Care Home: The Gables

Similar services:

• Claremont House
• Oak Ridge
• Sun Court Nursing Home
• Ashville House
• Bilney Hall
• Hill Barn
• Mabbs Hall Nursing Home
• Henrietta House

What the care home does well The service is based in a well maintained house in the centre of the village, and within easy reach of local facilities including shops, pubs, the local library and Church. Support is provided on a very personal level, the provider knows all the residents well, and spends much of their time there, and the manager has been in post for several years. This has provided a consistent level of support to the residents living in the home. A good range of activities are provided, and special occasions are celebrated with the residents, for example one resident celebrated a birthday recently and helped staff prepare a meal based around food he enjoyed growing up in Poland. Visitors are made welcome, and we spoke to visitors seeing two of the residents during the inspection, who all felt the care and support was excellent. Staff are well trained, and staff members we spoke with knew the residents and their needs very well. They have sufficient time to talk to the residents as well as providing care and support, and ensure that even those residents who stay in their room during the day still have the opportunity of taking part in activities, often on a one to one bais with the member of staff. What has improved since the last inspection? Since the last inspection, ongoing refurbishment of the home has taken place, and on the day we visited, a new bathroom was being installed. Pre admission assessments have been improved, and care plans now include details of activities, and a new camera acquired to record some of these activities. What the care home could do better: There were no requirements made as a result of this visit, and the provider confirmed that redecoration of the home would continue as and when required. The home continues to provide an excellent service to the people living there. Key inspection report Care homes for older people Name: Address: The Gables 22 Post Office Road Dersingham Kings Lynn Norfolk PE31 6HS     The quality rating for this care home is:   three star excellent service A quality rating is our assessment of how well a care home 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 full review a ‘key’ inspection. Lead inspector: Alan Buttery     Date: 1 7 1 2 2 0 0 9 This is a review of quality of outcomes that people experience in this care home. We believe high quality care should • • • • • Be safe Have the right outcomes, including clinical outcomes Be a good experience for the people that use it Help prevent illness, and promote healthy, independent living Be available to those who need it when they need it. The first part of the review gives the overall quality rating for the care home: • • • • 3 2 1 0 stars - excellent stars - good star - adequate star - poor There is also a bar chart that gives a quick way of seeing the quality of care that the home provides under key areas that matter to people. There is a summary of what we think this service does well, what they have improved on and, where it applies, what they need to do better. We use the national minimum standards to describe the outcomes that people should experience. National minimum standards are written by the Department of Health for each type of care service. After the summary there is more detail about our findings. The following table explains what you will see under each outcome area. Outcome area (for example Choice of home) These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. that people have said are important to them: They reflect the things This box tells you the outcomes that we will always inspect against when we do a key inspection. This box tells you any additional outcomes that we may inspect against when we do a key inspection. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: This box tells you our opinion of what we have looked at in this outcome area. We will say whether it is excellent, good, adequate or poor. Evidence: This box describes the information we used to come to our judgement. Care Homes for Older People Page 2 of 23 We review the quality of the service against outcomes from the National Minimum Standards (NMS). Those standards are written by the Department of Health for each type of care service. Copies of the National Minimum Standards – Care Homes for Older People can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or bought 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 The mission of the Care Quality Commission is to make care better for people by: • Regulating health and adult social care services to ensure quality and safety standards, drive improvement and stamp out bad practice • Protecting the rights of people who use services, particularly the most vulnerable and those detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 • Providing accessible, trustworthy information on the quality of care and services so people can make better decisions about their care and so that commissioners and providers of services can improve services. • Providing independent public accountability on how commissioners and providers of services are improving the quality of care and providing value for money. Reader Information Document Purpose Author Audience Further copies from Copyright Inspection report Care Quality Commission General public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) Copyright © (2009) Care Quality Commission (CQC). This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, free of charge, in any format or medium provided that it is not used for commercial gain. This consent is subject to the material being reproduced accurately and on proviso that it is not used in a derogatory manner or misleading context. The material should be acknowledged as CQC copyright, with the title and date of publication of the document specified. www.cqc.org.uk Internet address Care Homes for Older People Page 3 of 23 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: The Gables 22 Post Office Road Dersingham Kings Lynn Norfolk PE31 6HS 01485540528 01485540528 lyndamcinerney@aol.com Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Type of registration: Number of places registered: Ms Lynda McInerney care home 16 Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 old age, not falling within any other category Additional conditions: Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home The Gables is a care home providing personal care and accommodation for sixteen older people. It is privately owned by Miss Linda McInerney. The home is a large detached house