Archived: Southlands & Anchor House Extra Care

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, speaking with people using the service, their relatives, the staff supporting them and from looking at records.

If you want to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report.

Is the service safe?

People we spoke with told us that they felt safe with the staff who visited their homes and had no concerns about how care staff treated them. One person told us "I feel absolutely safe". We saw that care staff carried identification. Staff we spoke with told us they always wore this when they visited people to help protect people from unauthorised visitors.

We saw that risk assessments had been put in place and included guidance to reduce risks that may be associated with administration of medicines or people's moving and handling needs. We also saw assessments had been carried out for people where there were risks associated with their care which could impact on their health and safety. For example, some people were at risk of falling because of their mobility. This meant care staff had the necessary information and advice to ensure people's safety and welfare.

Is the service effective?

There were systems in place that included regular checks to monitor staff practices and the experiences of people who received a service. For example, we found that team leaders observed care staff practices, and sought the views from people to ensure that they were satisfied with their care. We were told by some staff that any issues from these monitoring checks were raised with staff.This meant that the agency had arrangements in place to monitor the quality of their services to ensure that all aspects of the care people received were being delivered effectively.

Is the service caring?

We spoke with eight people who received a service from the agency. People told us that they were aware of the care plan and the care they were receiving. They told us that they were supported by regular staff who understood that people had different preferences in relation to their care.

People were positive about the support they had received. One person told us: 'the staff are very kind and caring they do everything I want them to do". Another person said "they are always kind to me and they really do care".

Is the service responsive?

We spoke with care staff about the needs of people that they supported. The care staff we spoke with had an understanding of the needs of the people they supported and what they needed to do to meet them. Care staff also understood of how to recognise when someone needed additional support or referral to other services. For example arranging doctor's visit, the social services and emergency services. This meant the service people received was responsive to their needs.

Is the service well-led?

People who used the service were asked for their views about their care and support and they were acted on. Some of the comments from the survey sent out to the people who used the service included 'the care I receive is excellent, it has helped me to stay in my home in Southlands'. Another comment was "they are all so pleasant and always spend the complete time with me and do a good job'.

There were systems in place that included regular checks to monitor staff practices. For example, we found that team leaders observed care staff practices, and sought the views from people to ensure that they were satisfied with their care. We were told by some staff that any issues from these monitoring checks were raised with them.This meant that the agency had arrangements in place to monitor the quality of their services to ensure that all aspects of the care people received were being delivered well.

They told us they were provided with support when they needed it and they valued the security that living at Southlands and Anchor provided them. One person told us moving to Southlands and Anchor had made a difference to their everyday living as staff were, 'on site if you need someone for any support" which they said was reassuring.

People told us that they were treated with respect and that staff maintained their privacy and dignity. People described how they were supported where needed or checked on by care staff to make sure they were safe and well.

They told us that staff had got to know them well and understood their routines. This meant that people received care in the way they preferred. We were also told by people that staff knocked and used their door bells before entering their homes.

We saw that people received care and support that was flexible to their needs. We looked at the care records of three people who used the service. We saw that an assessment of people's needs was carried out before the service started. This was reviewed when people's needs had changed. One person told us that they had been ill recently and the extra support that they received helped them to recover from their illness and regain their independence.

People we spoke with were confident that they could raise concerns if they were not happy with the support they received and that they would be listened to.