Latest Inspection
This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 14th October 2009. it is an annual review prepared by CQC after examining previous reports and information from the provider. At the time of this report, CQC judged the service to be Good.
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 Sycamore Court Nursing And Residential Care Home.
Annual service review
Name of Service: Sycamore Court Nursing And Residential Care Home The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: two star good service 3 0 1 0 2 0 0 7 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 We do an annual service review when there has been no key inspection of the service in the last 12 months. It does not involve a visit to the service but is a summary of new information given to us, or collected by us, since the last key inspection or annual service review.
Has this annual service review changed our opinion of the service?
No You should read the last key inspection report for this service to get a full picture of how well outcomes for the people using the service are being met. The date by which we will do a key inspection: Name of inspector: Elizabeth Dudley Date of this annual service review: 1 4 1 0 2 0 0 9 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 8 Information about the service
Address of service: Fitzherbert Drive Bear Road Brighton East Sussex BN2 4DU 01273-697331 01273621163 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:
www.anchor.org.uk Anchor Trust Name of registered provider(s): Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : old age, not falling within any other category Conditions of registration: Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 0 40 The maximum number of service users to be accommodated is 40 The registered person may provide the following category of service : Care home with nursing (N) to service users of the following gender: Either whose primary care needs on admission to the home are within the following category : Old age, not falling within any other category (OP) Have there been any changes in the ownership, management or the No service’s registration details in the last 12 months? If yes, what have they been: Date of last key inspection: Date of last annual service review (if applicable): Brief description of the service Sycamore Court is a purpose built home owned and run by Anchor Trust. Whilst it is registered to offer both nursing and residential care to people over 65 years of age it is currently only offering care to those people with nursing needs. The home is situated in a residential area on the outskirts of Brighton within approximately five minutes walk of local transport services. The home can also offer parking for around 14 cars. Spanning three floors, all of which are served by a shaft lift, the home has a large
Annual Service Review Page 2 of 8 3 0 1 0 2 0 0 7 lounge/ dining area on the first floor and small lounge areas on each of the other floors. The small lounges have tea and coffee making facilities for relatives and friends of residents. There is also a small well-maintained garden, which is accessible to all from the ground floor. There are five assisted bathrooms and all residents rooms have an en-suite facility consisting of shower, washbasin and w.c. The home is staffed by registered nurses twenty four hours a day. The home is now contracted to provide six beds for transitional and interim care for Brighton and Hove Social Services. Current fees range from £667 to £766 per week. For more information about the fee and what it includes please contact the Provider. Annual Service Review Page 3 of 8 Service update since the last key inspection or annual service review:
What did we do for this annual service review? We looked at all the information that we have received, or asked for, since the last key inspection or annual service review. This included: The annual quality assurance assessment (AQAA) that was sent to us by the service. The AQAA is a self-assessment that focuses on how well outcomes are being met for people using the service. It also gave us some numerical information about the service. Surveys returned to us by people using the service and from other people with an interest in the service. Information we have about how the service has managed any complaints. What the service has told us about things that have happened in the service, these are called notifications and are a legal requirement. The previous key inspection and the results of any other visits that we have made to the service in the last 12 months. Relevant information from other organisations. What other people have told us about the service. The last key inspection took place on the 30th October 2007 and the last annual service review took place on the 1st October 2008 What has this told us about the service? The manager sent us the Annual Assessment Review when we asked for it, this gave us information about what has taken place in the home over the past twelve months and the plans the home has for the next year. The last key inspection report for the home was positive and there were no statutory requirements made. Information received about the home over the past twelve months has not given us any reason to change our opinion of the home, and enables us to be reasonably confident that the home continues to provide good outcomes for the residents that live there. The home provides accommodation with nursing care for up to forty older people age 65 and over. Included in these numbers are 32 places which are purchased by the local authority on a block contract, and six beds which are used for transitional care. Residents arealso accepted for permanent care. The manager tells us that all prospective residents, irrespective of their funding arrangements, are assessed by either herself or another member of senior nursing Annual Service Review Page 4 of 8 staff, prior to offering them a place at the home, to ensure that the home can meet the prospective residents needs. The home produces a Statement of