Ferndale Court - January 2024
Summary
During our visit, residents at the Ferndale Court seemed generally comfortable and happy. The manager and staff were friendly and engaged well with residents. The internal environment is looking quite tired and in need of a full refresh. Due to the home being currently up for sale it appears that it is not being maintained to the standards that the manager and staff would like for residents.
We’d like to thank the residents, staff and manager of the home for their kindness and support during our visit.
Recommendations and suggestions
- Ensure that all areas are maintained and decorated to give a bright and warm feeling to the area, this includes the furniture.
- Look into the options for all staff to take part in The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism.
- Ensure that Dementia friendly signage is used in appropriate areas and ensure that where necessary all the toilets have a contrasting colour
seat. - Ensure that all visitors, relatives, and residents know who the staff are by the staff always wearing a name badge and having photos of uniforms and what roles they are on a notice board. Consider having name badges for staff in the format of “My name is”
yellow badges. - Consider using photo frames for resident’s doors with their name, photo and a personal picture of their choice.
- Consider ensuring that all communal areas and facilities have pictorial signs on them.
- Ensure that details of activities are displayed in all lounge areas.
- At resident’s meetings, consider discussing the different activities that residents would like to be involved in, this could be going for a walk outside of the home as part of their daily exercise.
- Look to introduce a ‘ You said, we did’ board to highlight for residents and relatives any changes that have been made from comments, complaints etc, but also try and explain if you are unable to do it and why.
- Ensure that all the pull cords in the toilets are not tied up so residents are unable to reach them.
- Ensure that the car park spaces are well maintained and kept clear of mud.
- Ensure that information on Healthwatch Halton Advocacy Hub service is clearly displayed for staff, residents, visitors, and relatives.
Provider feedback
Thank you for providing Ferndale Court with a positive report following your visit on 9th January 2024. I wanted to provide you with an update on the below recommendation and suggestions you kindly provided within your report.
Recommendations and suggestions: -
1. Ensure that all areas are maintained and decorated to give a bright and warm feeling to the area, this includes the furniture.
We have implemented an environmental improvement plan, which has commenced, to enhance the environment, and surroundings for our residents, along with new furniture which has been ordered and received.
2. Look into the options for all staff to take part in The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism.
We have an eLearning module available to all colleagues to improve knowledge in relation to Learning Disability and Autism, this is a new module which may not have been recognised by the home at the time of the visit
3. Ensure that Dementia friendly signage is used in appropriate areas and ensure that where necessary all the toilets have a contrasting colour seat.
Our Dementia team are scheduled to complete a support visit, to look at environmental improvements, including signage
4. Ensure that all visitors, relatives, and residents know who the staff are by the staff always wearing a name badge and having photos of uniforms and what roles they are on a notice board. a. Consider having name badges for staff in the format of “My name is” yellow badges.
We provide all colleagues with name badges, Ferndale Court have had several new colleagues commence employment, and we are awaiting a delivery, once received there is an expectation all colleagues wear the correct uniform, and this includes name badges.
5. Consider using photo frames for resident’s doors with their name, photo and a personal picture of their choice.
All residents have their own choice of name and pictures on their doors to identify their own rooms, this is done with each resident to ensure options and choices are given and we will continue to review.
6. Consider ensuring that all communal areas and facilities have pictorial signs on them.
We thank you for your feedback and have subsequently consulted with residents, and they have advised that this is something they do not wish us to proceed with at this current time, but we will keep under review.
7. At resident’s meetings, consider discussing the different activities that residents would like to be involved in, this could be going for a walk outside of the home as part of their daily exercise.
We have started to implement remembering me booklets, which capture individuals' wellbeing, this will support our colleagues to implement individual meaningful activities
8. Look to introduce a ‘You said, we did’ board to highlight for residents and relatives any changes that have been made from comments, complaints etc, but also try and explain if you are unable to do it and why.
Thank you for this feedback and the home will implement a board, you said, we did to help support information sharing within the home.
9. Ensure that all the pull cords in the toilets are not tied up so residents are unable to reach them.
These are now checked daily on each walk round.
10. Ensure that the car park spaces are well maintained and kept clear of mud.
Our Maintenance operative monitors this daily and attends to the car park when required inline with changing weather needs.
11. Ensure that information on Healthwatch Halton Advocacy Hub service is clearly displayed for staff, residents, visitors, and relatives.
This is now on display on the notice board in the main entrance.
