15 December 2016
During a routine inspection
Help at Home (Connaught House) provides personal care and support to people living in an Extra Care service. Extra Care schemes enable people to live in their own flats or apartments with support available on site should they require it. At the time of our inspection 36 people were receiving personal care and support.
There was a registered manager in place. It is a requirement that the service has a registered manager. 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.
People felt safe with the support offered by staff members. Staff understood their responsibilities to help protect people from abuse and avoidable harm. The provider had systems in place to manage and deal with accidents and incidents. This included assessing risks to people’s well-being. For example, where people were at risk of falling, staff had guidance available to them to follow.
People’s accommodation and equipment were checked for their safety. The provider had plans in place to keep people safe during emergency situations, such as a fire.
People were satisfied with the number of staff available to provide their support. Staff were checked for their suitability before starting work for the provider so that people received support from those appropriate to work within the caring profession.
People received their medicines when they required it. Where people required support to take their medicines, this was undertaken in a safe way by staff who had received guidance. Staff knew what to do should a mistake occur when handling people’s medicines.
People received support from staff who had the required skills and knowledge. Staff received an induction when they started working for the provider and training and guidance was offered to them. This included meeting with the registered manager to discuss their performance. Staff felt supported and received feedback on their work through, for example, staff meetings. Staff understood their responsibilities including reporting the poor practice of their colleagues should they have needed to.
People received support in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People could make decisions for themselves and the registered manager and staff knew their responsibilities should they have concerns about changes to people’s mental capacity.
People’s food and drink preferences were known by staff and where there were concerns that people were not eating enough, staff monitored and took any necessary action. People had access to healthcare services to promote their well-being.
People received support from staff who showed kindness and compassion. Their dignity and privacy was protected including the safe handling of their sensitive and private information. Staff knew the people they supported including their life histories and things that mattered to them which showed good relationships had been established.
People were involved in planning their support and were supported to be as independent as they wanted to be. For example, by helping to prepare their own meals. Where people required additional support, advocacy information was available to them.
People had contributed to the planning and review of their support requirements. They had care plans that were focused on them as individuals that guided staff to offer them care and support in line with their preferences. People had opportunities to take part in activities that they enjoyed.
People knew how to make a complaint. The provider had a complaints policy in place that was available for people. The registered manager took action when a complaint was received.
People and staff members would recommend the service to their families and friends. They had opportunities to give feedback to the provider. For example, the provider visited people in their own homes to ask about their satisfaction with the service they received. We saw that the provider took action where this was necessary following feedback received.
The registered manager was aware of their responsibilities. This included them checking the quality of the service. We saw, for example, that checks on people’s care records occurred monthly to make sure they contained the required information as well as on the reasons why accidents had occurred. Where the provider needed to make improvements, they took action.