Mersey Gardens

Updated 17 April 2020

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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The service was inspected by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in block of 20 individual apartments, which enabled people to live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support. At the time of our inspection five people received support with their personal care.

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

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since its registration. We sought feedback from the local authority who work with the service. 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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service, two relatives and one social worker about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the provider and registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records, two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. Also, we reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.

Updated 17 April 2020

About the service

Mersey Gardens is a supported living service, providing support and personal care for people who live in their own self-contained apartment within a modern purpose-built apartment block.

Not everyone who used the service received 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.

The service had been designed and developed in line with the principles and values underpinning Registering the Right Support. The apartment block had been designed to fit into the local community, each person had their own self-contained home enabling them to live an independent and ordinary lifestyle. Also, services had been installed as part of the building design to make it easier for people to use assistive technology; which may also enable people to increase their autonomy.

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

People told us that they were treated with kindness dignity and respect. Staff had a respectful approach towards people and listened to them. Staff were skilled in adapting their approach and supporting people to express themselves. One person told us, “I like it here, the staff are nice and kind.”

The service was designed and provided in a manner that promoted people’s dignity, privacy and independence. 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 service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

The provider had taken appropriate steps to ensure that people were safe. Risks were identified and effective steps were taken to reduce them, people were safeguarded from the risk of abuse. People’s right to take informed, positive risks was respected and people were supported to be as independent as possible. The service made thoughtful use of assistive technology to promote this.

People were encouraged to maintain their personal relationships and to build new ones. They were supported to be active members of their community, use community facilities and socialise with family and friends.

There was an in-depth and person-centred assessment process that helped ensure that the provider was aware of people’s needs, choices and equality characteristics that they wanted to share.

Each person had a detailed and personalised care plan. Support plans were very detailed, positive and written in a manner that was respectful towards and dignified people. People’s care plan covered their needs and choices relating to their health, support, social needs and other detailed information that a person had chosen to share. Staff were knowledgeable about people, their support needs and how they communicated.

There were enough staff to safely meet people’s needs. Staff were supported to be effective in their roles; there was an ongoing program of training, team meetings, supervision meetings, appraisals and competency assessments.

The provider was an advocate of people living ordinary lifestyles in their own community and had given attention to the design of the service to ensure that it promoted people having as much control, choice and independence as possible.

There was a very positive and person-centred culture amongst the staff team. Amongst senior staff there was a focus on the quality of the service being provided for people. The provider and registered manager had effective systems in place for checking the quality and safety of the service being provided.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 09/08/2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection for a newly registered service.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.