Care Home: Uplands

Similar services:

• Ashville House
• Bramley Avenue (73)
• Bilney Hall
• Hill Barn
• Mabbs Hall Nursing Home
• Claremont House
• Oak Ridge
• Sun Court Nursing Home

Annual service review Name of Service: Uplands The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: two star good service 2 2 0 1 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: Vicky Dutton Date of this annual service review: 2 6 0 3 2 0 1 0 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 8 Information about the service Address of service: 27-31 Cobham Road Westcliff On Sea Essex SS0 8EG 01702352752 02088630955 uplands1@btconnect.com Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:   Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Wendy Fisher Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : old age, not falling within any other category physical disability Conditions of registration: Uplands (UK) Limited Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 0 12 27 0 A maximum of twelve persons who have a Physical Disability and who are over the age of thirty-five years and under the age of sixty-five may be accommodated at the home. Nursing and personal care to be provided for up to twenty-seven older people. 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 Uplands provides accommodation for up to twenty-seven people who require nursing care. The property is situated in a quiet residential area of Westcliff on Sea within close proximity of the local town and sea front. 2 2 0 1 2 0 0 9 Annual Service Review Page 2 of 8 The accommodation provided includes thirteen single bedrooms and seven shared bedrooms on two floors, which are accessed by a passenger shaft lift. The majority of bedrooms have ensuite facilities. Service users have access to two lounge areas; a large atrium on the ground floor and a small well maintained garden area. At the time of this review a major refurbishmant programme is being completed which will alter the above information and accommodation arrangements. The range of fees charged for a place at the home as advised in the Service Users Guide is £576.00 - £675.00 per week, depending on funding arrangements. There are additional charges for hairdressing, newspapers, chiropody and other personal requirements. The above information about fees was correct at the time of the last key inspection. For current information please contact the home. 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. This included: The annual quality assurance assessment (AQAA) that was sent to us by the service. The AQAA is a self-assessment tool that providers are required by law to complete. It focuses on how well outcomes are being met for people using the service. It also gives 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. 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 report. What other people have told us about the service. We had telephone conversations with three people with an interest in the service. We met with the manager at Uplands Nursing Home to discuss some specific issues. What has this told us about the service? The last key inspection for this service took place on 22nd January 2009. This is when the current 2* rating was made. The home sent us their annual quality assurance assessment (AQAA) when we asked for it. Although fully completed the AQAA was completed very briefly and did not give us sufficient detail about how the home operates and is currently functioning. For example the health and personal care section made no mention of how medicines are managed at the home. The complaints and protection section did not highlight how people are safeguarded, and the staffing section did not reflect recruitment practice. The AQAA did highlight some areas of improvement over the last year. Training has been ongoing and the activities co-ordinator, continues to attend training specifically designed for their role which will improve the choice of activities offered. Some bedrooms have been re-decorated. The AQAA seemed to suggest that rather than making significant improvements they had maintained consistency and a good standard. The AQAA recognised where the home can continue to improve particularly in relation to refurbishing the environment, expanding the range of activities available and continuing to train and update staff on changing legislation. We looked at the information in the AQAA and our judgement is that overall the home is still providing a satisfactory service, and that they know what further improvements they need to make. The previous inspection identified that Uplands Nursing Home had systems to monitor Annual Service Review Page 4 of 8 the quality of the service in place. Regular surveys were undertaken to see how people felt about the service. The manager said that they have an open door policy and speak to all residents and their relatives at least once a week. The AQAA said that they hope to introduce structured residents/relatives meetings over the next 12 months. This will provide people with further opportunities to express their views. People living in the home have previously told us that they are pleased with the service and happy living in the home. As part of this annual service review we sent surveys to people living at the home to seek their views. Surveys from eight people currently living at Uplands Nursing home were returned to us. Surveys showed that people are still generally happy with the service they are receiving, but feedback was mixed. People felt that they were usually offered the care and support that they needed, and that staff usually or sometimes listened to them and acted on what they said. Only one person said that staff always listened to them. People made some positive comments such as: The staff are nice and the food, and, The home has a friendly atmosphere We received surveys back from seven relatives of people using the service. Again responses were variable but mostly positive. One person said: The home is clean and the staff are friendly and helpful, another that, The service is friendly, the nursing has been good, my relative and their room generally look clean and tidy. People did comment that sometimes communication with staff was difficult due to language difficulties and that the refurbishment process in the home sometimes made things difficult. One person said, At the moment the staff are working in very difficult conditions while the building programme is going on. I cant say anything but that I have every admiration for every one of them and no where could you find a better group of workers. Another person said, The building has been undergoing major refurbishment and this has caused disruption with noise access and power problems. This must have affected the level of service offered. We spoke to three relatives/friends over