Inspection Report We are the regulator: Our job is to check whether hospitals, care homes and care services are meeting essential standards. Aldridge Court Nursing Home Little Aston Road, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 0NN Tel: 01922455731 Date of Inspection: 19 June 2013 Date of Publication: July 2013 We inspected the following standards as part of a routine inspection. This is what we found: Care and welfare of people who use services Meeting nutritional needs Cleanliness and infection control Supporting workers Complaints Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 1
Details about this location Registered Provider Registered Manager Overview of the service Type of service Regulated activities Charmend Limited Mrs. Amarjit Purewal Aldridge court provides accommodation with nursing and personal care for younger adults and older people who may have dementia. Care home service with nursing Accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care Diagnostic and screening procedures Treatment of disease, disorder or injury Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 2
Contents When you read this report, you may find it useful to read the sections towards the back called 'About CQC inspections' and 'How we define our judgements'. Summary of this inspection: Page Why we carried out this inspection 4 How we carried out this inspection 4 What people told us and what we found 4 More information about the provider 5 Our judgements for each standard inspected: Care and welfare of people who use services 6 Meeting nutritional needs 8 Cleanliness and infection control 10 Supporting workers 12 Complaints 13 About CQC Inspections 14 How we define our judgements 15 Glossary of terms we use in this report 17 Contact us 19 Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 3
Summary of this inspection Why we carried out this inspection This was a routine inspection to check that essential standards of quality and safety referred to on the front page were being met. We sometimes describe this as a scheduled inspection. This was an unannounced inspection. How we carried out this inspection We looked at the personal care or treatment records of people who use the service, carried out a visit on 19 June 2013, observed how people were being cared for and checked how people were cared for at each stage of their treatment and care. We talked with people who use the service, talked with carers and / or family members and talked with staff. What people told us and what we found We spoke with ten people who lived at the home eight relatives and friends visiting the home. We also spoke with seven members of staff and one visiting social care professional. We saw that care plans were individualised and personal. We saw that people were able to express their personal preferences and have their rooms arranged as they wanted. One person told us: "I rearranged my room the way I want it". People's personal choices were respected. We saw that the dining rooms were nicely presented with clean table clothes and flowers at meal times. The dining experience included a choice of wine with lunch and dinner for people who wanted a glass of wine with their meal. One person told us: "They poach eggs beautifully". Another person told us: "There is always a choice". We saw that the home was clean and tidy throughout. One visitor told us: "It's always this clean here; there is never an unpleasant smell". When we last visited we had concerns about how staff were supported. At this inspection we saw that this had improved. Staff were able to access the training they had previously had to wait for. One member of staff told us: "I feel valued now". We saw that the home had a complaints procedure available in the reception area of the home. One relative told us: "I have never needed to make a complaint. I can tell the staff about anything and they sort it for me straight away". You can see our judgements on the front page of this report. Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 4
More information about the provider Please see our website www.cqc.org.uk for more information, including our most recent judgements against the essential standards. You can contact us using the telephone number on the back of the report if you have additional questions. There is a glossary at the back of this report which has definitions for words and phrases we use in the report. Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 5
Our judgements for each standard inspected Care and welfare of people who use services People should get safe and appropriate care that meets their needs and supports their rights Our judgement The provider was meeting this standard. People experienced care, treatment and support that met their needs and protected their rights. Reasons for our judgement We looked at the care plans for four people. Using a process called pathway tracking we reviewed the care of these four people. Pathway tracking helps us to understand the outcomes and experiences of the people that lived at the home. We saw that the home had introduced a "This is me" section within each admission pack. This was designed to provide more detailed information about people, their lifestyle, preferred activities, likes and dislikes. The document enabled the person and their family or friends to capture their life story. This information gave staff a better understanding about each person and their personal preferences. We saw that each person's care needs were identified and that their care was planned to meet these needs. Suitable risk assessments were in place to support the way the care was provided to people. The plan of care provided information for staff about how to meet the needs of each person who used lived at the home. This meant that people's needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan. We asked people about their care. One person told us: "They always offer to fetch things for me if I need them during the day". Another person told us: "They are perfect for me here". One visitor told us: "He is very well looked after". We observed that people who required bed rest with full support were in comfortable positions. We saw that people were assisted to change position throughout the day, and that suitable equipment was in place to reduce the risk of pressure damage to people's skin. We saw that there was an improved plan of activities for people who lived at the home. A monthly advance plan was advertised on the activity boards in the home. There was a bigger weekly plan in large print with suitable pictures of the activity for the actual week on the activity board. This meant that consideration had been given to the abilities of the Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 6
