Extra Care Service

Updated 28 November 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.

This inspection took place on 09 and 16 October 2018 and was announced. The inspection was completed by one inspector. The provider was given 24 hours' notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that the registered provider and their staff would be available.

We checked the information we held about the service and the provider. This included notifications that the provider had sent to us about incidents at the service and information that we had received from the public. We used this information to formulate our inspection plan.

We also used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. 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 improvements they plan to make.

We visited five people who used the service and completed observations of people with staff. We also spoke with six members of care staff including the registered manager.

We looked at the care records for seven people to see if they were accurate and up to date. In addition, we looked at audits completed by the service in relation to reviews and medicine management. We also looked at recruitment folders for five staff to ensure the quality of the service was continuously monitored and reviewed to drive improvement.

Updated 28 November 2018

The inspection took place on 9 and 16 October 2018 and was announced.

At the time of our inspection there were 78 people using the service. The support was given to people living across three sites with short hold tenancy agreements in place. This meant people were living in their own homes.

Extra Care Service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats and specialist housing. It provides a service to older adults and younger disabled adults.

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 consider any wider social care provided.

The service has a registered manager. 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.

At our last inspection March 2016, the service was rated Good overall. We found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good overall. There was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

People received a service which was safe. We saw that staff understood how to keep people safe and knew how to report any concerns. Risk assessments had been completed to cover all aspects of people’s care, including whilst outside their home. The staff were consistent and the appropriate recruitment checks had been completed. Staff knew how to handle medicine safety and to reduce the risks of infection.

Staff had received training for their role. This involved a range of courses and the latest guidance on specific conditions. When people received support with meals this was done through choice and dietary needs. Health care was monitored and people were supported in this area. 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 had established positive relationships with people and this was supported by having consistent staff. Respect and dignity had been maintained along with supporting people to remain as independent as they were able to be.

There was a responsive approach to people’s needs. The hours of support were flexible to meet the needs on a week by week basis. The care plans were detailed and included information in relation to people’s equality needs and information access. Complaints had been documented and investigated and people felt able to raise any concerns.

The service was supported by a registered manager who understood the regulations and ensured we received notifications and information in relation to these. People had been given the opportunity to reflect on the service they received and to support improvements driving forward. Regular audits had been carried out in relation to the care plans and medicines management. Staff felt supported and enjoyed working for this provider. Partnerships had been established to support the needs of peoples making the links with health and social care professionals.