the telephone. They felt that some aspects of the service could be improved in relation to staffing levels, care, staff interaction and the management of the refurbishment programme. When we spoke to the manager they acknowledged that things had not been easy during the refurbishment programme, but that works were due to be fully completed by Friday 2nd April 2010. We received a survey back from one visiting professional. Their response to all questions such as if peoples social and health care needs are met, and if the service seeks advice and acts on it was usually. The AQAA confirmed that the homes complaints procedure was available and that, On admission all residents and their relatives are shown where a copy of the complaints procedure can be found. i.e in the welcome pack and on the wall of the entrance hall. However survey results indicate that people may not be so aware. On surveys people said that they knew who to talk to informally about any concerns. But, a number of residents (six out of eight surveys) said that they did not know how to make a formal complaint. Relatives said, In two and a half years I have not needed to make a complaint and, Any requests or problems I may have are dealt with. The manager always has time to discuss any problems or concerns I have and is a great support. Another person told us that if they raised issues they were dealt with eventually, but that they might have to raise the issue two or three times as communication was not always good between staff. When we spoke to the manager they identified that they Annual Service Review Page 5 of 8 have recently put systems in place to try and improve communication between staff, and thereby improve consistency of care. The AQAA said that one complaint had been received in the last 12 months. Two people have raised concerns with us (CQC) about the service in the last 12 months. These and two other issues have been dealt with under safeguarding procedures. One safeguarding referral was unsubstantiated, but two others have highlighted lessons for the home and things for them to address. One safeguarding referral is currently ongoing. Management at the home have been proactive in working with social services to investigate issues, identify where things can be improved and making changes where appropriate. Four members of staff returned surveys to us. Although they were generally positive about their role, and felt that the care offered to residents was good, only one felt that the training offered was wholly sufficient. Others did not think that the training offered kept them up to date in new ways of working. Improvements needed were recognised in the AQAA which said under plans for improvement in the next 12 months: Continue to update staff with training to keep them updated with ongoing changes in the care sector. Staff said that the home did well in, Caring for the residents, and Caring for the individual needs of the people we care for and staff. At the last inspection we said that the service needed to keep under review the number of staff that are on shift to ensure that this is sufficient to meet peoples needs. On surveys staff felt that there were usually or sometimes enough staff available. Residents felt that there were always or usually enough staff available to meet their needs. We discussed staffing levels with the manager as the AQAA indicated that the level of peoples needs at the home was currently quite high, and staffing levels had featured in concerns raised about the home. Due to the refurbishment programme the number of residents accommodated has been reduced. The manager felt that the staffing levels of One registered general nurse (RGN) and three carers in the morning, one RGN and two carers in the afternoon/evening and one RGN and one care assistant at night was sufficient to meet peoples needs. The managers hours are supernumerary to this so they are available to offer additional support during the day. These levels will however need to be kept under review as more people are admitted following the conclusion of the refurbishment programme. Since the previous inspection the home have continued to keep us informed of events occurring at the home through notifications. However on a number of occasions the notifications have not included sufficient detail and we have had to contact the home for further information. We discussed this with the manager and highlighted the need to ensure that we receive a reasonable level of detail when events occur in the home. Generally however when we have complete information we have seen that the service have managed incidents well. Since the previous inspection the management of the home has changed. The service lost a longstanding and highly regarded manager. The AQAA also indicated that a number of staff have left the home. The home has been disrupted through a major refurbishment programme being undertaken. The service has therefore been through an unsettled period. A new manager is in post who is experienced and well qualified to undertake the role. Relatives told us that they felt the manager was working very hard and trying to make improvements. In discussion with the manager they are keen to drive the home forward and continue to make improvements for the benefit of residents. Annual Service Review Page 6 of 8 From the information looked at for this review we have seen that the home has been through an unsettled period and that there have been issues that needed to be addressed. A number of safeguarding issues have been raised and feedback about the service at this review has been quite variable. The new manager is making improvements and seeking to provide a better service and outcomes for people living at the home. The refurbishment programme is nearly completed and this should provide a more settled environment for people. What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? The next key inspection for the service would be due before 22nd January 2011. Because of the variable feedback that we have received we will continue to monitor the service, and may alter our current inspection plan so that we visit the home before the next key inspection is due. 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 7 of 8 Reader Information Document Purpose: Author: Audience: Further copies from: Annual service review CQC General Public 0870 240 7535 (national contact centre) Our duty to regulate social care services is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000. The content of which can be found on our website. 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 copy of the findings 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 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. Annual Service Review Page 8 of 8 - 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!