Octavia Housing - Burgess Field

Updated 1 May 2020

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector. Following the inspection, an Expert by Experience contacted people using the service for their feedback. 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 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 registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

This inspection took place on 9, 10 and 11 March 2020. We visited the office location on all three days to talk with the management team and members of care staff; and to review care and support records, staff recruitment and training information, policies and procedures, quality audits and other relevant information about the service.

What we did before the inspection

Prior to our visit, we reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents.

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.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people using the service, the registered manager, a service manager, a scheme co-ordinator, three members of care staff and an assistant director for care and support.

After the inspection

Following our inspection, an expert by experience made telephone calls to six relatives to gain further feedback about how the service is managed and organised. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 1 May 2020

About the service

Burgess Field is an extra care sheltered housing scheme comprising of 28 studio and one-bedroom flats. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. Tenancy agreements are managed by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea local authority. The care quality commission (CQC) does not regulate premises used for extra care housing.

CQC only inspects the service being received by people being supported 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. People receive care and support from 24-hour on-site staff. At the time of the inspection, the service was providing personal care to 18 people. A small number of care and support packages are provided privately and by other external domiciliary care agencies.

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

People using the service were happy with the support they received, and the service was providing a good standard of care.

People's needs were assessed before they moved into the service. Care and support plans recorded people's support needs and provided a brief personal history, past and present.

Risk assessments and guidance were in place. Staff were aware of how risks to people’s health and well-being could be minimised.

Systems were in place to safeguard people from the risk of possible abuse and staff completed and updated safeguarding training as and when needed.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of consent and capacity issues in relation to current mental health legislation.

Staff promoted people’s independence and encouraged them to complete daily tasks and take part in social and leisure activities where appropriate. Staff respected people's privacy when supporting them with personal care.

The service worked in partnership with others. People were supported to access healthcare services when required such as GP's and hospital departments. Staff knew how to respond to medical emergencies.

People were supported with meal preparation where this formed part of an agreed package of care.

Staff received supervision and support and had completed an induction period that included shadowing more experienced members of staff before working with people on their own.

The registered manager operated an open-door policy and people felt comfortable speaking with staff about any concerns or complaints they may have. People were encouraged to feedback about the service via tenant’s meetings and an annual survey.

The provider completed quality audits and spot checks. Medicines records were audited on a regular basis. The registered manager and his team assured us that all care documentation would be fully audited and updated where required to ensure people continued to receive appropriate care and support.

Rating at last inspection

We rated this service requires improvement overall at our previous inspection in January 2019.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the previous inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about this service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.