Archived: ACASA

Newman Court 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. At Newman Court this accommodation consists of individual flats in one complex, which have been rented by individuals and is their 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 provided by the service. Not everyone living at Newman Court received regulated activity; 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. At the time of inspection the service was supporting 25 people with personal care.

The service had a registered manager in place at the time of our inspection. 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 kept safe from harm by staff who knew what to do in order to maintain their safety and protect them from abuse. People were consulted about risks relating to their safety, how they were managed and how their independence could be promoted. Risks to people were assessed and action was taken to minimise any avoidable harm.

Staff supported people to maintain high standards of cleanliness and hygiene in their homes, and to safely manage the control and prevention of infection, particularly in relation to the safe preparation of food.

Staff underwent appropriate training to support people to manage their medicines safely and had their competency to do so regularly assessed.

The provider applied thorough recruitment procedures to ensure staff were suitable to support people made vulnerable by circumstances living in their own home. The registered manager completed rotas which ensured that enough suitably qualified staff, with the right skills mix, were deployed to provide care and support to meet people’s needs safely.

Staff raised concerns with regard to safety incidents, concerns and near misses. The registered manager analysed incidents and accidents to identify trends and implement measures to prevent a further occurrence. When mistakes happened the provider responded in an open and transparent manner, apologising to people where necessary, and taking prompt action to put things right.

The provider had enabled staff to develop and maintain the necessary skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs effectively. People were supported to eat and drink enough to meet their nutritional needs.

Staff supported people to maintain their health and ensured they were referred promptly to appropriate healthcare professionals whenever their needs changed.

The registered manager and staff clearly understood their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were involved in making every day decisions and choices about how they wanted to live their lives.

People's independence was promoted by staff who encouraged them to do as much for themselves as possible. Staff treated people with dignity and respect and were sensitive to their needs regarding equality, diversity and their human rights.

People experienced good continuity and consistency of care from staff who were kind and compassionate. People were relaxed and comfortable in the presence of staff who invested time to develop meaningful relationships with them.

The service was responsive and involved people in developing their support plans which were detailed and personalised to ensure their individual preferences were known. People were supported to complete stimulating activities of their choice, which had a positive impact on their well-being. People were supported by staff to maintain special relationships with friends and relatives to protect them from the risks associated with social isolation.

Opportunities were available for people and their families to regularly contribute to the development of the service and to help drive continuous improvement. The service had a structured approach to obtaining feedback from people using the service, including satisfaction surveys and quality assurance visits.

The service was well managed and well-led by the registered manager who provided clear and direct leadership, which inspired staff to provide good quality care. The provider ensured the service delivered high quality care by completing regular audits, site visits and reviewing the registered manager's monitoring reports, which detailed all significant events. The safety and quality of support people received was effectively monitored and identified shortfalls were acted upon to drive continuous improvement of the service. The area and operations managers were very approachable and listened to staff feedback which made staff feel valued.