Question from Councillor R C Jones to the Cabinet Member – Strategic Change

A recent news report concerned a Care Home Operator being fined £92k by HSE after a service user fell from a 1^st floor window and died from the fall in 2010 at Brocastle Manor Care Home, Ewenny. The HSE investigation found the window restrictor use could be over-ridden. Hafod Care Association admitted a Health and Safety charge and also had to pay £100k. BCBC have Contracts with Hafod Care Association for 2 services – Picton Court and Brocastle. Does this represent any risk to the Authority?

Question from Councillor Cherie Jones to the Cabinet Member - Strategic Change.

“A recent news report concerned a care home operator being fined £92,000 by HSE after a service user fell from a first floor window and died from the fall in 2010 at Brocastle Manor Care Home, Ewenny.  The HSE investigation found the window restrictor use could be over-ridden.  Hafod Care Association admitted a Health and Safety charge and also had to pay £100,000.  Bridgend County Borough Council had contracts with Hafod Care Association for 2 services, Picton Court and Brocastle.  Does this represent any risk to this Authority”?

Response from the Cabinet Member - Strategic Change

This was a tragic accident that happened in 2010.  Following the incident the Council held a multi-agency meeting to review the circumstances of the incident and Hafod Care gave assurances that the window restrictors had been updated.  They subsequently provided written confirmation and verification that all the windows in their 15 Care Homes across Wales had been changed.  The restrictors have been accepted by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate in Wales (CSSIW).

The Council holds contracts with Hafod who have two residential and nursing care homes in the Borough, one at Brocastle Manor, near Bridgend and the other at Picton Court, near Porthcawl.

Brocastle and Picton Court have modern facilities with each catering for up to around 80 individuals for residential, mental health and nursing care need.

Vacancies at Brocastle and Picton Court are filled quickly and the perception of the general population in Bridgend is that both services offer positive experiences for residents and demand for places is usually high.

Quality and Evaluation

Bridgend County Borough Council and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University have a joint contract for purchasing places with Hafod and this is due for renewal in March 2016.  There is ongoing monitoring of this contract.  Reviews by Social Workers and Nursing Assessors indicate that very good support is generally offered in the homes. As with all care settings, there are the odd low level issues at the home from time to time.  Although in general the feedback is that both services offer good experiences for residents.

Earlier in the year, both Brocastle and Picton Court were visited by Members as part of the Council’s ongoing rota visiting scheme.  Members visiting had a very positive experience in the home with all comments being complimentary of the overall service offered. Examples of feedback from these visits were tabled at the meeting.

Officers from Adult Social Care’s Contract Monitoring Team undertake announced and unannounced visit to observe the hands on support being offered or to respond to issues that may arise.  Officers also visit to benchmark the services against the Council’s Care Fees Quality Payment Scheme where feedback from staff, residents, their families and visiting officers collectively form the basis of a yearly score which gives an overall indication of how well support is offered in the homes.  The exercise is currently ongoing for 2014/15 but indications from previous exercises indicate that, both services seem to score consistently above the overall average care home sector scores. From an adult safeguarding perspectives, both services have never been through the concerns process and although safeguarding concerns are occasionally raised, issues tend to be minor and isolated and do not form a wider pattern of poor quality or ongoing concern.

CSSIW have visited both homes this and felt that both services are well managed.  Again they felt that issues did occasionally arise, although do not raise any significant concerns.

Summary

The Council’s Adult Social Care Directorate has longstanding contracts with  Brocastle Manor and Picton Court, and commissioners regularly spot purchase beds in both homes.  From commissioners and other stakeholders view point it is felt that Hafod deliver above average support in both homes and those who review both services agree that there are no significant concerns in the homes.

He concluded by stating that Hafod were a well respected organisation and that the Council wanted to continue working closely with them and other like organisations in future as it continued transforming services.”

Supplementary question from Councillor Cherie Jones to the Cabinet Member – Strategic Change

“The Member thanked the appropriate Cabinet Member for his comprehensive response. She was however, hoping for a corporate response across all care home establishments and not just the one operator. Her supplementary question therefore, was to ask whether this incident or the subsequent ruling by HSE, had caused review of all other similar establishments within the Borough where we provide care facilities, including all service providers”?

Further response from the Cabinet Member – Strategic Change

“The Care and Social Services Inspectorate in Wales is responsible for the registration, regulation and inspection of Care Homes in Wales. As part of their standards, they take account of environmental factors.

The Local Authority monitors the Contract with the provider and this includes ensuring quality of care, as well as a number of other standards that we measure against. He added that all establishments across the sector whether these be in-house or commissioned, had appropriate window restrictors fitted.

Social Workers also monitored individual care plans he added.

As a result of the recent ruling, the Authority were writing to all providers within the Borough to draw their attention to the ruling and to request that they review what they currently have in place. There was also a providers Forum that met quarterly, and safeguarding was a standing agenda item. The recent ruling would also be raised at the next meeting.

The same will apply to the Council Owned Homes