15 June 2017
During a routine inspection
Housing & Care 21 Osmund Court is an extra care domiciliary service consisting of 41 individual apartments within the building located in Billingshurst, West Sussex. People either owned or rented the apartments which were managed by another provider/landlord. The registered office is in the same building. Care staff provide people with a range of services including personal care, medicines management, shopping and cleaning services. At the time of our inspection, 32 people were receiving care and support from the provider.
At the time of our inspection there was a new manager in post who was in the process of applying to be the 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 living at Osmund Court. Staff understood how to keep people safe and how to recognise the signs of potential abuse that people might experience. Staff had been trained in safeguarding adults at risk. They knew what action to take if they had any concerns about people's welfare, including informing outside agencies such as the local authority West Sussex safeguarding adult’s team.
Risks to people were identified, assessed and managed appropriately. Care plans provided staff with guidance on how to support people and mitigate risks. Staffing levels were assessed based on people's assessed needs and care plans. People and staff felt there were sufficient staff on duty, both day and night. Safe recruitment practices were in place. Medicines were managed safely.
People were supported by staff who were trained and knowledgeable about people’s their needs. New staff completed the Care Certificate, a universally recognised qualification. Staff were encouraged to study for additional qualifications such as diplomas in health and social care. Staff had regular supervision meetings with their line managers and attended team meetings. Some people were provided support around meal times in their own homes whilst others were independent and catered for themselves or accessed catering arranged by the housing provider. Staff had been trained in mental capacity and worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People had access to a range of healthcare professionals and services.
People were cared for by kind and caring staff and spoke positively of the relationships that had developed. People were encouraged to be involved in all aspects of their care and to express their views. They were treated with dignity and respect by the staff team.
Care plans contained personalised information about people that was responsive to their needs. Information included people's personal histories, likes, dislikes and preferences. Staff confirmed when they had read people's care plans to show they understood how to support people in line with their assessed needs. Activities were organised in communal rooms at the service and optional for people to join in with. Complaints were managed in line with the provider's policy.
People were involved in all aspects of the service and their feedback was sought through completion of an annual survey, the last one of which was from 2016. Responses were positive.
Staff felt supported by management and were asked for their views on their employment through an annual survey. The manager valued the work of the care staff and operated an ‘open-door’ policy. People spoke of the good quality care they received and of the caring staff. A range of systems were in place to measure and monitor the care delivered and the service overall effectively.