Care Home: The Poplars Care Centre

Similar services:

• The Shelley
• Springfield House
• Sutton Lodge Nursing Home
• St Helier`s Residential Hotel
• St Joseph`s
• Ridgemount
• Wingham Court
• Old Hastings House

What the care home does well Residents are made welcome at the home and have the information they need to help them make an informed decision to move in. The care plans are detailed and enable staff to carry out the care required by the resident in a way that suits them. The home continues to meet the complex needs of the residents who live there. The home has good relationships with health and social care professionals which helps to meet residents varied and changing needs. Residents enjoy the activities on offer at the home, they participate in the running of the home and are encouraged to maintain their independence for as long as they are able. Residents say the standard of meals at the home is good, that there is plenty of choice and that their individual likes and dislikes are catered for. Residents are confident any complaint they may have would be listened to and resolved. The home is well maintained, clean and hygienic, it is furnished to a good standard whilst remaining homely and comfortable. The staffing levels are sufficient to meet the needs of the residents and numbers are adjusted at peak times and to meet the changing needs of the residents. Staff receive the training and support they need to carry out their roles efficiently and in a caring manner. The manager has worked at the home for a number of years as deputy and now as manager. The ethos of the home continues to create an open, inclusive atmosphere where the wishes and needs of the residents are central to the running of the home and where staff feel supported and valued. The quality assurance systems at the home are very effective. What has improved since the last inspection? Many rooms have been redecorated and re carpeted. Several staff have successfully completed NVQ and more staff have enrolled. The activity records are now stored with care plans to ensure a holistic approach to the care of the residents is followed. The home has retained the ISO 9001,( a quality assurance system) by passing with no recommendation in November 2009. The local community is involved more in the home, recently local school children have visited and planted a tree in their school garden for Poplars. What the care home could do better: The manager must ensure that information that should be in the care plan is kept confidentially not put up on residents walls. The recording of complaints needs to be reviewed to ensure confidentiality is not breached. The planned redecoration of the dining rooms particularly on Willows will make eating in the dining rooms a more pleasant experience for the residents. The way infections and their treatments are recorded needs to be reviewed to ensure confidentiality is maintained. Key inspection report Care homes for older people Name: Address: The Poplars Care Centre 158 Tonbridge Road Maidstone Kent ME16 8SU     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: Justine Williams     Date: 1 4 0 4 2 0 1 0 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 24 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) © Care Quality Commission 2010 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in any format or medium for non-commercial 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. www.cqc.org.uk Internet address Care Homes for Older People Page 3 of 24 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: The Poplars Care Centre 158 Tonbridge Road Maidstone Kent ME16 8SU 08444725179 08444120629 info@foresthc.com www.foresthc.com Tamehaven Ltd Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Ms Marion Harford Type of registration: Number of places registered: care home 71 Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 old age, not falling within any other category Additional conditions: The maximum number of service users to be accommodated is 71. The registered person may provide the following category/ies of service only: 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 categories: Old age, not falling within any other category (OP). Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home The Poplars Nursing Home is a registered care home for 71 people with nursing needs. The home specialises in caring for terminally ill residents and has close links with the local hospice, the home also specialises in the care of residents with complex nursing needs. The home consists of a large main detached house with a large extension. The gardens surrounding the house are well maintained with several access points to the gardens. Car parking is at the front of the building. Two passenger lifts provide access Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 24 Over 65 0 0 Brief description of the care home to all floors. The home is divided into two wings with a unit manager responsible for each wing. The home has a large subsidiary staff for administrative, maintenance, housekeeping, catering and laundry duties. The registered Manager oversees all the staff. The home is in a quiet location set back from the main road, but close to the town centre and is accessible via local bus routes. The railway stations are within the town centre some one-mile away. The current level of fees payable range from £765 to £998 per week, hairdressing, chiropody, newspapers etc are in addition to these charges and vary. Care Homes for Older People Page 5 of 24 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: An unannounced inspection was carried out on Wednesday 16th April 2010 between 10am and 2.15pm During that time the inspector spoke with residents, staff members, and the registered manager. Feedback was given during and at the end of the inspection. This report contains assessments made from observation, conversation and records, a tour of the premises as well as case tracking. The manager returned the Annual Quality Assurance assessment AQAA, on time, and the information provided has been used in the report. As part of the inspection process surveys were sent to service users and to GPs, health care professionals and care managers, information from the surveys was also used in the report. Throughout the report people who use the service are referred to as Residents as this was their preference. Care Homes for Older People Page 6 of 24 Care Homes for Older People Page 7 of 24 What the care home does well: What has improved since the last inspection? What they could do better: Care Homes for Older People Page 8 of 24 The manager must ensure that information that should be in the care plan is kept confidentially not put up on residents walls. The recording of complaints needs to be reviewed to ensure confidentiality is not breached. The planned redecoration of the dining rooms particularly on Willows will make eating in the dining rooms a more pleasant experience for the residents. The way infections and their treatments are recorded needs to be reviewed to ensure confidentiality is maintained. 