Background to this inspection
Updated
26 September 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 22 August 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because the location provides a small domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be available to meet with us. The inspection team was made up of one adult social care inspector and one adult social care assistant inspector.
Before the inspection, we asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used this information to help with the planning for this inspection and to support our judgements.
Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service, which included correspondence we had received and any notifications submitted to us by the service. A notification must be sent to the Care Quality Commission every time a significant incident has taken place. For example, where a person who uses the service has a serious injury.
Before the inspection we contacted staff at Healthwatch Sheffield and they had no concerns recorded. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We also contacted members of Sheffield City Council contracts and commissioning service. They told us they had no current concerns about the service.
During the inspection we spoke with six people who lived at White Willows and two of their relatives. We met with the registered manager, team leader and regional manager. We spoke with six members of staff. We spent time looking through written records, which included nine people’s care records, four staff personnel files and other records relating to the management of the service.
Updated
26 September 2018
We carried out this inspection on 22 August 2018. This inspection was announced, which meant the provider was given 48 hours’ notice of our inspection visit. This was because the location provides a small domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be available to meet with us.
We checked progress the registered provider had made following our inspection on 7 June 2017 when we found four breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, relating to safe care and treatment, dignity and respect, receiving and acting on complaints, and good governance.
Following the last inspection, we met with the registered provider and asked them to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key questions of safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led to at least good. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the service was no longer in breach of regulations.
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 bought or rented, and is the occupant’s own home. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not regulate premises used for extra care housing; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support service.
People using this service lived in flats within a purpose built building. Not everyone living at White Willows received support with personal care; 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.
Care and support is provided from 7am to 10pm, with an on-call service throughout the night for emergency support. At the time of this inspection there were 30 people living at White Willows who were provided with ‘personal care’ from Comfort Call.
There was a manager at the service who was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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.
Safe procedures were in place to make sure people received their medicines as prescribed.
Staff understood what it meant to protect people from abuse. They told us they were confident any concerns they raised would be taken seriously by the registered manager and team leader.
There were enough staff available to ensure people’s care and support needs were met. The registered provider had effective recruitment procedures in place to make sure staff had the required skills and were of suitable character and background.
Staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The registered provider’s policies and systems supported this practice.
People were supported to access relevant health and social care professionals to ensure they were getting the care and support they needed to best meet their needs.
Staff were provided with an effective induction and relevant training to make sure they had the right skills and knowledge for their role. Staff were supported in their jobs through regular supervisions and an annual appraisal.
Positive and supportive relationships had been developed between people, their relatives, and staff. People told us they were treated with dignity and respect.
There was a clear complaints policy and procedure in place
People received personalised care. Care records reflected people’s current needs and preferences. Care records contained up to date risk assessments and these were reviewed as required.
There was a range of activities available to people living at White Willows.
There were effective systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided.
People and staff were asked for their opinion of the quality of the service via regular meetings and quality assurance calls.
The service had up to date policies and procedures which reflected current legislation and good practice guidance.