Care Home: Mildred Avenue

Similar services:

• Coopers Mill Ltd
• Bramley Avenue (73)
• Paradise Lodge
• Grangewood
• Upaya Ananda
• Newton Court (1-2)
• Kings Lane (32)
• Pemdale

What the care home does well Mildred Avenue provides very good quality personal and health care support to meet the individually assessed needs of each service user. The home is effectively managed and staff are well trained and supported to enable them to provide a good service within a safe and homely environment. The home retains a stable core group of staff whose numbers are adequate to meet the needs of the service users and to ensure the smooth running of the service.The staff know the service users well and understand their needs very thoroughly and they have built up a good ability to communicate with each service user in a manner which they can recognise and understand. The environment is generally well maintained and the home provides good individual and communal spaces with appropriate facilities provided according to individually assessed needs. What has improved since the last inspection? Since the last inspection the Care Plans have all been rewritten following a morePage 11 of 33Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years)person centered format and the service users and their relatives are involved with the compiling of these plans if they wish. All the staff have now attained the Learning Disability Qualification and the core staff group remains very stable. This affords a safe stable and caring environment for the service users. Various works of redecoration and renovation have been completed throughout the home and these and the addition of new furniture, carpeting and soft furnishings in some areas provide an attractive and homely environment for the service users. What the care home could do better: The home is well managed and there were no issues of concern at the time of this visit. The home would benefit from having access to the internet. Key inspection report Care homes for adults (18-65 years) Name: Address: Mildred Avenue 136 Mildred Avenue Watford Hertfordshire WD18 7DX 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: Jan Sheppard Date: 2 2 0 6 2 0 0 9 This report is a review of the 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 stars – excellent  2 stars – good  1 star – adequate  0 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. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: 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 Adults (18-65 years) Page 2 of 33 Copies of the National Minimum Standards – Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or bought from The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering from the Stationery Office is also available: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop The 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 Adults (18-65 years) Page 3 of 33 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Mildred Avenue 136 Mildred Avenue Watford Hertfordshire WD18 7DX 01923249048 01923249243 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Type of registration: Number of places registered: Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : CareTech Community Services (No.2) Ltd care home 6 Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 6 0 learning disability Additional conditions: Date of last inspection A bit about the care home Mildred Avenue is a two storey detached property on a corner plot with a garden to the front and rear. It is conveniently Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 4 of 33 positioned being within walking distance of Watford town centre and is well placed for access to major road and rail routes. The home provides single bedrooms for all of its six residents, two having en-suite facilities. On the ground floor there is an entrance lobby, lounge and dining room with level access to the garden, the kitchen a bathroom and two bedrooms. There are stairs to the first floor, which comprises another bathroom and separate toilet, an office, the laundry room and three further single bedrooms. The home, which is owned by Caretech Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 5 of 33 Community Services Ltd. provides homely accommodation for six residents with learning disabilities. The fee range is currently between £1054.00 - £1500.00 per week which reflects the assessed level of need for each current resident. Information regarding the service is available in the Statement of Purpose and Service User Guide, which are available from the manager as is a copy of the latest CQC inspection report. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 6 of 33 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 Individual needs and choices Lifestyle Personal and health care support Concerns, complaints and protection Environment Staffing Conduct and management of the home Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 7 of 33 How we did our inspection: This is what the inspector did when they were at the care home This inspection was unannounced and took place over six hours on a weekday. This was a key inspection that focused on the key standards of the Care Standards Act 2000 relating to Younger People. This report is written using accumulated evidenced gathered prior to the inspection including information contained in the AQAA ( Annual Quality Assurance Assessment ) completed by the Manager, information given in the preinspection questionnaires returned to the Commission from service users relatives staff and other professionals Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 8 of 33 and also takes account of statutory notifications sent periodically to us by the manager. The AQAA is a self assessment that focuses on how well care outcomes are being achieved for people living at Mildred Avenue and also includes some useful statistical information. This helps us understand how the management of the home assess how they are doing, what they think they are doing well and what they recognize needs changing and how they intend to do this. During our visit we were able to speak with the staff on duty and with all the service users. Spot checks were made on a number of the homes records and service users care plans. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 9 of 33 What the care home does well Mildred Avenue provides very good quality personal and health care support to meet the individually assessed needs of each service user. The home is effectively managed and staff are well trained and supported to enable them to provide a good service within a safe and homely environment. The home retains a stable core group of staff whose numbers are adequate to meet the needs of the service users and to ensure the smooth running of the service. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 10 of 33 The staff know the service users well and understand their needs very thoroughly and they have built up a good ability to communicate with each service user in a manner which they can recognise and understand. The environment is generally well maintained and the home provides good individual and communal spaces with appropriate facilities provided according to individually assessed needs. What has got better from the last inspection Since the last inspection the Care Plans have all been rewritten following a more Page 11 of 33 Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) person centered format and the service users and their relatives are involved with the compiling of these plans if they wish. All the staff have now attained the Learning Disability Qualification and the core staff group remains very stable. This affords a safe stable and caring environment for the service users. Various works of redecoration and renovation have been completed throughout the home and these and the addition of new furniture, carpeting and soft furnishings in some areas provide an attractive and homely environment for the service users. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 12 of 33 What the care home could do better If you want to read the full report of our inspection please ask the person in charge of the care home If you want to speak to the inspector please contact Jan Sheppard CPC1 Capital Park Fulbourn Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 13 of 33 Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB21 5XE 01223771300 If you want to know what action the person responsible for this care home is taking following this report, you can contact them using the details set out on page 4. The report of this inspection is available from our website www.cqc.org.uk. You can get printed copies from enquiries@cqc.org.uk or by telephoning our order line - 0870 240 7535. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 14 of 33 Details of our findings Contents Choice of home (standards 1 - 5) Individual needs and choices (standards 6-10) Lifestyle (standards 11 - 17) Personal and health care support (standards 18 - 21) Concerns, complaints and protection (standards 22 - 23) Environment (standards 24 - 30) Staffing (standards 31 - 36) Conduct and management of the home (standards 37 - 43) Outstanding statutory requirements Requirements and recommendations from this inspection Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 15 of 33 Choice of home These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People are confident that the care home can support them. This is because there is an accurate assessment of their needs that they, or people close to them, have been involved in. This tells the home all about them, what they hope for and want to achieve, and the support they need. People can decide whether the care home can meet their support and accommodation needs. This is because they, and people close to them, can visit the home and get full, clear, accurate and up to date information. If they decide to stay in the home they know about their rights and responsibilities because there is an easy to understand contract or statement of terms and conditions between the person and the care home that includes how much they will pay and what the home provides for the money. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People who use this service have a full assessment of their care needs and are able to visit and test drive the service before having to make any decision about admission. The home has a Service Users Guide and an up to date Statement of Purpose and prospective residents have all the appropriate information to enable them to make an informed choice. Evidence: There have been no new admissions to Mildred Avenue since the last inspection. The service currently has one vacancy and although a number of pre admission assessments have been carried out on new applicants referred to them none has so far wished to move into the home. The manager explained that being a very small service not only is it important that the home can meet all their needs but any new applicant must be compatible with the existing resident group and must agree themselves to a move into the home. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 16 of 33 Individual needs and choices These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People’s needs and goals are met. The home has a plan of care that the person, or someone close to them, has been involved in making. People are able to make decisions about their life, including their finances, with support if they need it. This is because the staff promote their rights and choices. People are supported to take risks to enable them to stay independent. This is because the staff have appropriate information on which to base decisions. People are asked about, and are involved in, all aspects of life in the home. This is because the manager and staff offer them opportunities to participate in the day to day running of the home and enable them to influence key decisions. People are confident that the home handles information about them appropriately. This is because the home has clear policies and procedures that staff follow. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The people who use this service have person centered individually focused care plans which provide an up to date record of their needs, how these may be changing and how they will continue to be appropriately met. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed to accommodate changing ability need and risk. Evidence: All the care plans examined were found to be very detailed and to be recorded using a person centered planning format and to give good evidence of the service users involvement with the compiling of their plans. Plans gave good detail as to service users choices and how their preferences could best be met and how regular consultations with them were to be carried out. A note to remind staff to use the communications book for one service user who has regular speech therapy sessions was seen as an example of good practice. The manager explained that all the staff are to undertake further training on compiling Person centered Care Plans which is to commence in July. The service users all have a monthly Talk Time meeting with their chosen key worker this giving them the opportunity for private discussion so that they can be fully consulted and that their views Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 17 of 33 Evidence: can be known and acted upon by the staff. Comprehensive risk assessments are in place and they provide guidance which ensures staff can safely manage risks. They also detail what action is required should a risk occur and how this may in future be avoided. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 18 of 33 Lifestyle These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: Each person is treated as an individual and the care home is responsive to his or her race, culture, religion, age, disability, gender and sexual orientation. They can take part in activities that are appropriate to their age and culture and are part of their local community. The care home supports people to follow personal interests and activities. People are able to keep in touch with family, friends and representatives and the home supports them to have appropriate personal, family and sexual relationships. People are as independent as they can be, lead their chosen lifestyle and have the opportunity to make the most of their abilities. Their dignity and rights are respected in their daily life. People have healthy, well-presented meals and snacks, at a time and place to suit them. People have opportunities to develop their social, emotional, communication and independent living skills. This is because the staff support their personal development. People choose and participate in suitable leisure activities. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The people who use this service participate in an excellent range of activities based on their individual needs and choices and they are supported appropriately by staff to use local community facilities. A healthy varied diet of freshly prepared food is provided in a manner which meets their individual needs. Evidence: All the service users have an individually planned day activities programme encompassing weekdays and some also have regularly planned weekend activities including watching football going bowling and visiting the local shopping centre. Two local day centres are accessed where various small group activities and classes are attended. The home has established close working relations with day centre staff and the activity needs of the service users are evaluated and reviewed regularly. The centre staff will call the home to report any concerns or queries they may have thereby ensuring the best care for the service users; one such query was dealt with during our visit. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 19 of 33 Evidence: The residents were seen when they returned from their various day activities during the mid afternoon. It was noted that they were all happy and spoke very enthusiastically to the staff about what they had been doing at the day centre. One told us that they loved the cooking classes and another showed us some of their paintings. The staff told us that the home is well known in its local community and that neighbours have regular helpful contact with them. They are well known at the local church and join in with a number of parish activities. One service user is able to visit the local shops on their own to buy magazines and another is taken to a local hair salon. One service user has a mobile phone to help them stay in contact when away from the home. The one service user who has been assessed as safe to go out from the home on their own always carrys a keeping me safe card with details of the home on it. Since the last inspection all the service users have been away for a holiday these of varying durations to meet their individual abilities and wishes. Photographic evidence of holidays in Mauritius, Blackpool and the Isle of White were shown to us and two service users spoke of their plans to visit Spain later in the summer. Several of the service users are able to make regular visits to stay with parents and other family members including going on holiday with them also. The home arranges regular meetings with families and friends and they are invited to social events and parties held in the home the most recent was to celebrate a fiftieth birthday and photographic evidence showed that this had been a great success. The service user told us about this party and showed us the cards and presents they had received. The home is fortunate in having its own vehicle which facilitates them making trips around the locality and beyond. We were told of visits to Woburn Abbey and to Cadbury World as well as to the seaside and to London. One service user told us of the party with karaoke disco entertainment that had been arranged for their birthday. It was seen from the minutes that holidays and outings featured largely on the agendas for the residents meetings this reflecting their involvement with the planning of these and the promotion of their independence through expressing their rights and choices. Information given on the AQAA (Annual Quality Assurance Assessment) told us that the home continues to promote empowerment and further integration into the local community activities to meet individual service users assessed and changing activity needs. A weekly choice of menu is made by the residents with staff assisting them through the use of picture menu cards to choose dishes for each day. Choices are always available and several service users told us about their favourite meals. Fresh fruit and low fat yogurts were seen to be available with service users helping themselves to these from the fridge if they wished when they returned home from their day activities. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 20 of 33 Personal and health care support These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People receive personal support from staff in the way they prefer and want. Their physical and emotional health needs are met because the home has procedures in place that staff follow. If people take medicine, they manage it themselves if they can. If they cannot manage their medicine, the care home supports them with it in a safe way. If people are approaching the end of their life, the care home will respect their choices and help them to feel comfortable and secure. They, and people close to them, are reassured that their death will be handled with sensitivity, dignity and respect, and take account of their spiritual and cultural wishes. