Care Home: St Albans Place (14)

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What the care home does well The home carries out comprehensive assessments of need before admitting any new persons. It then draws up detailed, individualised care plans to meet those needs, including people`s health, medication and social needs. The privacy and dignity of the people who live in the home are protected and promoted by the staff, and they are encouraged to make their own decisions about their daily lives, as far as is possible. There is a good level of social activities and other social stimulation, and people are helped to make good use of their local community, as well as having their own visitors when they choose. Complaints are taken seriously and responded to appropriately. Staff have also been given the necessary training to keep vulnerable adults safe from abuse. The building is well maintained, clean and comfortable, and the people living their are encouraged to have their bedrooms as they wish them, reflecting their individual taste and hobbies. There is a stable, caring and experienced staff group. What the care home could do better: The home should keep clear records of all meetings held with the people living in the home about the proposed change of care provider. The home`s fire assessment should be reviewed annually. Random inspection report Care homes for older people Name: Address: St Albans Place (14) St Albans Place (14) Windy Nook Gateshead Tyne & Wear NE10 9SP three star excellent service The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: A quality rating is our assessment of how well a care home, agency or scheme is meeting the needs of the people who use it. We give a quality rating following a full review of the service. We call this review a ‘key’ inspection. This is a report of a random inspection of this care home. A random inspection is a short, focussed review of the service. Details of how to get other inspection reports for this care home, including the last key inspection report, can be found on the last page of this report. Lead inspector: Alan Baxter Date: 1 4 0 4 2 0 1 0 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: St Albans Place (14) St Albans Place (14) Windy Nook Gateshead Tyne & Wear NE10 9SP 01914697882 01914380159 eleanor.young@nhs.net Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Mrs Carol Ann Ruddick Type of registration: Number of places registered: Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Trust care home 4 Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 4 1 1 learning disability physical disability sensory impairment Conditions of registration: Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home 4 0 0 St Albans Place is a detached bungalow located within the Windy Nook area of Gateshead. It is close to a variety of local amenities and bus routes. The home has an enclosed rear garden and patio area with level access from the utility and lounge areas. There is also a small garden to the front of the house, which has ramped access. The bathroom and two of the bedrooms are provided with overhead tracking. Care Homes for Older People Page 2 of 9 Brief description of the care home There is an adapted bath, which is suitable for a person who has a physical disability. The design, layout and facilities of the home enable it to be suitable for people who have a physical disability. A loop system is installed to assist people who wear hearing aids. The home also has an adapted vehicle, which is appropriate for people who use a wheelchair. The home is registered to provide personal care for four adults over the age of 65 with a learning disability. The home is not registered to provide nursing care. It is managed and staffed by Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust formally Northgate and Prudhoe NHS Trust. The philosophy of the home is to support and enable service users to take part in a range of activities in the community and to take part in domestic routines within the home. The weekly fees are £1302:68. Additional charges are made for personal items such as toiletries, hairdressing, newspapers, and theatre tickets. Care Homes for Older People Page 3 of 9 What we found: The quality rating for this service is 3 star. This means that the people who use this service experience excellent outcomes. How the inspection was carried out: Before the visit we looked at the information we have received since the last key inspection on 23rd May 2007 and we looked at how the service dealt with any complaints and concerns since the last visit. We looked at the providers view of how well they are meeting the needs of their service users, and at any changes to the way the service is run. We also looked at the views of the service users and their relatives, by sending out surveys. An unannounced visit was made to the service on 14th April 2010. During the visit we talked to the registered manager, staff and one service user. We looked at information about the people who use the service and how well their needs are being met, and we checked what improvements have been made since the last inspection. We told the registered manager what we found. The Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Trust is in the process of negotiating to transfer the current care provision to another care provider. The service users will remain in the same premises, and with the same staff. The target for such a move is September this year. The wishes of the service users have been sought by staff and by independent advocates, and their wishes have been considered. The service carries out comprehensive assessments of need for any person referred to it for admission. In addition, the person and their family and/or representatives are invited to visit, and the person to stay at least overnight. For each identified need, a corresponding individual service user support plan is drawn up, to meet those needs. These are personalised to the individuals