The Cloisters Residential Home

The new conservatory at the south side of the Cloisters, and gardens in 1993 and some of the flats in the grounds

In 1986 The Church of England decided to build a new Rectory on a plot of land almost adjacent to the original one built in Rectory Road Rushden in 1870. Rex Smith, Managing Director of Fletchers Builders, recognised that this house and the two acre paddock behind it had potential for a Retirement Complex and decided to purchase the site. The development provides a Residential Home in the House and forty Sheltered Apartments and Bungalows for private ownership in the grounds.

The Cloisters Residential Home was established in 1988 to provide a high standard of professional care for ladies and gentlemen over the age of 65. The Cloisters has been owned, since April 2002, by Mutual Homes Limited, a company limited by guarantee whose registered office is at The Cloisters, Rectory Road, Rushden.

The Cloisters Residential Home Organisation

The main entrance and house

Mr Rex Smith, who established The Cloisters, is the company secretary of Mutual Homes Limited and the Registered Person under the National Care Standards Commission regulations. Mr Smith, whose professional background has been in the development of care homes and sheltered accommodation, has spearheaded the success of The Cloisters Residential Home and is committed to maintaining the small and friendly caring community that was his vision 21 years ago.

Mrs Christine Chambers is the Registered Manager of The Cloisters. Mrs Chambers joined the management team of The Cloisters in 1994 after gaining several years nursing experience and the post of Deputy Manager in another Home. Mrs Chambers is dedicated to The Cloisters showing a high degree of professionalism tempered with the care and compassion needed in this vocation. Mrs Chambers has gained NVQ level IV in Care and Management and also holds the D32 D33 Assessor's Award, which enables her to provide in house assessment for carer's undertaking NVQ's. The Care Home has one Deputy Manager who works with Mrs Chambers in ensuring that there is management cover at the care home throughout the day and at weekends.

Miss Rebecca Dunmore who has worked at The Cloisters since leaving school, is the Deputy Manager. Miss Dunmore currently holds a GNVQ in Health and Social Care and an NVQ level III in Care. Miss Dunmore has excellent organisational skills and is a valued member of the management team.

In addition to Mrs Chambers, Miss Dunmore and Mr Smith the home employs 3 senior carers, 2 Senior Bank Carers, 5 carers, 4 night carers, 2 cooks and a housekeeper.

All Staff are encouraged to gain qualifications and, at the beginning of their employment the Management carry out with the carer, a thorough Induction and Foundation programme, which meets the CSCI requirements. At present three carers have gained NVQ II and two carers have gained NVQ III. In addition to this one carer is working towards an NVQ II and one is working towards NVQ III. Miss Dunmore is working towards a Leadership and Management in Care (LMC) award. This number meets the required ratio of trained staff. All staff attend monthly in-house training.

Views of the bungalows and flats in the grounds in 2010

The Cloisters Residential Home is situated within easy walking distance of Rushden Town Centre. The home itself is a former vicarage, which has been sympathetically converted to provide a large lounge, a conservatory and a dining room. There are 2 double bedrooms, Rooms 2 and 5, and 7 single rooms, Rooms 1,3,4,6,7,8,9 all have en suite facilities. The home provides daily, weekly and monthly activities which the residents in the retirement complex also take part in. Church and Communion services are held monthly in the conservatory. Activities are also provided on special occasions e.g. Christmas, Easter, Birthdays and Wedding Anniversaries.

The Hairdresser visits the home on Monday mornings. Her charge is from £7 for a wash and set. Her other charges are as advertised on the residents' notice board.

The Chiropodist visits 6 weekly and her charge is £10. If extra visits are required she charges accordingly.

In this Home we have both private and NCC funded residents all of whom receive a copy of the agreement. Residents fee's are payable monthly in advance either by cheque or bank standing order. At April 2009 the weekly fees are £418.

As part of the Quality Assurance, residents, relatives and stakeholders are requested to contribute to an annual Residents Questionnaire, comprising of 4 sections:

1. Nutrition
2. Communication
3. Your Home
4. Your Care

This enables us to monitor their views and all comments are welcome, and enables the management to ensure that the residents needs are being met and can be used for improving the service delivered.

The Cloisters strives to deliver a high standard of care and residents are given the opportunity to contribute to their care plans ensuring that they are fully involved in the care given to them. Care plans are reviewed by Rebecca Dunmore on a monthly basis or sooner if a residents needs change.

Complaints are an inevitable fact of life for every organisation and this home welcomes them and learns from them using them as powerful drivers of change. On coming into the Home each resident is given a service user guide, which refers to complaints; how and who to complain to.

Medication

At the Cloisters we use The Mistry's Nomad System. The Home benefits using this system by reducing the opportunity for error, easy monitoring of doses and streamlined record keeping. It reduces wastage and controls the stock held in the Home. Medication is stored in a secure locked cupboard with senior staff holding responsibility for the keys.

Each Resident has a printed Medication Administration Record (MAR) sheet where medication is recorded coming into the Home and daily times and doses required. A printed Medication Profile which includes the Residents photographs is held on their personal files.

All senior staff who administer medication receive ongoing regular training in regard to "The Safe Handling of Medication" and as part of their supervision they also complete a "Staff Handling of Medication Assessment" which highlights any further training required.

Prescriptions are ordered on a 4 weekly basis from the residents relevant surgeries, are checked by the Manager to ensure items requested have been prescribed and are then forwarded to Mistry's for dispensing.

G.P's review the residents’ medication on a regular basis and request any checks required i.e. bloods, BP checks and attendance to any relevant clinics.

When a drug is stopped by a G.P, or any medication is past its use date, they must be taken out of the medication cabinets, checked, marked for disposal and returned. We have a locked drugs cupboard with a secure inner cupboard for storage. All medication is kept for a minimum of 7 days after the death of a resident in case of a coroner's inquest.

MARCH 2010