Latest Inspection
This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 25th March 2010. 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 The Birches.
Annual service review
Name of Service: The Birches The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: two star good service 2 4 0 3 2 0 0 9 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: Sally Snelson Date of this annual service review: 2 2 0 2 2 0 1 0 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 6 Information about the service
Address of service: 44 Hitchin Road Shefford Bedfordshire SG17 5JB 01462812757 01462812264 holmesch@bupa.com Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:
Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Mr Sebastian Vvube Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : dementia old age, not falling within any other category physical disability BUPA Care Homes (Bedfordshire) Ltd Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 0 0 0 31 31 31 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 The Birches is situated near the main road through the village of Shefford, and is on a bus route. Village amenities such as local shops, pubs and so on are within walking distance. The home retains very good links with the local population, and many of the residents used to live in the village. Purpose-built in the 1960s, The Birches offers accommodation on two floors to thirty-one older people. The home has several lounges and other seating areas such as in the entrance hall, and one large dining room. Each lounge has a kitchenette area where staff and residents prepare drinks and snacks.
Annual Service Review Page 2 of 6 2 4 0 3 2 0 0 9 There is a smoking room, main kitchen and laundry as well as bathroom and toilet facilities. A conservatory/lounge leads into the landscaped garden which provides pleasant seating areas in the warmer weather. The fees for this home, at the time of our last visit, were in the range of £410 to £580. In the entrance hall there is a table which holds a range of information for people, including the latest inspection report. Annual Service Review Page 3 of 6 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. What has this told us about the service? We are carrying out the review of this service approximately 12 months after the last Key Inspection when the service was rated as a 2 star good service. The last Key Inspection took place on 24/03/09. The home sent us their annual quality assurance assessment (AQAA) when we asked for it. It was clear and gave us all the information we asked for. For example, it told us that residents and their families were involved in Person Centred planning (PCP) and in the life of the home, including menu planning. The manager told us that the service was intending to improve the way they communicate with people with dementia and were also provide more social activities for this group of residents over the next 12 months. We were told that senior staff had completed palliative care courses and that over the last year the home had not had to use any agency staff which provided a more consistent care approach. At the time the AQAA was completed there were 29 residents of whom 14 had dementia, cared for by a team of 27 care staff and 10 ancillary staff. We looked at the information in the AQAA and our judgement is that the home is still providing a good service and that they know what further improvements they need to make. Annual Service Review Page 4 of 6 We were informed that the fire service had undertaken a fire safety check on the 29th January 2010 and no issues had been raised. Prior to this review we sent out quality questionnaires to a selection of residents and staff. We received six completed questionnaires back from residents; three had been completed by the resident and three by a relative on behalf of the resident. All were very positive about the care they received. One comment was the care and friendly attitude of staff is a first class example of life to be enjoyed, another told us the manager is a good person and always comes along to see us. One person who told us that the home provided care, comfort and regular varied meals felt that the lunch time should be set and not altered each day. A relative told us that they were always welcomed to the home and appreciated being able to come and go as they wished. Three staff completed the questionnaires. All said that the service would benefit from more staff but did not cite anything that did not get done because of a lack of staff. One told us that they believed those staff who were late on duty or did not tun up for a shift should be disciplined so that they understood the consequences of their actions to the rest of the staff team. All of the staff were supportive of the manager and the training provided. The home continues to let us know about things that have happened since our last key inspection and they have shown that they have managed issues well. For example seeking medical advice, including supporting a resident to move to a nursing home if this was more appropriate. They work well with us and have shown us that their service continues to provide good outcomes for the people who use it. What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? We are not going to change our current inspection plan, and will do a key inspection by 24th March 2012. However we can inspect the service at any time if we have concerns about the quality of the service or the safety of the people using the service. Annual Service Review Page 5 of 6 Reader Information
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