people who lived at the home. The activities on offer were more inclusive of people's abilities and interests. Staff told us that they sometimes read to people who were unable to leave their bed due to their health needs. On other occasions, they also offered suitable pampering therapy such as hand massage and nail painting.' We saw that the activities plan supported people's diversity. Celebrations which were important to individuals were also advertised on the activities board. One relative told us: "I am always able to take my relative to church on a Sunday". This meant that both individually and collectively people's rights were respected. We saw that the home had a raised garden bed for people to plant seeds. People were able to sit to garden at this raised bed. We observed the morning gardening activity. People were laughing and chatting to the staff and each other. One person told us: "I love flowers and gardening". Another person told us: "I really enjoy a bit of gardening. This raised bed is lovely". We observed the afternoon activity and saw that people enjoyed a game indoors. We asked about memory therapy for people who had or may have dementia. We were told that this was something the home had considered and would introduce soon. They had booked some staff onto suitable training courses for supporting people with dementia. We will continue to monitor this development at our next inspection. We saw that personal emergency evacuation plans explained what support people would require in the event of an emergency. The fire alarm was tested as part of the scheduled testing during our inspection. We observed that all of the fire doors closed properly and that they remained closed for an appropriate safety interval following the test. This meant that the home had suitable procedures in place to deal with emergency situations. Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 7
Meeting nutritional needs Food and drink should meet people's individual dietary needs Our judgement The provider was meeting this standard. People were protected from the risks of inadequate nutrition and dehydration. Reasons for our judgement We saw that dining rooms had tables set with table clothes and flowers, which created a pleasant dining experience for people who lived at the home. We saw that the menu was on display in both dining rooms of the home offering a choice of hot meal and a lighter choice. People we spoke with confirmed that there was always a choice of main meal. Through the day we saw that people were provided with a choice of suitable and nutritious food and drink. We asked if the main meal was hot and one person told us: "The food is always hot and the plates are heated too so the food doesn't go cold". We observed people being asked which vegetables they would like with their meal. People had told us that there was always a choice of pudding. We observed that two puddings were available and that people were asked which one they wanted. We asked people if the food choices were suitable for them. One person told us: "Chef comes to our room to discuss our likes and dislikes with us". Another person told us: "If I fancy a cooked breakfast I can never eat it at breakfast time. Chef will cook it for me at lunchtime". We asked the chef about people who had dietary requirements, food allergies or cultural needs. The chef told us that it was very important that people with any sort of dietary requirement were offered suitable choices for them. Chef told us that he would meet with each person and discuss their requirements and people would be offered suitable choices. This meant that people's food and drink met their religious or cultural needs. We saw that in some of the care plans the chef had started to record people's food choices and preferences. We observed people who required support to eat or drink, were given suitable support. We observed one carer reassure one person that there was plenty of time and not to rush. We asked and were told that snacks and biscuits were available upon request after the evening meal if required. We saw that throughout the day people were offered midmorning and mid-afternoon snacks and drinks. We saw that wine was available for people who wanted it with their lunch. A selection of Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 8
cold drinks was also available. We saw that hot and cold drinks were offered throughout the day, and that hostess staff would fetch people hot drinks at any time of the day. We saw that people who remained in their rooms, or who chose to spend time in their rooms each had a jug of water, with a secure lid. We saw that people had been given squash of their choice to make cold drinks throughout the day. This meant that people were supported to be able to eat and drink sufficient amounts to meet their needs. Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 9
Cleanliness and infection control People should be cared for in a clean environment and protected from the risk of infection Our judgement The provider was meeting this standard. People were protected from the risk of infection because appropriate guidance had been followed. People were cared for in a clean, hygienic environment. Reasons for our judgement We found the home was clean and tidy throughout. The home had achieved a five star rating for food hygiene from the local authority. We saw cleaning schedules were in place and infection control audits had been carried out and which were acted upon. This meant that there were effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. We spoke with the member of staff who had responsibility for the cleaning programme. We could see that curtains were being removed from some people's rooms in the morning. We were told that these would be washed ironed and rehung before the evening. We saw the cleaning programme confirmed that curtains were all removed and cleaned twice a year. We were told that bedspreads were cleaned monthly or more often if required. We saw beds made up with fresh clean linen. We saw that cleaning equipment was stored properly and the staff showed us their new steam cleaner. One member of staff told us: "The new steam cleaner is wonderful we steam all of the chairs with it. It has made a real difference to keeping the home clean and fresh". Labels were on all cleaning products and the control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) information was available in each of the cleaning cupboards. This meant that staff knew what products they were using and what precautions to take when using a cleaning product. The bathrooms were clean and tidy and staff told us that any bathing equipment, for example shower chairs or bath seats were cleaned after each person had used them. We saw that the home had a discreet coloured dot system on people's doors to indicate that the person had an infectious condition. This reminded staff to be careful and to reduce the risk of spreading infection. We saw that hand gel was available and visitors were encouraged to use it before entering and again on leaving the person's room. Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 10