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The health and personal care that people receive is based on their individual needs and they are treated with respect and dignity. Evidence: During our visit we saw that the people who use this service were being supported by staff in a very respectful way and that personal care was delivered to them in the manner that they chose. Being a small home with a stable group of residents and staff who know them very well it was noticeable that staff and residents interacted warmly and with confidence in what was a very homely family like atmosphere. One service user had been taken to visit the doctor on the day of this visit. Staff said that they had built up good liaison relations with their local GP who was knowledgeable about learning difficulty conditions and who always responded promptly and would refer for specialist assistance when ever this was required. Service users records seen had visits to and from doctors and hospitals clearly documented with directions as to how any recommended treatment was to be delivered. Three care plans were examined during this visit. All were found to give a clear and detailed account as to how the assessed needs should be met. Risk assessments were seen to be in place and regular reviews involving social services and relatives are also recorded.Every person who lives in the home has their goals and aims recorded these records compiled in a person centered way for example How I like to be helped, What I like and what I do not like. Where they are Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 21 of 33 Evidence: able and willing residents sign their plans. Good records were seen for their health both physical and mental needs being recorded. Some of the daily records kept also included pictures to assist service users with a better understanding. All the service users have regular access to chiropody, dental, and sight and hearing testing along with physiotherapy and speech therapy and dietary oversight is given via their GP. Staff have undertaken training about Autism and Stoma Care so that they are able to meet the needs of all the service users. Since the last inspection staff have assisted the family of a service user who had to undergo an operation to be involved with their care both before and after the operation and their close involvement at this time undoubtedly helped them to a speedy recovery. The home continues to use a MDS monitored dosage system for medication storage and administration. Spot checks made on these records found them to be accurately maintained. The home has a Controlled medication cupboard and register but at the time of this inspection no controlled medication was being held. All the staff who administer medication have been trained to do so and undertake refresher training each year. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 22 of 33 Concerns, complaints and protection These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: If people have concerns with their care, they or people close to them, know how to complain. Their concern is looked into and action taken to put things right. The care home safeguards people from abuse, neglect and self-harm and takes action to follow up any allegations. There are no additional outcomes. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People who use this service are able to express their concerns, have access to an effective complaints procedure and they are protected from abuse. Evidence: The home has a clear Complaints policy and procedures which is also available in easy read picture format. This policy is available in the home and a copy was seen on the service users files. The manager explained that staff did go through this with the service users if an appropriate occasion arose. There have been no complaints concerning any care issues since the last inspection, one concern raised by neighbours concerning the wheelie bins and another by a relative concerning a poorly functioning boiler were promptly attended to and a new boiler has now been fitted. Staff spoken with showed a good awareness of safeguarding issues especially with this vulnerable resident group. One incident which was subject to a safeguarding investigation since the last inspection was seen to have been dealt with correctly giving full protection to the service users. The manager and one other staff member have recently attended training on the implications of the Mental Capacity Act, this information will be cascaded down to all other staff and mental capacity assessments will form part of the needs assessments for all the service users. One of the people who live in this service has an advocate. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 23 of 33 Evidence: Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 24 of 33 Environment These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People stay in a safe and well-maintained home that is homely, clean, comfortable, pleasant and hygienic. People stay in a home that has enough space and facilities for them to lead the life they choose and to meet their needs. The home makes sure they have the right specialist equipment that encourages and promotes their independence. Their room feels like their own, it is comfortable and they feel safe when they use it. People have enough privacy when using toilets and bathrooms. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The physical design and layout of the home enables people who use this service to live in a safe, well maintained and comfortable environment which encourages their independence. Evidence: All the service users have single bedrooms and two have en-suite facilities. The bedrooms seen during this visit at the invitation of the resident were found to be well appointed and to be decorated and furnished in a style that was chosen by them.They all told us that they were happy with their rooms. Since the last inspection the kitchen has been refurbished and the new furnishings and decorations provided in the dining room and lounge have greatly improved the overall internal appearance of the home. The bigger dining table enables all the residents and staff to sit together at meal times and the new sofas provide adequate spaces for all to sit together on the same level in the lounge. We saw that both these communal rooms were being well used by the residents when they returned from their day activities in the mid afternoon and that their confident behaviour expressed their ownership of them. The gardens were found to be well maintained with trees and shrubs being subject to regular pruning. A dripping overflow pipe to the side of the building was seen to need attention and the broken fence and side gate should be repaired this to ensure the safety and security of the service users at all times. We saw that residents and staff had embarked on some minor gardening projects in small beds and tubs. The manager Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 25 of 33 Evidence: explained that since the last inspection the home had benefited from a redecoration programme at which time a number of the residents took the opportunity to make changes to some of the furnishings and equipment in their rooms. The home at the time of this unannounced visit was found to be clean and tidy with no malodours. Good attention was seen to be given to infection control measures with pump action soap and alcohol gel available where this was safely possible. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 26 of 33 Staffing These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People have safe and appropriate support as there are enough competent, qualified staff on duty at all times. They have confidence in the staff at the home because checks have been done to make sure that they are suitable. People’s needs are met and they are supported because staff get the right training, supervision and support they need from their managers. People are supported by an effective staff team who understand and do what is expected of them. