Latest Inspection
This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 28th April 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 Sycamore Lodge.
What the care home does well The home provides good, personalised care for the people living in the home. The people living in the home are able to learn new skills and maintain the skills they already have. The people living in the home are regularly asked for their views of the home. The communal areas of the home were comfortable and attractive. People were being assisted to be involved in things that they were interested in doing such as cooking, going out and seeking medical attention. What the care home could do better: The home should look at the long term plans for the home to ensure that the needs of the people living there can be fully met. Improvements to the fabric of the building should be funded by the provider. More use could be made of the accommodation on the second floor for people who want more independence. Random inspection report
Care homes for adults (18-65 years)
Name: Address: Sycamore Lodge 501 Slade Road Erdington Birmingham West Midlands B23 7JG two star good 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: Kulwant Ghuman Date: 2 8 0 4 2 0 1 0 Information about the care home
Name of care home: Address: Sycamore Lodge 501 Slade Road Erdington Birmingham West Midlands B23 7JG 01213776280 01213776280 valparker@mind-birmingham.co.uk Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Valerie Parker Type of registration: Number of places registered: Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Mind in Birmingham care home 13 Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 0 mental disorder, excluding learning disability or dementia Conditions of registration: 13 The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is: 13 The registered person may provide the following category of service only: Care Home Only (Code PC); To service users of the following gender: Either; Whose primary care needs on admission to the home are within the following categories: Mental Disorder, excluding Learning Disability or Dementia (MD) 13 Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Sycamore Lodge is a three-storey home consisting of two semi-detached properties, which have been converted into one home. All bedrooms are single and arranged over all three levels of the home. The accommodation on the top floor of the home is in the
Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 2 of 9 Brief description of the care home form of flatlets, with separate kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and communal lounge. These flatlets are provided for people with higher levels of independence who may be en route to more independent living. There are two large lounges on the ground floor of the home, one smoking and one non - smoking; there is also a large dining area. The home also has a main kitchen and a training kitchen for use of people under supervision of the staff and the homes cook/trainer. There is a well-established side and rear garden equipped with garden furniture and a green house. The home is conveniently located for local shops, churches, and college and leisure facilities. There are several bus routes running past the home providing easy access to Erdington and the city centre. Midland Heart Housing Association owns the building, and the care and support is provided by Mind in Birmingham. The home views itself as a rehabilitation service, although there is no pressure placed upon individuals to move on until they feel they have developed the necessary skills. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 3 of 9 What we found:
We carried out a random inspection at Sycamore Lodge over 3 hours on 28th April 2010. An Annual Service Review (ASR) was carried out on 16th February 2010. To carry out the review we had looked at all the information we had been sent by the home in the form of the Annual Quality Assurance Assessment, which tells us how the home thinks it is meeting the National Minimum Standards and how it is planning to improve things. We also sent out Have Your Say surveys to the people living in the home, staff working in the home and some professionals who visit the home. This is to help us to decide whether the home is still providing a good service. At the time of the ASR we felt that a good service was being provided however, there were some issues that had been raised in the surveys that we wanted to find out more about. These issues were about the general routines in the home, the limitations of the physical environment and the attitudes of some staff. This was the reason that we carried out this random inspection. During the inspection we found that the people living in the home were happy there and even though some of them had been offered places in other homes they did not want to move from Sycamore Lodge. This showed that they felt comfortable at Sycamore Lodge. We found that several of the people living in the home were developing ailments of old age. The manager and staff confirmed that training had been provided to help the staff become more aware of the needs of older people. This included issues such as assistance with personal care, continence and activities. The older people living in the home were being assisted to access activities that suited them and they were supported to access attention for their specific health needs. We spoke with the manager and two staff about what the aims of the home were. It was clear that the home was trying to manage a difficult situation as the people being referred to the home had higher physical needs than could always be managed in the home. The people living in the home were not looking to be moving onto more independent accommodation and this meant that the accommodation on the second floor was not used. The provider will need to make a final decision about the service the home is to provide as the needs of many of the people living in the home will increase so that the physical environment becomes unsuitable for them. Discussions need to be undertaken with the people living in the home and the people funding their placements as to their future plans. If Sycamore Lodge is to continue to provide for them in the long term significant changes will need to be made to the building. These will adaptations such as lifts to access all areas of the home, improvement to the bathing facilities, the provision of an emergency call system and support rails. An increase in staff hours will also need to be looked at. The manager told us that she had already started to enquire about additional hours for assistance with personal care for some people. Another issue we were looking at was the staff group in terms of how they were relating to the people living in the home. We were told that some staff had been in the home for a long time and they had settled into routines that suited them and due to their familiarity with the people living in the home on occasions they did too much for them or vented
Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 4 of 9 their own frustrations on them. We found no evidence during this visit people living in the home were restricted in their routines and they seemed to be comfortable in the presence of the staff. We were further reassured as the organisation were looking at ways in which staff could develop their skills and experience the way different homes within the organisation operated in an attempt to spread good practices. We saw some responses from questionnaires fro the people living in the home. These asked questions about what people thought the purpose of Sycamore Lodge was and this was generally acknowledged that it was to help people recovering from poor mental health. People thought that staffing levels could be improved sometimes. Some people had made suggestions about adaptations that could be made to the home. Some comments made by the people living in the home about Sycamore Lodge included: The staff knows me well enough to recognize when I need to be left alone and when I need someone to talk to. Its easy going here. I eat and sleep really well. I like it here. Good food and drink. I like the day trips I go on with staff. I like everyone her. We had a look at two peoples bedrooms and the communal areas of the home. We saw that the people living in the home we happy with their bedrooms although the flooring in one bedroom was in need of replacement. We were told that this had been discussed with the individual who would fund the replacement. We discussed this with the manager as we did not feel that this was appropriate. 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
Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 5 of 9 following this report, you can contact them using the details set out on page 2. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) 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 Adults (18-65 years) 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 38 A review of the service should be undertaken and if needed the appropriate adaptations made to the home. This will ensure that the people living in the home will know what services the home will provide in the long term. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) 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 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 9 of 9 - 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!
