Archived: ExtraCare Charitable Trust Terryspring Court

We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of our intention to undertake an inspection. This was because the organisation provides a domiciliary care service to people in their homes; we needed to be sure that someone would be available at the office. People lived within their own individual flats and shared some communal areas.

The provider registered this service with us to provide personal care and support for people with a range of varying needs including dementia, who live in their own homes.

At the time of our inspection 26 people received support with personal care. A registered manager was in post when we inspected the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they were safe and that care staff supported them to remain safe. People told us they felt comfortable with the care staff supporting them and care staff understood what it meant to keep people safe from harm.

People were supported by regular care staff who understood their individual needs. Care staff understood people’s health and the risks to their health. They understood what precautions needed to be adhered to keep people safe and which symptoms to monitor. People told us they were able to access help when they needed it and care staff felt care staffing levels were adequate.

People received their medications as prescribed and regular checks were made to ensure that care staff understood how people needed to be supported to take their medications.

Care staff understood how to care for people. Staff training was regularly monitored to ensure care staff had access to training that kept their knowledge up to date. Care staff accessed regular supervision and feedback on their performance.

People accessed additional medical help and support when it was required and were supported by care staff to access this.

People felt cared for by care staff they regarded as their friends. Regular care staff supported them which helped care staff understand people’s individual needs.

People were treated with dignity and respect by care staff who understood what this meant for people.

People fed back on the care being delivered in a number of ways. People spoke with care staff and the registered manager individually or attended meetings at the service. People also participated in spot checks to check they were satisfied with the care they were receiving.

People had confidence in the registered manager and that their concerns or feedback were taken seriously and acted upon. Peoples care was reviewed and updated regularly and where appropriate feedback from external partners was sought.

The registered provider made regular checks of the service to ensure that the quality of care being delivered met their expectations.

People told us that care staff always asked them about their preferences in how they would like assistance with their daily routines when they arrived at their homes. One person told us: 'Care is great; I don't have to worry about anything.' Another person told us: 'I like to keep a little bit of independence and they (the care staff) respect that.'

We saw that people who used the service were supported to take their medicines as prescribed at the right time and in the right way. This made sure people's health needs were effectively met.

People who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse because the registered manager made sure all staff recruited were suitable to work with vulnerable people. People told us they felt safe when care staff visited them in their homes and that care staff were helpful and kind.

People told us that care and support was provided by skilled staff who knew them well. For example, we found that new staff had spent time working alongside a more experienced staff member before they worked on their own. This showed that there were effective processes in place to ensure care staff were suitably trained and supported.

The provider had systems in place to check on the quality of the care people received. The service was well led because the registered manager supported the staff team, had quality monitoring systems in place and managed risks effectively.

People told us that they were treated with respect and that staff maintained their privacy and dignity. Several people described how they were supported where needed or checked on by a group of regular support staff. They told us that staff had got to know them well and understood their routines. We were also told by people that staff used their preferred names when addressing them.

We looked at the care records of four people that used the service. We saw that an assessment of people's needs was carried out before the service started. One person showed us a copy of the care and support plan which was kept in their home that staff had followed. This person told us that the support that they received helped them to recover from their illness and regain their independence.

People were protected from the risk of abuse and told us they felt safe when staff visited them. People told us that were helpful and approachable.

People we spoke with were confident that they could raise concerns if they were not happy with the support being received and that they would be listened to. Improvements were made as a result of listening to the views of people.