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 9 of 24 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 10 of 24 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. There are robust admission procedures at the home and residents move into the home assured their needs can be met. Evidence: A new resident was spoken with who described the process of her admission. She had received the statement of purpose and service users guides which contained useful information about the home. Relatives had visited and arranged moving in on her behalf as she had been too unwell to do so herself. The resident described how she was made to feel welcome when she arrived she had her needs fully assessed before being offered a place. The assessments of residents are detailed and thorough, and the assessments are carried out by the manager or unit managers. A checklist is used to ensure information is given to new residents and they are properly introduced and made familiar with the homes routines. Intermediate care is not offered at Poplars. Care Homes for Older People Page 11 of 24 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. The health and personal care needs are well managed. Residents are treated with respect, and with their right to privacy and dignity upheld. Evidence: Each resident has a plan of care developed with their involvement or their next of kin if the resident is not able to be involved. 4 care plans were inspected. Each was comprehensive holistic and gave a very good picture of the likes, dislikes, needs and strengths of the residents. All had been reviewed on a strict monthly basis, and had been signed by either the residents or their relative. Care plans encompass health and personal care needs as well as emotional and social care needs. The equality and diversity of the residents are well documented and needs are acted upon. All residents are risk assessed for specific activities as well as falls, to establish plans for minimising risk whilst promoting independence. Instructions for assisting with eating and drinking for 2 residents had been displayed on the wall which breaches confidentiality and compromises privacy and dignity, this was discussed with the unit manager and manager and remedied immediately. Care Homes for Older People Page 12 of 24 Evidence: All residents have an assessment using a professionally recognised tool for their risk of developing pressure sores, their risk of malnutrition, as well as continence needs and mental capacity. These assessments are carried out by the trained nurses. Specialist equipment for the prevention of pressure sores has been purchased by the home and is used for anyone at risk of pressure damage. Opportunities for physical exercises are provided through the activity programme. The home enjoys good links with the tissue viability service, speech and language service and other health professionals. Residents are supported to visit or be visited by health care professionals and support, advice and treatment plans are well documented and followed by the staff. The home has a robust and detailed medication policy, medicines are managed by the trained nurses. the storage, administration, disposal and management comply with good practise and legislative requirements. The MDS system is used and staff receive regular training updates. Residents spoke very positively about the staff, and about how their personal care needs are managed sensitively one resident commented the staff are very very helpful another said they are cheerful, patient and kind. Residents are encouraged to make choices and their rights are respected by the staff and this is supported by the ethos of the home. Care Homes for Older People Page 13 of 24 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. Residents benefit from a relaxed, comfortable lifestyle and opportunities to participate in a range of activities. Evidence: The routines of daily living are made as flexible as possible to meet the wishes of the residents. Residents are encouraged and supported to maintain control over there lives and decision making for as long as they are able. The interests of the residents are recorded and the activity plans are made with these in mind. There are 2 activity coordinators employed who work at the home from 1.30pm to 5.30pm on each unit. The coordinators help residents participate in the activities from Monday to Saturday which include arts and crafts, bingo and quizzes. A personal trainer visits weekly to run keep fit classes, and there are visiting entertainers and activities available. Among those planned are belly dancers, a drama and singing company, music for health, as well as a visiting clothing shop and regular holy communion and other devotional services. A medieval day is planned in the near future. Residents spoken with said the activities are very good, and they choose what they wish to particiapte in. Residents are able to have visitors at any reasonable time and community groups are invited into the home regularly, the home was visited recently Care Homes for Older People Page 14 of 24 Evidence: by a bikers club who gave out easter eggs to all the residents. Some specific comments were my relatives are made to feel very welcome and Good entertainment. Residents are able to bring in personal possessions and items of furniture agreed with the manager, and are encouraged to manage their finances for as long as they are able. Residents spoke positively about the meals and said choice is always available. There is a 4 week rolling menu which is changed seasonally. 