Updated 5 June 2019
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations under the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team:
The inspection was carried out by one inspector and one expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type:
This service provides care and support to people living in ‘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. 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.
The service had appointed a manager who was in the process of applying to be registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means the provider is legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection:
Inspection site visit activity started on 16 May and ended on 20 May. We visited the office location on 17 May to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.
Before the inspection:
We reviewed the information we held about the service. This included information from other agencies and statutory notifications sent to us by the provider about events that had occurred at the service. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. We used all this information to decide which areas to focus on during our inspection.
The provider completed a Provider Information Return. This is key information about the service, what they do well and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.
We sought feedback from the local authority who worked with the service.
During the inspection:
16 May the expert by experience telephoned and spoke with four people using the service and six relatives for their views on the care and support provided.
17 May we visited the office location and we reviewed: five peoples care records, medication records and risk assessments. Staff recruitment and supervision records for three staff. Training records for all employed care staff. Records of accidents, incidents, complaints and compliments, audits, quality assurance reports and surveys. We spoke with the nominated individual, area manager, newly appointed manager and supervisor.
The manager arranged a coffee/tea morning in the communal area for people to meet with us and share their experiences. There were 13 people present, 11 of whom were in receipt of the regulated activity ‘personal care’. In response to this activity we met with an additional two people using the service, one with a carer present, the other with a manager present.
20 May we telephoned three care staff and the manager emailed some additional evidence in response to feedback provided at the end of the inspection.