Background to this inspection
Updated
3 March 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
One inspector carried out this announced inspection.
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
We gave a short notice period of the inspection, prior to visiting the service, because we wanted to speak with people who use the service.
Inspection activity started on 23 January 2020 and ended on 05 February 2020. We visited the office location on 27 January 2020.
What we did before the inspection
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 the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with two people about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff including the registered manager, care support supervisor, care worker and a volunteer. We received feedback via email from three relatives, two social care professionals, and a volunteer during the inspection period. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and a variety of records relating to the management of the service.
Updated
3 March 2020
About the service:
Cambridge City Council Care - Ditchburn Place is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care and support to people living in their own flats in a specialist 'extra care' housing scheme in the centre of Cambridge. 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 22 people were receiving the regulated activity personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found:
People were happy with the service and the staff that provided their care.
People felt safe because staff knew what they were doing, they had been trained, and supported people in the way people wanted.
Staff assessed and reduced people’s risks as much as possible. There were enough staff to support people with their care and support needs. The provider carried out key recruitment checks on potential new staff before they started work.
People received their medicines and staff knew how these should be given. Staff used protective equipment, such as gloves and aprons to prevent the spread of infection. Staff followed advice from health care professionals and made sure they asked people’s consent before providing care and support.
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 liked the staff that supported them. Staff were kind and caring, they involved people in their care and made sure people’s privacy was respected.
Staff kept care records up to date and included national guidance if relevant.
The service was well managed by a registered manager. The senior staff team were passionate about giving people a high-quality service.
People and their relatives were asked their views of the service and action was taken to change any areas that they were not happy with. The provider had systems in place to effectively monitor and bring about improvements in the service. Concerns were followed up to make sure action was taken to rectify the issues raised.
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 26/07/2017).
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.