Background to this inspection
Updated
14 May 2019
The inspection:
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team:
The inspection team consisted of one inspector.
Service and service type:
This service is an extra care service. It provides personal care to older people living in their own flats within a supported housing complex.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. However, the service was being managed by the Deputy Manager since 01 February 2019. This was because the registered manager had been placed on long term absence by the provider.
Notice of inspection:
We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection visit. This was because the service was small and the manager is often out of the office. We needed to be sure they would be in and people would be available for us to talk with.
What we did:
¿ We reviewed information we had received since the service registered. This included statutory notifications that the provider had sent us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.
¿ We used information the provider had sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and the improvements they plan to make.
¿We sought feedback from the local authority commissioning and safeguarding teams.
¿We spoke with one of the two people who used the service. We spoke with two staff, the deputy manager and the area manager. We also spoke with a visiting health professional.
¿We looked at two people’s care records and files relating to the management of the service including recruitment, training and records relating to the governance and quality management of the service.
Updated
14 May 2019
About the service: Archers Court provides care to people living in specialist ‘extra care’ housing. Archers Court comprises a mixture of one or two bedroom apartments in a shared site or building for single or couple habitation. The accommodation is leasehold and is the occupant’s own home. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for extra care housing; this inspection looked at people’s personal care service. 2 people received the regulated activity of personal care at the time of this inspection.
¿ People who used the service told us they felt safe. One person said, “I feel very safe, very safe indeed.”
¿ Risks to people’s safety and welfare were regularly assessed, reviewed and safely managed.
¿ Staff knew how to keep people safe from harm, and when to raise concerns they may have. People’s medicines were safely managed and given to them when they needed them.
¿ People were cared for by enough staff who met people’s needs safely. Staff were employed following robust procedures to ensure they were appropriate for the role they were employed for.
¿ Staff received appropriate training, they felt supported in their role and could discuss their ongoing development.
¿ People received care from staff in a dignified and sensitive manner. People told us how staff were kind and caring and treated them with kindness and respect.
¿ People were supported to have choice and control of the care and support they received. We saw examples of how people were supported to retain and increase their independence.
¿ People were supported to engage in social activities that met their interests.
¿ Complaints received were managed well.
¿ There was a registered manager in post however they were not available at this inspection. The deputy manager was managing the service at the time of this inspection. Systems were in place to monitor the quality of care provided to people.
Rating at last inspection:
At the last inspection on 18 February 2016 the service was rated as ‘Good.’ The report was published on 19 July 2016. The service has remained rated Good in all areas and Good overall.
Why we inspected:
This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor this service and plan to inspect in line with our reinspection schedule for those services rated Good.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.