3 full meals a day are offered which include a cooked breakfast if requested, a hot main meal at lunch time as well as hot soup sandwiches, etc in the evening. Snacks are available throughout the 24 hour hour period, and biscuits and home made cakes are offered with drinks. Specific comments included Nice food, The food is of very good quality I like the option of a cooked breakfast. Fresh fruit and vegetables are served daily and special diets are catered for. The dining rooms on both units are due to be refurbished in the near future. Care Homes for Older People Page 15 of 24 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. Residents are confident any complaint they had would be listened to taken seriously and acted upon. There are robust systems in place to protect the residents from abuse. Evidence: Complaint books are kept on each unit, a review of the complaint recording is needed to ensure confidentiality is maintained. The home has a comprehensive complaints policy which is available throughout the home and the policy includes timescales for responding to complaints. Residents spoken with said they felt confident any complaint or issue they had would be listened to and dealt with appropriate. The home has received 9 complaints in the last 12 months, all were dealt with within 28 days and 3 were upheld. The home has a robust adult protection policy in place and systems in place to protect residents from abuse including regular supervision of staff, training in safeguarding and safe recruitment procedures. The manager is aware of her responsibilities in the event of an alert being raised. Care Homes for Older People Page 16 of 24 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. Residents have a homely, well maintained, comfortable and hygienic environment in which to live. Evidence: A tour of the premises was undertaken, all areas of the home were clean, well maintained, decorated and furnished to a good standard. One residnet said the gardens are well tended, and the home is very clean. Some improvements are planned in both dining rooms. The dining room on the Willows unit will benefit particularly as it is quite dark. The plans include new carpets and lighting as well as repainting the walls. The manager is keen to replace the chairs and tables as well. The grounds are well maintained and accessible to the residents, and used frequently in good weather. There is a programme of renewal and maintaining at the home. All areas of the home were clean and hygienic, there are systems in place to prevent the spread of infection. The laundry is a reasonable size and there are designated laundry staff. Foul laundry is dealt with according to good practise, and a designated hand washing sink is in place. The manager keeps an infection control book to record infections acquired at the home and treatment and management strategies, The way the information is recorded needs to be reviewed to ensure confidentiality and data protection is maintained. Care Homes for Older People Page 17 of 24 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. Staff receive the training and support they need to safely and effectively meet the needs of the residents. Evidence: The staffing numbers and skill mix reflect the needs of the residents. There is a written rota in place showing the staff on duty and their roles. additional staff are employed at peak times, and their are staff employed to assist with kitchen duties, maintenance, laundry and cleaning to allow care staff to meet the needs of the residents. The home has just under 50 of the care staff with an NVQ although more staff are currently undertaking training. All new staff have a full induction which complies with skills for care. Staff are recruited using sound policies, 2 written references are obtained as well as satisfactory police checks prior to staff starting work. Staff complete an application form and a brief transcript of the interview is kept. The identification of staff is verified, and checks are made on immigration status as well as registration with the NMC for trained nursing staff. Staff receive regular training updates in core areas such as manual handling, first aid, Care Homes for Older People Page 18 of 24 Evidence: infection control, fire and health and safety, as well as other training in subjects such as dementia, mental capacity act, wound care etc. Residents comeneted that the staff are friendly, attentive and patient Care Homes for Older People Page 19 of 24 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. Residents live in a safe, well managed home. Evidence: The manager started work as manager at the home since the last inspection in May 2008, prior to this she was the deputy manager. The manager is a registered general nurse and has the registered manager award. Evidence that the manager undertakes regular training updates was seen. There are clear lines of accountability at the home. The ethos of the home continues to create an open inclusive atmosphere where the wishes and needs of the residents are central to the running of the home and where staff feel supported and valued. There are effective quality assurance systems in place. The home has retained its ISO again which it passed in November 2009, which is a professionally recognised quality assurance system. The manager produces an annual development plan based on the outcome of the quality assurance audits. The home looks after small amounts of Care Homes for Older People Page 20 of 24 Evidence: money for residents who do not wish to look after it themselves. The money is kept separately and securely with individual balance sheets. An invoicing system is used for hairdressing, chiropody etc so that the process of payment is simpler. The manager ensures that there are safe working practises at the home through training of staff, supervision, regular maintenance and servicing of systems and equipment, and up to date policies and procedures. The information in the AQAA states that all the necessary health and safety checks are up to date. Care Homes for Older People Page 21 of 24 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 22 of 24 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 Care Homes for Older People Page 23 of 24 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 24 of 24 - 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!