Care Home: Walc House

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What the care home does well We found that people who live in the home had care plans in place which gave us information about their needs and how these were to be met. Care plans contained some good information about the support individuals needed in relation to their personal care including what they could do for themselves and how they make choices. Individuals` preferences had been given consideration in the plans and there was some good information available about people`s communication needs. Where individuals had challenging behaviour there were written guidelines in place about how to respond to incidents that may occur. A care worker who responded to our survey indicated that they were always given up-to-date information about the needs of people they support. We found that incident and accident records had been maintained by the service with sufficient information about the action taken to respond to events in the home. We saw that records were in place to document people`s attendance at health appointments including information about the outcome of these appointments. Information about people`s medication requirements was included in their care plans including guidance in relation to `as required` medication. Where individuals had specific medical conditions such as epilepsy there was sufficient information on file about their needs. At the time of our visit the home presented as very clean and tidy and in excellent decorative order. The garden has been developed to provide different areas of interest for people who use the service and they have access to a range of sensory materials and equipment within the home. Observation of life in the home during our visit indicated that individuals are given enough support to be able to engage in activities around the home including domestic tasks such as preparing meals and leisure pursuits of their choice. People who use the service presented as relaxed in their home. A care worker responding to our survey told us that there were always enough staff on duty to meet the individual needs of all thepeople who use the service and that there were plenty of activities for people to do and enjoy. What the care home could do better: As a result of our inspection we have made one requirement and three recommendations. Requirements are law and therefore action must be taken by the registered provider to ensure these are met. Recommendations are based on good practice and should be given serious consideration by the provider in improving outcomes for people and ensuring the home`s processes are fully robust. We looked at the recruitment records for two care workers who were employed in the home to check that appropriate employment checks had been carried out before they commenced work. We found that most checks had been carried out as stated in the regulations but there were gaps in relation to proof of identity and obtaining a full employment history. We have made a requirement that the home ensures that they always obtain this information as part of their pre-employment checks. We noted that one reference obtained for a care worker had been verified by the manager who had indicated `checked by `phone` on the reference. We have recommended that she signs and dates these statements so it is clear who made contact with the referee and when they did this. Some of the information we looked at in people`s care plans had not been signed or dated but the manager told us that the care plan documentation was under review and that this would be addressed. We found that for one person information on file indicated that a duvet could be used to create distance between a service user and member of staff and to support them in moving to a quieter environment during an episode of challenging behaviour. It was not clear from the written information how the duvet should be used and we have recommended that this is described in greater detail so that the individual is supported appropriately and consistently by all staff and is not put at risk of harm. It should also be clear from the plan that this is being kept under review to ensure that it remains an appropriate way of responding to the individual`s behaviour and is agreed as part of their reviews. Although care plans contained some information about creams and lotions used by each individual there were gaps in this information so it was not always clear which cream should be applied and where, when and how it should be applied. The manager was able to give us a verbal account of this but we have recommended that this is written down as part of each person`s care plan so that it is clear how their needs are to be met in this area. Random inspection report Care homes for adults (18-65 years) Name: Address: Walc House 8 Argyle Road Swanage Dorset BH19 1HZ one star adequate 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: Heidi Banks Date: 2 8 0 6 2 0 1 0 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Walc House 8 Argyle Road Swanage Dorset BH19 1HZ 01929422200 01929422200 Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: www.walc.uk.com Name of registered provider(s): Name of registered manager (if applicable) Silena Elizabeth Calvo Type of registration: Number of places registered: Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Walc Ltd care home 3 Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 0 learning disability Conditions of registration: 3 The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is 3. The registered person may provide the following category of service only: Care home only - Code PC to service users of either gender whose primary needs on admission to the home are within the following category: Learning disability (Code LD) Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Walc House is owned by Walc Ltd. The abbreviation Walc stands for Wood Autistic Living and Care. It is currently the only registered care service owned by the company. The service was registered with the Commission in January 2008 to provide accommodation and personal care for up to three people with learning disabilities. The service aims to provide a care service specifically tailored to meet the needs of adults Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 2 of 9 Brief description of the care home with autistic spectrum disorders. The home is a large terraced property situated along a residential street approximately half a mile from the centre of Swanage and therefore has good access to local amenities. Accommodation is provided in three single bedrooms on the first and second floors of the home, all of which have en-suite facilities. A communal kitchen and communal lounge are situated on the lower ground and ground floors. There is a landscaped garden to the rear of the property which is accessible from the kitchen. Car parking is available along the street outside the home. The home is staffed 24 hours a day with waking night staff. Up-to-date information about fees charged by the service can be obtained directly from the registered manager. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 3 of 9 What we found: This was a random inspection of Walc House which took place as part of our routine inspection activity. The inspection was carried out on one evening in June 2010 and focused on information held by the agency about the people who live in the home and the care workers they employ. Before the inspection took place the home sent us their completed Annual Quality Assurance Assessment which gave us some written information and numerical data about the service. We also sent surveys to the home for distribution among people who use the service and care workers employed to work there. We received one completed survey from a member of staff in the home. Information from this survey has been reflected in this report. This visit to the home was carried out by one inspector from the Commission although throughout this report we have used the term we to indicate that the report is the view of the Care Quality Commission. At the time of our visit there were three people living in the home. What the care home does well: We found that people who live in the home had care plans in place which gave us information about their needs and how these were to be met. Care plans contained some good information about the support individuals needed in relation to their personal care including what they could do for themselves and how they make choices. Individuals preferences had been given consideration in the plans and there was some good information available about peoples communication needs. Where individuals had challenging behaviour there were written guidelines in place about how to respond to incidents that may occur. A care worker who responded to our survey indicated that they were always given up-to-date information about the needs of people they support. We found that incident and accident records had been maintained by the service with sufficient information about the action taken to respond to events in the home. We saw that records were in place to document peoples attendance at health appointments including information about the outcome of these appointments. Information about peoples medication requirements was included in their care plans including guidance in relation to as required medication. Where individuals had specific medical conditions such as epilepsy there was sufficient information on file about their needs. At the time of our visit the home presented as very clean and tidy and in excellent decorative order. The garden has been developed to provide different areas of interest for people who use the service and they have access to a range of sensory materials and equipment within the home. Observation of life in the home during our visit indicated that individuals are given enough support to be able to engage in activities around the home including domestic tasks such as preparing meals and leisure pursuits of their choice. People who use the service presented as relaxed in their home. A care worker responding to our survey told us that there were always enough staff on duty to meet the individual needs of all the Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 4 of 9 people who use the service and that there were plenty of activities for people to do and enjoy. 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 set out on page 2. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 5 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 6 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 1 34 19 You must ensure that you 31/08/2010 have sufficient evidence of all pre-employment checks being carried out on care workers before they come to work in the home including proof of identity and a full employment history. You must do this to be able to demonstrate that people who use the service are protected from harm through robust recruitment practices. 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 20 You should ensure that there is sufficent information available in peoples care plans about the use of creams and lotions so that it is clear what creams / lotions should be used and why, when, where and how they should be applied. You should ensure that there is sufficient information available in peoples care plans to describe specific interventions used to respond to their challenging Page 7 of 9 2 23 Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) 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 behaviour. You should ensure that there is evidence of such interventions being kept under review. 3 34 You should ensure that when you verify references it is clear from the records who did this and when it was done. 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. 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