Margery Girling House

Updated 25 February 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 inspection was undertaken by one inspector.

Service and service type

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 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 looked at people’s personal care and support service.

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 the inspection

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

During the inspection

We spoke with six people who used the service and one person’s relative about their experience of the care provided, we also spoke with two visitors. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, senior care workers, care workers and a staff member who coordinates social activities for people.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and their medicines records. We looked at one staff record relating to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including training and audits were reviewed.

After the inspection

We received electronic feedback from a professional who regularly worked with the service. We also spoke with one person’s relative and a health care professional on the telephone.

Updated 25 February 2020

About the service

Margery Girling House is a domiciliary care service providing personal care in a sheltered housing complex. 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. At the time of our inspection there were 34 people living in the complex and 31 of these people received personal care support. Some of these people were living with dementia.

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

People received a service which had systems to reduce the risks of avoidable harm and abuse. There were enough staff to provide people with the care they required. Recruitment of staff was done safely. People received their medicines safely and in lines with their needs and the service’s procedures. People were safeguarded by the service’s infection control procedures.

Staff received the training they needed to meet people’s needs effectively. Where people required support with their health and dietary needs, this was assessed and provided. 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.

People were supported by staff who were caring and respectful. People’s rights to independence, dignity and privacy were promoted and respected.

People’s needs were assessed, planned for and met. People’s decisions about their care were valued and respected, this included their end of life decisions, where appropriate. There was a complaints procedure and people’s concerns and complaints were responded to and addressed.

There were systems to assess and monitor the service provided. Any shortfalls were identified and addressed to provide people with good quality care at all times.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 15 August 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.