wishes, needs and preferences, stress the persons strengths as well as needs, and state in some detail how staff are to meet the identified needs. Support plans were have very recently been reviewed and revised, signed and dated. Service users have their health care needs regularly re-assessed, and receive any necessary treatment from the normal range of community-based health professionals, including annual flu injections. Only one of the service users is prescribed regular medication. All staff have received the appropriate training in the safe handling of medicines, and they get annual refresher Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 9 training in this important area. The Medication Administration Record (MAR) is wellmaintained and kept up to date, with no unexplained gaps. The manager has drawn up a list of staff names and the initials they use in the MAR, for audit purposes, and will ensure that all handwritten entries in the MAR are signed and dated. The privacy and dignity of the service users are protected by the staff at all times. This was evidenced by the sensitive care records, and by observations of staff interactions with the service users. The home provides a varied and dynamic programme of social activities and other social stimulation for its service users. This is tailored to each persons known likes, hobbies and interests, but staff are also active in seeking out new recreational opportunities for the service users. Service users are encouraged to take as many decisions about how they spend their day as they are able and willing to do. Choice includes meals and snacks, what to wear, when to rise and retire, social activities etc. Both service users enjoy their food, and staff use a food picture bank to engage service users in drawing up menus. These menus are flexible, and service users can change their minds if they so wish. The menus include high levels of fruit and vegetables, and are nutritious and varied. Both service users receive regular visits form family members. They may see their visitors at any time, in private if they wish, and can decide not to receive a visitor. Service users are also well-integrated into their local community and make regular use of local shops and other community facilities, such as churches and bingo. They also have a good range of in-house games, cards, and other pastimes. There is a clear complaints policy, and all staff have signed that they have read and understood it. An easy-read version is available to each service user in their bedrooms. The complaints record showed only one entry in the past year. This was from a relative, who was concerned at the possible detrimental impact of the behaviour of a former resident of the home. This was resolved positively. There are clear guidelines available to staff regarding how to react to any allegation or suspicion of abuse. There is an appropriate policy of immediately reporting any such concerns to the local Social Services office. All staff have had training in the safeguarding of both vulnerable adults and children. The manager is awaiting more detailed training in this area. Two safeguarding alerts have been raised by the service in the past year: both were appropriately recorded and reported. Both service users have been regularly consulted regarding the planned re-provisioning of the service (effectively, another care service will be taking over the provision of care to the service users, who will stay in their own home.) Both have independent advocates, as well as having monthly meetings with their social workers. Relatives and local authority managers are also involved in this consultation and planning process. The manager was advised to keep clear records of these meetings. The building has been kept in a good state of repair and refurbishment. In the past year, all communal areas have been redecorated, and a new corridor carpet fitted. Other Care Homes for Older People Page 5 of 9 carpets have been cleaned. A new television and some new furniture have been purchased. Windows in the kitchen are being replaced. The home is well staffed, with a very stable, dedicated and experienced staff group. The home has its own bank of relief staff to cover for sickness. All staff are up to date with mandatory staff training, and all but one have achieved National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) level 3 in care. The manager holds NVQ level 4 in care and management. The homes fire risk assessment has just been updated, in conjunction with the Fire Officer. What the care home does well: What they could do better: If you want to know what action the person responsible for this care home is taking following this report, you can contact them using the details set out on page 2. Care Homes for Older People Page 6 of 9 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, Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Care Homes for Older People Page 7 of 9 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, 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 3 The home should keep clear records of all meetings held with the people living in the home about the proposed change of care provider. The homes fire assessment should be reviewed annually. 2 38 Care Homes for Older People Page 8 of 9 Reader Information Document Purpose: Author: Audience: Further copies from: Inspection Report Care Quality Commission General Public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) Our duty to regulate social care services is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000. Copies of the National Minimum Standards –Care Homes for Older People can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or got 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 Helpline: Telephone: 03000 616161 Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk Web: www.cqc.org.uk We want people to be able to access this information. 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