Older People Page 5 of 27 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 last key inspection of this service took place on 4th April 2007. The information in this report is based on an unannounced inspection of the home which took place over one day with one regulation inspector carrying out the work of the Commission. For the purposes of this report the Commission will be referred to as we. The registered manager was on duty all day and we spoke with staff and a visitor and observed and spoke with residents. We also visited all parts of the home and checked a selection of records. Before the inspection the manager had completed and returned to the Commission an annual self-assessment quality review, the Annual Quality Assurance Assessment, (the AQAA). This document included statistical information about the home and Care Homes for Older People Page 6 of 27 confirmation of the policy reviews and equipment checks which have taken place. Completed quality surveys from care staff and residents have been returned to the Commission and comments from these are referred to in this report. We have also reviewed any other information we have received about this service since the last inspection. Care Homes for Older People Page 7 of 27 What the care home does well: 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 Care Homes for Older People Page 8 of 27 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 9 of 27 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 10 of 27 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 who use the service are provided with detailed information which enables them to make informed choices about living in the home and be to clear about the services provided. The assessment procedures followed ensure that peoples individual needs can all be met by care staff at the home. Evidence: The home has a written Statement of Purpose and Service Users Guide which has been reviewed and updated since the last inspection. Copies of these documents were provided during the visit. The manager is currently amending one entry in the information. This is so that details about charges made for some additional services are clarified for residents funded by the Local Authority. The home also provides a brochure for prospective residents and has a web site where people can further consider the facilities provided at the home. The manager confirmed that all the written information about the home is available in large print, in other languages and in audio form to enable people with a wide range of needs to access the information Care Homes for Older People Page 11 of 27 Evidence: and make choices about where they might live. The written documents are displayed in the entrance hall and copies are available from the managers office. A copy of the Service Users Guide is also placed in every bedroom. Comments made by residents in the surveys returned to the Commission confirm that everyone is given copies of the homes brochure and Service Users Guide and understand and sign a written contract. Every resident has a written contract, which all parties sign so that everyone is clear about roles and responsibilities in the home. The manager confirmed that contracts clarify where any additional charges are made and said that contracts are also available in a variety of written and audio formats if required. We checked the records of a selection of residents during the inspection and all contained evidence of the detailed assessments which had been completed before the resident entered the home and saw care summaries which had been provided from referring agencies. This information ensures that the needs of the people concerned are clear and can be met by the services provided at the home. From this initial information, care plans had been completed so that care staff can be clear about how to meet peoples individual needs. The home is not registered to provide dementia care but care staff are all provided with a wide range of training so that they are aware of how peoples needs change over time. Courses in Care at the time of Death and Dying have been provided and all staff complete training in the Mental Capacity Act and in Equality and Diversity and those we spoke with were aware of the implications of this training. Some residents we spoke with confirmed that prospective residents visit the home and spend time looking round and having tea or over night stays so that they can be sure the home is right for them. Staff confirmed that all new residents are welcomed with flowers and a fruit bowl in their rooms and a welcome card, and said that people really appreciated this. Care Homes for Older People Page 12 of 27 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. People who use the service have care provided in a thorough and appropriate way and procedures followed ensure that residents are always treated with dignity and respect and have all their health needs met. Procedures for administering medication are sound and help protect the people concerned and support those who are able to selfmedicate. Evidence: We spoke with and observed residents in the communal areas of the home and then tracked a selection of their care plans. These records contained all appropriate details about the individuals health and social needs and all had the plans in place showing how to meet these needs. We saw evidence that the people concerned had been involved in the planning and residents told us that they take part in developing their care plans and are involved in any reviews and changes which might be made. The care planning in all the records checked was person centred and showed how needs are being met in an individual way, according to personal choice. One resident was remaining in bed during the inspection and details of the care being provided were recorded. One resident currently needs a hoist to transfer and needs two care workers Care Homes for Older People Page 13 of 27 Evidence: for assistance and risk assessments and planning for this care was all detailed. We saw evidence of all the appropriate health professional visits which are made and appropriate records were documented showing the palliative care which had been provided. The residents we spoke with praised the care provided by the staff and confirmed their needs are met in the way they choose. We saw evidence of the monthly reviews of care which are documented and saw the daily records completed by each residents key worker. Signed inventories of possessions were in place and wishes for death and dying had been recorded. The staff we spoke with had all received training in providing palliative care and demonstrated a professional and caring approach to implementing this care. No one has any pressure sores and care staff confirmed that residents are weighed monthly, at the same time, to ensure accurate assessments can be made of individual well being and to check if any ones nutrition needs monitoring. Returned surveys confirm that the care staff support the residents to be as independent as possible with personal care. All residents have a named key worker who ensures that all individual health needs are met for the residents they are responsible for. The people we spoke with confirmed that