located in the village of Dersingham and is in close proximity to the shops, library and other facilities of the village. The home was opened in 1987. It consists of accommodation on the ground and first floors, with the majority of bedrooms being on the ground floor. Fourteen of the homes bedrooms are single and there is one shared room. The home does not have a passenger lift, but there is a stair lift providing access to Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 23 Over 65 16 0 Brief description of the care home the four bedrooms, which are on the first floor. The home has shrubs planted to the front and rear of the property, which several of the bedrooms look onto. The weekly fees are between 420 and 450 GBP per week, depending on accomodation. Additional costs include hairdressing , chiropody and newspapers as priced. Care Homes for Older People Page 5 of 23 Summary This is an overview of what we found during the inspection. The quality rating for this care home is: Our judgement for each outcome: three star excellent service Choice of home Health and personal care Daily life and social activities Complaints and protection Environment Staffing Management and administration peterchart Poor Adequate Good Excellent How we did our inspection: This was an unannounced visit carried over over a five hour period. During the visit we discussed the service provided with the provider, with the manager of the service, as well as one of the senior carers. We also spoke with three people living in the home, and relatives who were visiting two of the residents. In the report that follows, the views of these people have been included as well as information submitted by the home in their Annual Quality Assurance Assessment AQAA) and information from comment forms sent to the home for completion. Care Homes for Older People Page 6 of 23 What the care home does well: What has improved since the last inspection? 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 on page 4. The report of this inspection is available from our website www.cqc.org.uk. You can get printed copies from enquiries@cqc.org.uk or by telephoning our order line 0870 240 7535. Care Homes for Older People Page 7 of 23 Details of our findings Contents Choice of home (standards 1 - 6) Health and personal care (standards 7 - 11) Daily life and social activities (standards 12 - 15) Complaints and protection (standards 16 - 18) Environment (standards 19 - 26) Staffing (standards 27 - 30) Management and administration (standards 31 - 38) Outstanding statutory requirements Requirements and recommendations from this inspection Care Homes for Older People Page 8 of 23 Choice of home These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People are confident that the care home can support them. This is because there is an accurate assessment of their needs that they, or people close to them, have been involved in. This tells the home all about them and the support they need. People who stay at the home only for intermediate care, have a clear assessment that includes a plan on what they hope for and want to achieve when they return home. People can decide whether the care home can meet their support and accommodation needs. This is because they, or people close to them, have been able to visit the home and have got full, clear, accurate and up to date information about the home. If they decide to stay in the home they know about their rights and responsibilities because there is an easy to understand contract or statement of terms and conditions between them and the care home that includes how much they will pay and what the home provides for the money. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. Detailed information is obtained before any new resident moves to the home, and kept up to date, to ensure that new residents can be confident that their needs have been assessed and can be met by the service. Evidence: As part of the inspection, we looked at the procedures followed by the home to admit a new resident when they have a room available. We discussed this with the provider, manager and a staff member, and they all described the process that is followed, which is the same whether a prospective resident is self funding or funded through local services. Initial enquiries often come from family members looking for somewhere for a relative to move to or from direct referrals from the local authority or hospital. Family members are encouraged to visit to ensure that the service provides suitable facilities, and once this has been established, the manager carries out a pre admission Care Homes for Older People Page 9 of 23 Evidence: assessment, gathering details about the needs of the person and ensuring that the service would be able to meet those needs. Providing that the service is happy that the needs of the person can be met in the home, and the prospective resident happy with the facilities available, then arrangements are made for the person to move into the home. As part of our visit, we looked at the information that is given to prospective residents, and at the files for three residents, and these all showed that detailed assessments had been undertaken, prior to a new resident being admitted, and the procedures outlined above had been followed. We also spoke with three of the people living in the home, who were all happy with the way their move into The Gables was managed. Once a date for the person to move in has been established, initial care plans are prepared detailing the basic needs of the person and how these should be met, which are reviewed and extended within a day or two of the person moving in. Arrangements are also made for the new resident to be registered with the local GP practice, their medication checked and risk assessments undertaken. Staff and residents we spoke with on the day of our visit all confirmed the procedures that are followed. Intermediate care is not provided within the home Care Homes for Older People Page 10 of 23 Health and personal care These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People’s health, personal and social care needs are met. The home has a plan of care that the person, or someone close to them, has been involved in making. If they take medicine, they manage it themselves if they can. If they cannot manage their medicine, the care home supports them with it, in a safe way. People’s right to privacy is respected and the support they get from staff is given in a way that maintains their dignity. If people are approaching the end of their life, the care home will respect their choices and help them feel comfortable and secure. They, and people close to them, are reassured that their death will be handled with sensitivity, dignity and respect, and take account of their spiritual and cultural wishes. