Esther Randall Court

Esther Randall Court is an Extra Care service providing care and support to people living in specialist ‘extra care’ housing. People lived in single occupancy flats in 1 adapted building. People also had access to communal areas, including a lounge, dining area, garden, a library, and 2 lifts.

Not everyone living at Esther Randall Court received the regulated activity personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection, personal care support was being provided to 25 people.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were safeguarded from abuse and staff were clear of their duty to raise concerns through the appropriate channels. Risks to people’s health, care and safety were assessed to make sure they were protected from avoidable harm.

The service adhered to safe recruitment practices to ensure only the suitable staff were employed. There were sufficient numbers of staff allocated to work with people. Staff received appropriate support and guidance to perform their roles effectively.

Staff supported people to take their medicines as prescribed. Medicines records were clear and completed appropriately. Measures were in place to protect people from the risks of infections.

People’s needs were assessed and reviewed regularly and when these changed. Staff supported people to eat and drink in line with their preferences and dietary requirements. People had access to healthcare services when needed.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The majority of people and their relatives described their care workers as “kind”, “understanding” and “wonderful”. People were involved and encouraged to make decisions about their care. Staff protected people’s dignity, respected their privacy and supported them to lead independent lives as much as possible.

Staff provided care and support according to people’s individual needs and preferences. People had the opportunity to interact among themselves and members of their local community, and participate in a wide range of activities. This promoted inclusivity and ensured people remained active.

There was a system to record and investigate complaints. Quality assurance systems assisted managers to monitor and improve the quality of service.

Managers and staff had created a friendly and caring environment, where people also felt safe. Managers also listened and acted upon feedback from people, relatives and staff. The service had formed positive relationships with other organisations and members of the local community.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The service was registered with this provider in April 2023. The last rating for this service, under a previous provider, was good (published 22 January 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.