We saw that the laundry room had a dedicated dirty laundry in and clean laundry out flow. We observed that the washing machines had a sluice cycle and that the washing machines were on a cycle of suitable length and temperature for the load. From records we saw and practice we observed on this inspection there were effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 11
Supporting workers Staff should be properly trained and supervised, and have the chance to develop and improve their skills Our judgement The provider was meeting this standard. People were cared for by staff who were supported to deliver care and treatment safely and to an appropriate standard. Reasons for our judgement At our last inspection we had concerns about the arrangements for supporting workers. The provider had sent us an action plan which set out what steps the service would take to meet the requirements of the regulation. At this inspection we found that staff had supervisions on alternate months and that they had all received an annual appraisal. One member of staff told us: "I love my job. The new changes are wonderful". Another member of staff told us: "I'm encouraged to ask for training I want now". All seven of the staff we spoke with told us that supervisions were helpful and that they considered training needs as well as things the staff had done well, or which required further development. All seven staff we spoke with told us that they were looking forward to training courses they had been booked onto following their appraisals. One member of staff told us: "I now have a date for a training course I had wanted to do". Another member of staff told us: "I am so much more confident about teaching other staff now. A third member of staff told us: "Having appraisal and reviews makes us feel more valued". Two members of staff told us that they enjoyed their jobs much more now that they felt valued. We observed that staff interactions with people who lived at the home were relaxed and cheerful. We observed that staff were confident in the way they approached people and able to support people's care needs with gentle prompts and encouragement. This meant that appropriate training supervision and appraisal enabled them to deliver care and treatment to the people who lived at the home to an appropriate standard. Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 12
Complaints People should have their complaints listened to and acted on properly Our judgement The provider was meeting this standard. There was an effective complaints system available. Reasons for our judgement We saw that the complaints procedure was available in the reception area of the home. The provider may wish to consider the ease with which people of all abilities could read the complaints procedure. We found that each person had a folder in their room which contained information about the home. This folder included a copy of the complaints procedure. One relative told us: "I have never needed to make a complaint. I can tell the staff about anything and they sort it for me straight away". Another relative told us: "If we wanted to make a complaint we could. We are very confident we could raise anything with them and it would be sorted". This meant that people were aware of the complaints system and felt comfortable to use it. We saw that there was a folder for recording complaints or concerns raised, and that a copy of the response was also in this file. We saw that complaints were acknowledged once they were received and always within 72 hours, and that this acknowledgment advised that a full response would be provided within 21 days. We saw that the last complaint had been received in October 2012, and that appropriate responses had been sent. People's complaints were fully investigated and resolved, where possible, to their satisfaction. We asked people who lived at the home if they could complain if they needed to. One person told us: "I can raise anything with the manager and she sorts it out straight away". Another person told us: "I have never had cause to complain but I am sure they would fix it if I did". People were given support by the provider to make a comment or complaint where they needed assistance. Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 13
About CQC inspections We are the regulator of health and social care in England. All providers of regulated health and social care services have a legal responsibility to make sure they are meeting essential standards of quality and safety. These are the standards everyone should be able to expect when they receive care. The essential standards are described in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 and the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. We regulate against these standards, which we sometimes describe as "government standards". We carry out unannounced inspections of all care homes, acute hospitals and domiciliary care services in England at least once a year to judge whether or not the essential standards are being met. We carry out inspections of other services less often. All of our inspections are unannounced unless there is a good reason to let the provider know we are coming. There are 16 essential standards that relate most directly to the quality and safety of care and these are grouped into five key areas. When we inspect we could check all or part of any of the 16 standards at any time depending on the individual circumstances of the service. Because of this we often check different standards at different times. When we inspect, we always visit and we do things like observe how people are cared for, and we talk to people who use the service, to their carers and to staff. We also review information we have gathered about the provider, check the service's records and check whether the right systems and processes are in place. We focus on whether or not the provider is meeting the standards and we are guided by whether people are experiencing the outcomes they should be able to expect when the standards are being met. By outcomes we mean the impact care has on the health, safety and welfare of people who use the service, and the experience they have whilst receiving it. Our inspectors judge if any action is required by the provider of the service to improve the standard of care being provided. Where providers are non-compliant with the regulations, we take enforcement action against them. If we require a service to take action, or if we take enforcement action, we re-inspect it before its next routine inspection was due. This could mean we re-inspect a service several times in one year. We also might decide to reinspect a service if new concerns emerge about it before the next routine inspection. In between inspections we continually monitor information we have about providers. The information comes from the public, the provider, other organisations, and from care workers. You can tell us about your experience of this provider on our website. Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 14
