Archived: Meadow Court

Updated 2 December 2016

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.

The inspection took place on 9 November 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours' notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in the office. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

We looked at information we held about the provider and the service. This included information received from the statutory notifications the provider had sent us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to end to us by law. We also sought information from the local authority who commission services on behalf of people and Healthwatch (The local consumer champion for health and social care services). We used this information to help us plan this inspection.

The provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This form asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed information we held about the service and looked at the notifications they had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. We used this information to focus our inspection.

We spoke with nine people living at the complex, four relatives, five staff members, two team leaders and the registered manager. We also looked at a range of documents and written records. These included two people’s care records, staff training records three staff files, complaints and compliments files, quality audits and the recording of incidents and accidents. We also looked at information relating to the administration of medicines and the monitoring of service provision.

Updated 2 December 2016

The inspection took place on 9 November 2016 and was announced.

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..

Meadow Court consists of 57 apartments for people aged 55 and over. 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 25 people received support with personal care.

There was 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People felt safe living at Meadow Court and were supported by staff who were kind, caring and respectful towards them. Staff had been trained in safeguarding so understood how to protect people from abuse. Checks had been carried out before staff started work to ensure they were of good character and suitable to work with people they supported.

People were supported by staff who were well trained and had the skills to deliver safe and effective care. There were procedures for staff to follow to minimise risks to people’s safety such as how to manage risks associated with people’s medicines and medical requirements. Information in care plans supported staff in managing the risks identified so people were kept safe from potential harm.

Care plans contained relevant information describing people’s personal care requirements for staff to follow, to ensure people received care and support as they preferred.

Staff helped people to prepare meals in their own apartments or attend the restaurant where choices of nutritious meals were available.

People were supported to attend a variety of interesting pastimes of their choice, either in their own apartment or the provider’s organised activities programme.

People were involved in their care and their opinions were sought about the service they received to make sure this met their preferences. There had been no complaints received about the service but people felt confident to raise any concerns or issues with the registered manager if they needed to.

The provider and the registered manager ensured the quality of the service delivered to people was maintained by conducting regular quality monitoring audits and seeking feedback from people to continually look for ways of improvement.