visitors are welcomed at the home at all times and said that staff always respect their privacy and treat them with dignity. The home now has a dedicated medication trolley and we checked the recording and storage of medication during the inspection. As noted at all previous inspections, the system for using pre-printed labels in the medication record sheets has been established for a long time with the surgery in the village. The current system works well for the residents in the home and we found no errors in the medication records. All written instructions on medication records will continue to be signed by two members of staff. Only senior staff administer medication although all staff complete medication training. The manager completes regular audits of medication and biannual visits are made by the local pharmacist. Some people administer their own medication and we saw completed risk assessments and contracts signed by these people to ensure the continuing safety of the process. Care Homes for Older People Page 14 of 27 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. Residents are happy with their daily lives at the home and are provided with the levels of activities they want. People who use the service remain part of the community, can see any visitors they choose and enjoy a variety of nutritious meals. Evidence: We saw the weekly activity plan displayed in the hallway and copies are provided in each bedroom so that residents and their families can be aware of the events which are to take place. Care staff confirmed they also remind residents on the day about events. The care staff provide most of the activities and we saw staff sitting with groups of residents and providing a range of activities during the inspection. The home continues to be an integral part of the local village life and residents use the church next door and some go to the local shop just over the quiet road outside. Children from the local primary school continue to visit the home and residents said they also go to the school for events. Some residents said they regularly knit items for charitable causes. Residents also said they grow fruit and vegetables in the garden and in the greenhouse and all those we spoke with said how much they enjoy the garden in the good weather. A singer comes to entertain the residents on a regular basis and a monthly music for health activity is provided by an external professional so that the residents can take part in gentle exercises. A church communion service Care Homes for Older People Page 15 of 27 Evidence: also takes place in the home on a monthly basis. The home has a vehicle which is adapted for wheel chair access for thr residents use. Residents said they go out with the staff for pub lunches, to visit local houses and garden centres and for afternoon tea. In the returned surveys, residents confirmed that they chose what activities and outings they take part in and that staff support them to follow any activity they are interested in. All activities and outings are paid for by the management at no extra cost to any resident. We saw the residents enjoy the mid-day meal during the inspection. As at previous inspection visits, red and white wine is offered to the residents or there is a variety of juice provided. The residents confirmed that the food in the home is excellent and this was also stated in the comments in the returned surveys. We spoke with the cook who has worked at the home for fifteen years. She said that residents can choose from at least two meal options daily and can also ask for a different meal on the day. Special diets are catered for whenever there is a need and all the produce is freshly delivered and food is home made. One resident had asked for a cooked breakfast at 6.30 every morning and this choice was being provided. People told us that they are involved in menu planning at the home and that their preferences for meals are always catered for. The manager is currently having table menus laminated for the dining room, and menus are also displayed in communal areas of the home. The home has been awarded a Five Star rating by the local district council for excellence in food hygiene. Many residents handle their own finances and where this is not possible, family members handle peoples affiars. The manager provides everyone with a receipt book and receipts are issued for all the client contributions to the fees for the home. Care Homes for Older People Page 16 of 27 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. Procedures followed in the home ensure that people who use the service are protected from abuse and can be confident that any concerns they have will be listened to. Evidence: The home has written policies on Safeguarding Adults, Making a Complaint and Whistle blowing. The staff we spoke with said they were aware of these policies and of their implications. We saw evidence that all staff receive training in these topics and summaries of the policies are included in the staff handbook. The manager has demonstrated a full knowledge of the Hertfordshire County Council safeguarding procedures and has used these procedures in the past to ensure the safety of residents. We saw that copies of the homes Complaints policy and Whistle blowing policy are displayed in the hallway and also in each residents bedroom. Returned surveys confirm that staff and residents are aware of the complaints procedure and people we spoke with said they would not hesitate to voice a concern if they had one. We checked the homes complaints record book but there have been no complaints made since the last inspection. No complaints about the home have been received by the Commission. Care Homes for Older People Page 17 of 27 Evidence: Residents confirmed they had been given details of how to contact advocacy services and said they are all registered to vote in elections. Care Homes for Older People Page 18 of 27 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 excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People who use the service benefit from living in a home which is very attractive inside and out and well maintained and kept clean and hygienic so that the risk of the spread of infection is minimised. Evidence: The home has an on-going programme in place for routine maintenance and regular refurbishment. The building is Grade 2 Listed, so that any changes or upgrading work has to comply with legal requirements. Since the last inspection the home has been redecorated and refurbished both inside in communal areas and outside, as far as possible. Some bedrooms have been completely refurbished and one new en-suite has been added. During the inspection work was in progress to create a new studio bedroom. One studio bedroom has already been created and looked very attractive. Many bedrooms have had new lighting fitted making it brighter for the benefit of the residents and flat screen televisions have also been provided in bedrooms. The manager said that feed back from residents had shown that people wanted a shower room, in addition to the bathrooms, and this facility has now been provided. Where appropriate,adaptations have been made to provide assistance for residents who have a physical disability and there are