How we define our judgements The following pages show our findings and regulatory judgement for each essential standard or part of the standard that we inspected. Our judgements are based on the ongoing review and analysis of the information gathered by CQC about this provider and the evidence collected during this inspection. We reach one of the following judgements for each essential standard inspected. This means that the standard was being met in that the provider was compliant with the regulation. If we find that standards were met, we take no regulatory action but we may make comments that may be useful to the provider and to the public about minor improvements that could be made. Action needed This means that the standard was not being met in that the provider was non-compliant with the regulation. We may have set a compliance action requiring the provider to produce a report setting out how and by when changes will be made to make sure they comply with the standard. We monitor the implementation of action plans in these reports and, if necessary, take further action. We may have identified a breach of a regulation which is more serious, and we will make sure action is taken. We will report on this when it is complete. Enforcement action taken If the breach of the regulation was more serious, or there have been several or continual breaches, we have a range of actions we take using the criminal and/or civil procedures in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and relevant regulations. These enforcement powers include issuing a warning notice; restricting or suspending the services a provider can offer, or the number of people it can care for; issuing fines and formal cautions; in extreme cases, cancelling a provider or managers registration or prosecuting a manager or provider. These enforcement powers are set out in law and mean that we can take swift, targeted action where services are failing people. Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 15
How we define our judgements (continued) Where we find non-compliance with a regulation (or part of a regulation), we state which part of the regulation has been breached. Only where there is non compliance with one or more of Regulations 9-24 of the Regulated Activity Regulations, will our report include a judgement about the level of impact on people who use the service (and others, if appropriate to the regulation). This could be a minor, moderate or major impact. Minor impact people who use the service experienced poor care that had an impact on their health, safety or welfare or there was a risk of this happening. The impact was not significant and the matter could be managed or resolved quickly. Moderate impact people who use the service experienced poor care that had a significant effect on their health, safety or welfare or there was a risk of this happening. The matter may need to be resolved quickly. Major impact people who use the service experienced poor care that had a serious current or long term impact on their health, safety and welfare, or there was a risk of this happening. The matter needs to be resolved quickly We decide the most appropriate action to take to ensure that the necessary changes are made. We always follow up to check whether action has been taken to meet the standards. Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 16
Glossary of terms we use in this report Essential standard The essential standards of quality and safety are described in our Guidance about compliance: Essential standards of quality and safety. They consist of a significant number of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 and the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. These regulations describe the essential standards of quality and safety that people who use health and adult social care services have a right to expect. A full list of the standards can be found within the Guidance about compliance. The 16 essential standards are: Respecting and involving people who use services - Outcome 1 (Regulation 17) Consent to care and treatment - Outcome 2 (Regulation 18) Care and welfare of people who use services - Outcome 4 (Regulation 9) Meeting Nutritional Needs - Outcome 5 (Regulation 14) Cooperating with other providers - Outcome 6 (Regulation 24) Safeguarding people who use services from abuse - Outcome 7 (Regulation 11) Cleanliness and infection control - Outcome 8 (Regulation 12) Management of medicines - Outcome 9 (Regulation 13) Safety and suitability of premises - Outcome 10 (Regulation 15) Safety, availability and suitability of equipment - Outcome 11 (Regulation 16) Requirements relating to workers - Outcome 12 (Regulation 21) Staffing - Outcome 13 (Regulation 22) Supporting Staff - Outcome 14 (Regulation 23) Assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision - Outcome 16 (Regulation 10) Complaints - Outcome 17 (Regulation 19) Records - Outcome 21 (Regulation 20) Regulated activity These are prescribed activities related to care and treatment that require registration with CQC. These are set out in legislation, and reflect the services provided. Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 17
Glossary of terms we use in this report (continued) (Registered) Provider There are several legal terms relating to the providers of services. These include registered person, service provider and registered manager. The term 'provider' means anyone with a legal responsibility for ensuring that the requirements of the law are carried out. On our website we often refer to providers as a 'service'. Regulations We regulate against the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 and the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. Responsive inspection This is carried out at any time in relation to identified concerns. Routine inspection This is planned and could occur at any time. We sometimes describe this as a scheduled inspection. Themed inspection This is targeted to look at specific standards, sectors or types of care. Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 18
Contact us Phone: 03000 616161 Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk Write to us at: Care Quality Commission Citygate Gallowgate Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PA Website: www.cqc.org.uk Copyright Copyright (2011) 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. Inspection Report Aldridge Court Nursing Home July 2013 www.cqc.org.uk 19