Purpose and Service User Guide, which are given to the prospective resident, along with a brochure, to ensure that the person has sufficient information about the home to enable them to make an informed decision over whether they wish to live there. Prospective residents and their representatives can also visit the home prior to making this decision. Information received from residents and their representatives said that I was given plenty of information. The admission process was thorough and the manager made sure she knew all about me, I was made very welcome when I went to live there. Each resident has a plan of care which is formed on admission to the home, these are reviewed on a monthly basis and formed in consultation with the resident or their representative. Health care professionals such as the Specialist Wound Care Nurse, the Nursing Home support specialist nurse team and general practitioners, are accessed for residents as required. The home has its own physiotherapist who visits once a week, and the Macmillan Nurses and Nursing Home Support Specialist nurses come in and advise on the care of those residents who require end of life care. The home intends to undertake some specialist courses on end of life care in the coming year. Comments received from residents included The care staff are very attentive and always help when needed, they always deal with any issues in a sensitive manner and with humour.The staff are very caring and deal with care promptly and efficiently. They are prompt to deal with medical problems and get the doctor if we need them. The home provides all residents with a copy of the complaints policy and is proactive about addressing any complaints. All of the surveys received showed that residents were aware of how to make a formal complaint although the majority said that they would talk about any concerns with the manager. There has been one complaint received by the home in the past year and this was not substantiated. There have also been five adult safeguarding issues, none of which were proven. The management deal with adult safeguarding issues well, following national guidelines and informing both the local authority and the Care Quality Commission promptly of any that occur, therefore ensuring the safety of the residents in the home. All staff have received training in the safeguarding of adults. There is a full time activities coordinator employed and residents receive the benefits of a well planned activities programme which included outings to theatre, dog and horse racing and local places of interest. Comments received from residents showed that they think that the activities are interesting and there are always activities going on but some said that they wished there were activities at weekends. The home has always provided a high standard of catering, and residents surveys confirmed that a varied and nutritious diet is provided with very positive comments about the food. We all really look forward to mealtimes, very well cooked food, full marks to the chef.
Annual Service Review Page 5 of 8 Three surveys received from residents said that they felt the home needed more staff especially at weekends and afternoons. However none of the eight surveys received back from staff identified this as a problem. All staff surveys did however show that staff were unhappy with the current practice in the home which no longer supports care staff having a full handover at various shifts. Staff said We dont get a handover any more which makes it very difficult to know what the current needs of residents are. I feel that since the care staff no longer have handover and being part time , important issues are sometimes missed and I think that this can reflect on the level of care for our residents. There is insufficient communication between nurses and care staff. All staff said that the current induction course prepared them for their work and that the home was good at providing them with relevant training. Over 50 of the care staff have gained the National Vocational Qualification in Care at level 2 or above. The home has always provided a clean and attractive environment for residents. Recently some building work has taken place to enlarge the managers office and to update one of the bathrooms. Two members of staff are infection control Champions- members of staff who attend training with the Health Protection Agency and liaise with between the home and this agency to ensure that infection control policies and practices meet national guidelines and recent research. The manager has recently undertaken training in Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding and has assessed residents for any needs they may have in this area. The staff have received training on the Mental Capacity Act. The AQAA tells us that the majority of the policies and procedures have been updated on a regular basis and discussions were held with the manager regarding ensuring that any policies regarding care practices are personalised to the needs of the residents in the home. The AQAA also stated that the utilities and equipment provided in the home receive regular servicing. Health and safety issues are given appropriate consideration in the self-assessment and the internal quality audits. All the records available provide enough evidence to suggest that the home is continuing to look at ways to improve the delivery of care and how this can be better accomplished. What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? The Care Quality Commission is reasonably confident that this service is continuing to provide good standards of care, and will continue to monitor it through ongoing processes. A key inspection will be carried out by the 30th September 2010. The Commission has the power to inspect the service at any time, particularly if there
Annual Service Review Page 6 of 8 are concerns about the quality of the service, or the safety of the people using the service. Annual Service Review Page 7 of 8 Reader Information
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