Latest Inspection
This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 25th May 2010. CQC found this care home to be providing an Good service.
The inspector made no statutory requirements on the home as a result of this inspection
and there were no outstanding actions from the previous inspection report.
For extracts, read the latest CQC inspection for Stonecroft.
What the care home does well This is a small service who provide a good service to those service users who need respite care. It is a well run service and systems and procedures have been put in place to ensure they are meeting the required legislation. The manager is proactive in wanting to improve and develop the service. Feedback from service users included `they create a home from home`, `the staff are nice`, `staying at Stonecroft helps me to be more independent for when I can live on my own - I love going there`, `I would like Stonecroft to open all day so I can go more`, `my duaghter loves going - so they must do everything well` and `they are friendly and welcoming`. What the care home could do better: All the requirements at the last Key inspection had been actioned and there have been no requirements or recommendations made at this random inspection. Random inspection report
Care homes for adults (18-65 years)
Name: Address: Stonecroft Leywood Close Braintree Essex CM7 3NP two star good service 29/09/2008 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: Sharon Lacey Date: 2 5 0 5 2 0 1 0 Information about the care home
Name of care home: Address: Stonecroft Leywood Close Braintree Essex CM7 3NP 01376347389 01376347389 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Helen Wilson Type of registration: Number of places registered: Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Thera Trust care home 3 Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 0 learning disability Conditions of registration: 3 Persons of either sex, under the age of 65 years, who require care by reason of a learning disability (not to exceed 3 persons) Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Stonecroft is a detached bungalow situated on the outskirts of Braintree in a quiet residential area. The registered manager is Helen Wilson. The property is owned by Essex County Council and is leased to the Thera East to manage the service. The aim of Stonecroft is to provide care for up to three adults with learning disabilities, who stay at the home for short periods of respite care and attend day services during the weekdays. Stonecroft is closed between 9.00am and 3.30pm each weekday but people that use the service are able to stay at the home at the weekend. The property is homely in appearance, well decorated and furnished and spacious. There are 3 single
Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 2 of 12 2 9 0 9 2 0 0 8 Brief description of the care home bedrooms, a bathroom, a separate toilet, lounge/dining room, kitchen, laundry room, conservatory and a large garden. Access to the property is good and parking facilities are available on the drive at the front of the house. The manager stated that fees for accommodation are dependent on the length of stay and the persons needs. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 3 of 12 What we found:
This was a random inspection, which took place over four hours. The reason for this inspection was to look at any outstanding requirements and recommendations that were made at the last Key inspection on the 29th September 2008. A tour of the home and an inspection of the environment was completed and records and documentation were generally viewed. Areas looked at included information given to residents about the home before being admitted, information gained by the home when residents first come to stay, information given to staff on the care required, the facilities and environment of the home, and any complaints or safeguarding referrals that may have been received since the last inspection. An Annual Quality Assurance Assessment (AQAA) was sent to us by the Manager. The AQAA is a self-assessment which focuses on how well the service consider they are doing, it includes information about the service and how it intends to improve over the next 12 months. Due to being a short stay or respite service, none of the present residents were at Stonecroft as they were attending daycentres or other activities. The home is generally closed between the hours of 9:00am and 3:30pm. Due to this much of the feedback was gained from questionnaires from the staff and users of the service. Feedback from these questionnaires have been included in this report. At the end of the day the inspection was discussed with the Manager and advice and guidance is given regarding the findings. Standard 1. The home presently has 25 service users who use the service during the year. There are three permanent staff who cover all the shifts within the home. Stonecroft has a Statement of Purpose and Service User Guide, which provides details on the service and facilities; these had been recently reviewed. The manager advised that perspective users of the service would be provided with this information and those service users who returned questionnaires confirmed that they had been given enough information about the home before they came to stay. Standard 2. An assessment of need is completed at the start of the service and there is a set form to ensure all the required information is gained. Families are involved in the assessment process to ensure that essential information is gathered. New users of the service would be offered a trial visit, which would consist of having a meal and then staying overnight. Standard 3. Documentation seen showed that training is provided to staff to ensure they have the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the people they care for. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 4 of 12 Standard 4. This Standard was not fully inspected. Standard 5. This Standards was not fully inspected. Standard 6. There are separate files for each of the service users and these were well presented. Those files viewed contained information on the individual and how they wished their care to be provided. There was evidence that families had been involved in the care plan process and support plan were available for health, household tasks, activities, communication, night time and finances. Evidence showed that six month reviews had also been completed. Standard 7. This Standard was not fully inspected. Standard 8. This Standard was not fully inspected. Standard 9. Service users are supported to take part in activities and daily life skills. Risk assessments had been completed on each aspect of the individuals care plan. Extra risk assessments had also been completed around any tasks in the kitchen and bathroom. Risk assessments had been reviewed 6 monthly. Standard 10. This Standard was not fully inspected. Standard 11. This Standard was not fully inspected. Standard 12. This is not applicable due to the nature of the service and that service users are already part of the community whilst living at home. Standard 13. Community links and social inclusions is part of the individuals life when they are living in the community. Stonecroft staff try to ensure that whilst users of the service are on their short stay that their usual activities are attended, but they also ensure others are organised. The manager stated that plans are often completed before they come in, so
Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 5 of 12 that staff are aware of what activities they want to do whilst there. Feedback from the questionnaires included staff strive to enable service users to access the community and carry out their chosen activities. Standard 14. This Standard was not fully inspected. Standard 15. The home has space for 3 respite users, so they would try to arrange for the same interests and age to stay at the same time. The manager added that she would look to see if they were compatible and had the same interests. Standards 16. The manager stated that those who stay at Stonecroft are involved in the daily routines were possible. They are encouraged to be as independent as possible, whilst they are on their stay and would assist with bed making, washing, gardening, meals and any general household chores. They are also encouraged to keep their bedroom tidy. Standard 17. Menus are made up each week, once they have looked at the likes and dislikes of each service user who is going to be staying. A menu would then be produced that took into account any dietry needs. The manager added that if the user of the service would like something different then this would be arranged. Standard 18. Care is provided in a flexible way and takes into consideration the needs of each individual. Personal support is provided in private and individual preferences are taken into consideration. There are only 3 staff employed at Stonecroft, so the care is consistent and the service users know the staff very well. Standard 19. Healthcare would be arranged whilst users are at home, but Stonecroft ensure they have details of the health care providers, in case of emergencies. Standard 20. Some service users are self medicating, but others need support. Policies and procedures are in place for medication and risk assessments and regular audits are completed by management. Medication training is provided to staff. Standard 21. This Standard was not fully inspected. Standard 22.
Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 6 of 12 Details of the complaints procedure were made available and this was in a format that was appropriate for service user group. Details of the complaints procedure could be found in the Service User Guide and Statement of Purpose. On viewing the complaints folder this had a set form to record details of the complaint and also the outcome. Some of the service users who returned the questionnaires were aware of the complaints procedure and one staff member reported Stonecroft has a complaint and compliment procedure that is sent to all families/carers annually to remind who to contact if they have any issues. Standard 23. Safeguarding training and regular updates are provided to staff. safeguarding is also part of the induction process. The manager confirmed that all staff had received training. On discussion with the manager she was able to show an awareness of the process to be followed. Standards 24 - 30. Stonecroft is fit for its stated purpose. It is a well maintained bungalow that has been nicely decorated and furnished. All bedrooms are individual and have the use of a hand basin. There is a large bathroom which has been fitted with a parka bath. Adaptations and equipment around the home are appropriate to the needs of the service users who use the service. The manager stated that equipment would be looked at during the assessment stage, due to meeting the needs of many service users. The home is clean and hygienic and infection control is part of the health and safety training. Personal protective equipment is provided to staff. Those service users who returned questionnaires reported that the home is always fresh and clean. One of the requirements made at the last inspecting was for heating to be put in the conservatory. This requirement had been met. Standard 31. This standard was not fully inspected. Standards 32 & 33. The manager stated that training is provided both in house and external. From the documentation seen it was clear that the staff have the skills and knowledge to enable them to provide the care required. One staff member had completed their NVQ 2 and another had just started. Standard 34. Stonecroft have a policy and procedure in place for the recruitment of new staff. They also have a Human Resources department who are responsible for the recruitment. Documentation and checks are carried out, but no new staff had been employed since the last key inspection so files could not be checked. Those staff who returned their questionnaires confirmed that their recruitment had been done fairly and thoroughly.
Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 7 of 12 Standard 35. A training schedule has been made produced for 2010 and 2011. Mandatory training included Health & Safety, Moving and Handling, first aid, fire awareness and person centered care. Updates are provided annually. Two staff files were viewed and these contained evidence that training had been provided. The induction provided to new staff is in line with Skills for Care and this is completed over the first 12 weeks of employment. There is also a set induction for the home, which covers policies, procedures and competences. Standard 36. It was established that staff receive monthly supervisions, six monthly reviews and regular staff meetings. Minutes of meetings were provided and these showed that these had occurred regularly. There are only 3 staff employed at the home, there was good evidence that supervision had taken place. All staff confirmed that they receive enough support and meet with their manager regularly. Standard 37. The manager has achieved her Registered Managers Award and has the experience and skills required to run a care home. A requirement at the last inspection was that they manager completes her NVQ 4,. It was established that she is presently working towards this. Standard 38. This Standard was not fully inspected. Standard 39. There is a quality assurance system in place. The manager advised that they send out three questionnaires a month to gain feedback about the service from those who have recently used it. This is a picture bank questionnaire that covers areas around food, health, staff, finances and activities. Families are also approached to gain their views on the care and service provided. Standard 40. This Standard was not fully inspected. Standard 41. This Standard was not fully inspected. Standard 42. Safety certificates were made available to show that the health and safety and welfare of
Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 8 of 12 the residents is upheld. Checks had been completed on the electric, gas, fire checks, five doors and emergency lighting. Staff had been provided with first aid, food hygiene, moving and handling and health and safety training. COSHH assessments had been completed by the manager. Monthly regulation 26 reports are completed by the Operations Manager to ensure systems and procedures are being followed. 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 Adults (18-65 years) Page 9 of 12 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 Adults (18-65 years) Page 10 of 12 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 Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 11 of 12 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 Adults (18-65 years) 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. If you would like a summary in a different format or language please contact our helpline or go to our website. © Care Quality Commission 2010 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any format or medium for noncommercial 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. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 12 of 12 - 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!
