Updated 24 December 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 was carried out by one inspector and one Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type
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 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.
Not everyone using Comfort Call – Bowmont House receives a regulated activity. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.
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.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection visit. We needed to be sure the registered manager or a suitable deputy would be at the office.
Inspection site visit activity started and ended on 27 November 2019. We visited the office location on 27 November 2019 to speak with people who used the service, see the management and office staff and to review care records and policies and procedures.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we held about the service. We contacted the local authority contracts and safeguarding teams for any information they held about the service. We used their feedback to inform the planning of this inspection.
The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
During the inspection
We spoke with seven people and one relative. We spoke with four staff: the care scheme coordinator and three care staff including a senior carer. We looked at four people’s care plans and information relating to staff training, medicines management, rotas, recruitment and the management of the service.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We contacted two external health and social care professionals by telephone.