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. Detailed care plans are in place to show how assessed needs are met, and how this is done in a way suited to the individual. Evidence: As indicated earlier, initial care plans are prepared in readiness for new residents to move into the home, giving details of the basic identified needs and information provided by any professionals involved such as social workers, nursing staff, occupational therapists as well as family members. The care plans are reviewed within the first few days and further detail added to them to ensure that the persons needs are all identified and can be met, and that this meets the individual preferences of the person the care plan relates to. The individual plans that are prepared detail the health and social care needs of the individual residents, and the three that we examined during our visit demonstrated the intended outcome. They also showed the involvement of the person themselves, and were signed by the persons key worker, although the care plans could make it Care Homes for Older People Page 11 of 23 Evidence: more clear who had prepared and signed them. The key workers s role also includes ensuring that the plans reflect the individual likes and dislikes of the individual resident, and that they also include risk assessments around moving and handling, falls, nutrition and medication, particularly if anyone moving into the home chooses to manage their own medication. The service use the local GP practice, and the manager told us how good the relationship with them is, and how they provide support and advice when required. Support is also provided via the local PCT, for example diabetes training has been given to staff, enabling a resident of the home to remain living there after this had been diagnosed. Care Homes for Older People Page 12 of 23 Daily life and social activities These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: Each person is treated as an individual and the care home is responsive to his or her race, culture, religion, age, disability, gender and sexual orientation. They are part of their local community. The care home supports people to follow personal interests and activities. People are able to keep in touch with family, friends and representatives. They are as independent as they can be, lead their chosen lifestyle and have the opportunity to make the most of their abilities. People have nutritious and attractive meals and snacks, at a time and place to suit them. There are no additional outcomes. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. A range of events and activities are available, ensuring that everyone living in the home is able to choose to take part in things they enjoy, and a variety of nutritious home cooked food is always available. Evidence: People living in the home are encouraged to take part in a variety of activities suited to their individual needs and wishes. Some of the residents enjoy group activities, games and entertainment, others prefer more individualised activities, such as reading or craft work. The service gives people living in the home the opportunity to go shopping, to the local library, and visit other local attractions, and often include families within the events they arrange. A varied menu is available to people living in the home, and occasional theme days are arranged such as curry nights, celebration nights such as Burns nights, events around the Saints days and of course Christmas. Celebrations over Christmas included a Christmas Eve Buffet, a traditional Christmas dinner (the husband of a senior carer is a chef, and came into the home to cook the dinner on Christmas day) Residents we Care Homes for Older People Page 13 of 23 Evidence: spoke to were very happy that this chef was again cooking Christmas dinner. One of the residents of the home originates from Poland, and to celebrate a recent birthday, we wanted to cook a traditional Polish meal. The service supported him in this, and he was able to assist the cook in preparing this for all the other residents. During our visit we spoke with this person and some family members who were visiting, and they were very appreciative and complimentary of the efforts shown by the management in staff and this. Meals are served from a pleasant dining room, although some of the residents living in the home have chosen to have some of their meals, especially breakfast, in their bedrooms. Care Homes for Older People Page 14 of 23 Complaints and protection These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: If people have concerns with their care, they or people close to them know how to complain. Any concern is looked into and action taken to put things right. The care home safeguards people from abuse and neglect and takes action to follow up any allegations. People’s legal rights are protected, including being able to vote in elections. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. People living in the home know how to make concerns or allegations known, and who to speak to, and that these will be dealt with in an appropriate manner. Evidence: Procedures are in place to manage and deal with any complaints that are received by the service, and these were discussed with the provider and manager. They are in line with the regulations, although in the past twelve months, no complaints have been received by the service, and the commission is not aware of any other concerns. As part of the process, the service also monitors compliments received, and again these were discussed. During our visit we spoke with three residents living in the home and with family members visiting one of the residents. All were very complimentary, but did tell us they knew of the complaints procedures, and would speak with the manager should they have any concerns. Safeguarding training is provided to all staff along with regular updates, and the staff members that we spoke to during our visit confirmed that this was the case, and demonstrated a clear understanding of the procedures. No sagfeguarding issues have been reported at the home in the last two years. Care Homes for Older People Page 15 of 23 Environment These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People stay in a safe and well-maintained home that is homely, clean, pleasant and hygienic. People stay in a home that has enough space and facilities for them to lead the life they choose and to meet their needs. The home makes sure they have the right specialist equipment that encourages and promotes their independence. Their room feels like their own, it is comfortable and they feel safe when they use it. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. The service provides comfortable, safe and clean facilities for people living in the home. Evidence: The service is set in an older style building, which has been improved over the years, and provides accommodation suited to the needs of the people living there. When assessing the needs of anyone thinking of moving into the home, the environment is taken into account, as for example, it may not be suitable for someone needing the use of a wheelchair to mobilise around the home. At the time of our visit, a bathroom was being upgraded, and a new upstairs shower room has recently been completed. Maintenance will continue in the coming year and bedrooms are redecorated as necessary, generally when the are vacant. During our visit we were told by one of the residents that one of the reasons fro choosing the home was its homely, friendly feel. Care Homes for Older People Page 16 of 23 Staffing These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People have safe and appropriate support as there are enough competent staff on duty at all times. They have confidence in the staff at the home because checks have been done to make sure that they are suitable to care for them. Their needs are met and they are cared for by staff who get the relevant training and support from their managers. There are no additional outcomes. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. A well trained staff team is available at all times to meet the needs of people living in the home, and a suitable recruitment process ensures all the necessary employment checks have been made. Evidence: During our inspection visit, we discussed the staffing arrangements of the home with the provider, spoke to two of the staff, and looked at staff records for a total of four staff members. There are normally two care staff working during the day, together with a cleaner and a chef. The manager works full time in the home, and the proprietor covers most of the administrative tasks. On the day of our visit, there appeared to be sufficient staff to meet the needs of the people living in the home, and the staff on duty did not appear to be hurried, having time to talk to the people they were supporting. The staff we spoke to were happy with their role, and one told us how much better the home was than one she had worked in previously. Recruitment procedures were discussed with the provider, who told us they are very selective in their recruitment, preferring to wait for the right person if they had a Care Homes for Older People Page 17 of 23 Evidence: vacancy, and not take on anyone they felt unsuitable. They also told us that they pay scale is higher than many of the homes around them. We looked at the staff records referred to above, and these showed evidence that the recruitment procedures had been followed, and the required details were seen including application forms, references, CRB checks and training details. Care Homes for Older People Page 18 of 23 Management and administration These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People have confidence in the care home because it is led and managed appropriately. People control their own money and choose how they spend it. If they or someone close to them cannot manage their money, it is managed by the care home in their best interests. The environment is safe for people and staff because appropriate health and safety practices are carried out. People get the right support from the care home because the manager runs it appropriately with an open approach that makes them feel valued and respected. The people staying at the home are safeguarded because it follows clear financial and accounting procedures, keeps records appropriately and ensures their staff understand the way things should be done. They get the right care because the staff are supervised and supported by their managers. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service. Consistent management arrangements have ensured that the home is well run, and the interests of residents central to everything done in the home. health and safety procedures ensure that no one living or working in the home is at risk of injury. Evidence: The provider has been involved in the home for much of the last 25 years, and in sole control for the last 12 years, and together with the registered manager who has worked for the service since 2003, provide a consistent level of management. People we spoke to during our visit told us that they were both very friendly and approachable, and that nothing was too much trouble The manager of the service works full time, and is a qualified nurse, has completed the Registered Managers Award and is an NVQ assessor. Regular audits are made on medication, and all care staff receive regular supervision. This should be extended to include all staff. Care Homes for Older People Page 19 of 23 Evidence: Health and safety procedures are in place, and staff training provided and evidence of this was seen on the staff files examined and referred to earlier in the report. The service clearly places the interests of those living in the home at the forefront, and this was reinforced during our visit by the comments of people we spoke to, and in other comments received, for example It is as good as being in your home, I already have my name down for a place The staff are wonderful Regular residents meetings also give them the opportunity to discuss any changes that are being made, and a newsletter keeps all the residents and relatives updated on Events and changes. Care Homes for Older People Page 20 of 23 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, Care Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Care Homes for Older People Page 21 of 23 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, Care Homes 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 36 Supervision should be available to all staff working in the home Care Homes for Older People Page 22 of 23 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. Copyright © (2009) Care Quality Commission (CQC). This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, free of charge, in any format or medium provided that it is not used for commercial gain. This consent is subject to the material being reproduced accurately and on proviso that it is not used in a derogatory manner or misleading context. The material should be acknowledged as CQC copyright, with the title and date of publication of the document specified. Care Homes for Older People Page 23 of 23 - 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!