assisted bathing and lavatory facilities as well as grab rails positioned around the home. Outside, the entrance to the home has been completely revamped. The drive has been Care Homes for Older People Page 19 of 27 Evidence: resurfaced and purpose-built wheelchair access created, making parking and access easier as well as creating a very attractive frontage to the home. The entrance hall area has also been refurbished and provides a lovely entrance to the home. The gardens continue to be well maintained and in the AQAA the manager states that the pond area is due to be refurbished in the summer. The windows of the home have now been sympathetically upgraded whist complying with the requirements of the regulations made on this listed building. The home has a new call alarm system which is connected to the fire doors. This is so that staff are immediately alerted if someone leaves the home through the fire doors. Staff have been provided with internal bleepers so that they can call a colleague quickly if they need assistance. In addition to the call alarms in bedrooms, two alarms which hang round the neck have been provided for residents where risk assessments showed this would be beneficial. Since the last inspection visit the staff room and laundry have also been refurbished, providing more appropriate facilities for staff to use. All areas of the home were clean and hygienic and comments in the returned surveys confirmed this is always the case. All communal bathrooms and toilets had liquid soap and paper towels in place as recommended for good infection control. The care and domestic staff we spoke with said there were always good supplies of household and disposable gloves and aprons available. Care Homes for Older People Page 20 of 27 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 who use the service are protected by robust recruitment practices and benefit from having care provided by a well trained and professional staff team. Evidence: We spoke with residents and one visitor who all praised the staff in the home. People said there were always enough staff on duty to meet their needs and this satisfaction was also confirmed in the surveys sent to the Commission. The manager confirmed that interviews were being held for the position of a part time care assistant and we spoke with one fairly new care worker. However, most of the staff team have worked at the home for many years and there is a low turnover of staff, enabling consistency of care to be provided for the residents. A system of key workers operates in the home, and the manager confirmed that key working time is built in to everyones working week to ensure that each residents needs are met and recording is kept up to date. We checked a selection of staff training records and all appropriate training courses had been provided for staff, with certificates awarded. Recent courses included an update of Infection Control Procedures and the Mental Capacity Act. We spoke with a fairly new care worker and they said they had received thorough induction training and would be taking part in the courses booked for later this year. Care Homes for Older People Page 21 of 27 Evidence: All staff at the home have either completed NVQ 2 training or, in the case of newer staff, are undertaking this training at the moment. Three of the care staff have also completed NVQ 3 training. We checked three recruitment records of the more recently appointed staff. In all cases, we found evidence that all appropriate checks had been made before the individual started work. Each care worker had signed that they had received the homes staff hand book and had been given a Code of Conduct booklet for care staff. Care Homes for Older People Page 22 of 27 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 excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. Policies and procedures followed ensure that residents live in a home which is well managed and run for their benefit and where good practice promotes the welfare and safety of both residents and staff. Evidence: The manager has extensive experience of providing care and has worked at the home for thirteen years. The manager is registered with the Commission and has achieved NVQ 4 The Advanced Managers Award. The homes deputy manager has also worked at the home for thirteen years and has completed NVQ 2 and 3. The management at the home is therefore established but the manager has also demonstrated that she keeps up to date with all current legislation and good practice guidelines, for the benefit of the residents and staff. Those we spoke with during the visit and the comments received in the surveys from residents and staff all praised the manager and said they were happy with the running of the home. A formal Quality Assurance system continues to operate in the home. and quality Care Homes for Older People Page 23 of 27 Evidence: surveys are regularly sent to all the residents and their relatives as well as to GPs, nurses, physiotherapists, chiropodists and religious bodies, all of whom visit the home. The manager said that comments made in the last batch of returned surveys were all positive. Residents confirmed that the manager speaks with each resident daily and that residents meetings are regularly held. We saw a poster advertising the next meeting due to take place the following week. As already noted, a new shower room has been installed as a result of residents wishes and residents said their views are all taken into account in the running of the home. The manager said she is planning to include a resident on the interview panels for new care staff and is planning to produce a regular newsletter for the home which residents will contribute to. As already described, residents or their families or advocates look after the financial affairs of all those using the service. The care staff we spoke with confirmed that they have regular supervision and also attend the three monthly staff meetings. Staff were aware of the homes policies and procedures and we saw evidence that staff sign to confirm they have read and understood these policies. In the returned AQAA the manager confirmed that the home has all appropriate written policies in place and that these have been reviewed in the last year and updated where necessary. A new written policy on Equality and Diversity has been introduced and there are copies of the latest care Acts of Parliament on site. The manager said she has increased the information library in the home so that staff can be aware of all new guidelines for providing good care. Accident recording was up to date and fire records show that checks and drills regularly take place. The home has a comprehensive Fire Health and Safety policy and statement to ensure appropriate procedures are followed and so that residents and staff are kept safe at all times. Care Homes for Older People Page 24 of 27 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 25 of 27 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 Older People Page 26 of 27 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). 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. Care Homes for Older People Page 27 of 27 - 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!