Background to this inspection
Updated
21 August 2018
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
The inspection was carried out by two inspectors. On day one of the inspection one inspector visited the office. Following the office visit the two inspectors contacted people, their relatives, community professionals and staff to gather more feedback on the service.
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection as we needed to ensure the registered manager would be available to support us.
Inspection site visit activity started on 25 July 2018 and ended on 01 August 2018. We visited the office location on 25 July 2018 to see the registered manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures. Whilst at the office we looked at five people’s care plan and medicine records. We looked at three staff recruitment and training records and reviewed policies and procedures. The registered manager provided us with information about compliments, complaints and quality assurance processes.
Prior to the inspection the service completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). A PIR 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 improvements they plan to make. We gave the provider an opportunity to share what improvements they had planned to make during the inspection. We reviewed notifications and any other information we had received. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law.
We used the feedback from questionnaires we sent out to people to inform our inspection. These confirmed improvements had been made as we received one hundred percent positive feedback from all who completed a questionnaire.
Updated
21 August 2018
This inspection took place 25, 30 July 2018 and 1 August 2018. It was an announced visit to the service.
We previously inspected the service on the 1 and 2 December 2016. The service was rated Requires Improvement at the time. That was the second time the service had been rated Requires Improvement. We made five recommendations across the domains of Safe, Effective and Well-Led. At this inspection we found improvements had been made in all areas identified.
This service provides care and support to people living in specialist ‘extra care’ housing. Extra care housing is purpose-built or adapted single household accommodation in a shared site or building. The accommodation is bought or rented, 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 and support service. At the time of the inspection 25 people were being supported with personal care.
The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
We received positive feedback from people, their relatives and staff on how the service was led. Comments included “The care assistants are of the highest quality. I cannot fault them, I am given excellent care,” “I cannot speak highly enough of them [Care workers], professional, wonderful and friendly and “They [care workers] are absolutely wonderful, incredibly kind, compassionate and caring.”
Staff were aware of how to safeguard people from abuse and knew what action to take if a concern was raised.
The provider had processes in place to ensure the staff had the required skills and experience to work with people. All the required pre-employment checks were routinely carried out.
Staff were supported to develop their skills and knowledge through training. Staff felt supported in their role and received regular communication and one to one meetings with their line manager.
Staff were aware of the need to report any incidents and accidents.
People were supported by staff that had developed a good working relationship with them. Staff were aware of people’s likes and dislikes.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff
Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service. The provider shared learning and knowledge across the organisation to ensure people received safe, compassionate and kind service.