30 October 2018
During a routine inspection
Camden Street is registered to provide personal care 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. Camden Street provides accommodation that 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 only looked at people's personal care service.
At Camden Street there are 30 one-bedroom flats. There is a communal lounge and a communal kitchen on ground floor that people can use if they wish. Other communal facilities include a lift to each floor, laundry and garden.
At the time of this inspection, there were 10 people living at Camden Street who were supported with personal care.
At the time of our inspection the service did not have a registered manager. A new manager was in post however their application to become a registered manager was still being processed by CQC. 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.
People were protected from the risk of abuse because staff received training in safeguarding people and understood their responsibility to report any concerns. The provider checked staff were suitable to carry out their role before they started working for the service.
People's care plans explained the risks to their individual health and wellbeing and the actions staff needed to take to support them safely. Processes were in place to review care plans to update information when people’s needs changed so they received the right support.
We found that there were appropriate arrangements in place for the safe management, administration and storage of medicines. Records showed that managers carried out checks to make sure people had taken their medicines. Staff who administered medicines had received training in this.
Staff regularly attended supervision meetings with the manager to discuss their practice and personal development. We found that there were sufficient numbers of trained staff to support people and staff.
People told us they were supported by staff who cared for them as individuals, treating them with dignity and respect. Staff understood people's needs and interests and encouraged them to maintain their independence according to their wishes and abilities.
Most staff members were positive about working for the service and felt supported by the management team. They had built positive relationships with people and supported people to access healthcare professionals and community services.
People knew how to complain if they were unhappy and they were confident that their concerns would be responded to efficiently and effectively.