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People who use this service are cared for by experienced and trained staff who are themselves well supported and have sufficient skills to support the people who use the service. The recruitment policies and practices provide adequate safeguards to protect the service users. Evidence: The home is fortunate in retaining a stable core group of qualified and experienced staff and on the day of this visit it was seen that there were sufficient staff on duty to meet the needs of the residents and that they worked well together as a team to ensure the smooth running of the service. Training is ongoing and staff are encouraged to develop through the achievement of NVQ awards. A training matrix is in place to ensure that staff skills are regularly updated. Staff confirmed that they receive a good level of training and the home currently has over 80 of its staff holding or studying for NVQ qualifications. All the staff are expected to study for the LDQ ( Learning Disabilities Qualification). New staff are fully inducted and their competence is assured before they work unsupervised. Recruitment records were examined and it was found that all the required checks had been made before new staff are allowed to commence their duties. The staff supervision records evidenced that supervision is planned and regular and that Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 27 of 33 Evidence: an annual appraisal is carried out. Staff told us that being such a small home they are always able to speak with a manager at the time a query may arise and that this enables a prompt resolution of any problem and quick adjustments to care routines to meet the residents changing abilities and circumstances to be made. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 28 of 33 Conduct and management of the home These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People have confidence in the care home because it is run and managed appropriately. People’s opinions are central to how the home develops and reviews their practice, as the home has appropriate ways of making sure they continue to get things right. The environment is safe for people and staff because health and safety practices are carried out. People get the right support from the care home because the manager runs it appropriately, with an open approach that makes them feel valued and respected. They are safeguarded because the home follows clear financial and accounting procedures, keeps records appropriately and makes sure staff understand the way things should be done. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People who use this service benefit from living in a well run home where their views are listened to and acted on and where the welfare of both residents and staff are promoted. Evidence: The manager who has been registered by the Commission since the last inspection holds the RMA ( Registered Managers Award ) and NVQ level 4 in Care. She is assisted by a deputy who holds NVQ qualification at level 3. The manager operates an open door policy and works shifts on occasions. This ensures a good insight into service users needs whilst balancing the management requirements of the home. The service has a Quality Assurance Programme which is initiated by the company Caretech who send questionnaires to the residents, staff, relatives and other professional stakeholders in the service. The home gives good priority to promoting the health safety and welfare of the residents and staff through the regular maintenance of safety checks, training and record keeping. Spot checks made on the records relating to fire testing water temperatures and emergency lighting found these to be regularly completed along with risk assessments for the environment. The home carries out a three monthly fire evacuation drill and fire Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 29 of 33 Evidence: training for all staff was seen to have been carried out on 17th of February 2009. A fire safety audit carried out on 6th March 2008 was seen to have had a satisfactory outcome. The manager said that she carries out a monthly safety checklist audit throughout the home to identify any hazards or areas of deterioration where safety improvements or a change to the risk assessment are needed. The home benefits from regular Regulation 26 visits made by one of CareTechs Area Care Directors. The records made of the planned meetings for staff and for the residents evidenced that there was good participation at each and that the staff work hard at listening to the residents views and wishes. This was confirmed by the comments made on surveys returned from relatives and other stakeholders in the home. Comments made included My relative is very happy at Mildred Avenue where they have their place and feel confident within that setting . Thoughtful considerate caring given by well supported staff who work hard at listening to their residents and maintaining good communication with me. The home has policies and procedures in place to ensure the safe keeping of service users personal monies and spot checks made on two of these found the records to be well kept and that the amounts tallied. It would be beneficial for the home to have internet access so that they can keep fully up to date with the latest care developments and news and views from the Care Quality Commission and from their own company. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 30 of 33 Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection? Yes  No  Outstanding statutory requirements These are requirements that were set at the previous inspection, but have still not been met. They say what the registered person had to do to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Care Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. No Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 31 of 33 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 Description 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 Description 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 40 The service would benefit from having access to the INTERNET so as to beable to keep fully up to date with the latest views on care. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 32 of 33 Helpline: Telephone: 03000 616161 or Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk Web: www.cqc.org.uk We want people to be able to access this information. If you would like a summary in a different format or language please contact our helpline or go to our website. Copyright © (2009) 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 Adults (18-65 years) Page 33 of 33 - 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!