Archived: Oak Court

Updated 27 October 2018

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.

We gave the registered manager two weeks’ notice of our inspection because the service is an extra care housing service. We asked the registered manager to arrange a meeting of people living at Oak Court so that we could talk with them about their experience of the service. We wanted people to know we would be inspecting the service so that they could arrange time to talk with us during our visit. We were therefore able to speak with 27 of the 29 people who receive personal care.

The inspection team consisted of an inspection manager, an inspector, an assistant inspector and an expert by experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. Our expert-by-experience specialised in caring for older people and people living with physical disability.

Before our inspection we reviewed the information we had received about the service. This included previous inspection reports, information received and statutory notifications. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. We sought feedback from commissioners who fund the care for some people who use the service. We also contacted Healthwatch Leicestershire who are the local consumer champion for people using adult social care services.

We spoke with 27 people who received personal care. We spoke with the registered manager, the provider’s head of care and support and two care staff. We looked at two people’s care plans and records to see how their needs were assessed, planned and delivered. We looked at a range of records relating to the running of the service including audits carried out by the registered manager and registered provider, a staff recruitment file to check our recruitment procedures were operated and written feedback people had made about the service.

Updated 27 October 2018

The announced inspection took place of 3 October 2018.

At our previous inspection in September 2017 we rated the service as requiring improvement because it was in breach of regulations. There were not enough staff at night to ensure the comfort, dignity and safety of people who required two care workers to support them with personal care.

Following the last inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key questions Safe, Caring, Responsive and Well-led to good.

We found that improvement had been made. People’s night time needs had been reassessed with the support of the local authority’s Single-Handed Assessment Team. People who had previously required the support of two care workers were supported by staff trained in ‘single handed support’ with the provision of additional equipment. Staff were available at night to support people with in an emergency situation. People we spoke with consistently told us they felt safe and that their care needs were met.

This service provides personal care 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. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not regulate premises used for extra care housing; this inspection looked at people’s personal care service.

People lived in a modern apartment block consisting of 50 self-contained apartments. Oak Court has communal areas including a dining room, activities rooms, a hair salon and cinema room. The provider occupies two offices on the ground floor from which the service is run.

Not everyone living at Oak Court receives the regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; for example, help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating.

The service had 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 were supported by staff who knew how to recognise abuse and how to respond to concerns. Risks in relation to people’s daily life were assessed and planned for to protect them from harm. People consistently told us they felt safe when receiving personal care and throughout the day and night.

People were supported by enough staff to ensure they received care and support when they needed it.

The service had safe arrangements for the management of medicines which meant that people received their medicines as prescribed.

People were supported by staff who had the knowledge and skills to provide safe and appropriate care and support. Staff were supported through training and had opportunities to obtain further qualifications to further their career in social care.

People felt cared for. People consistently told us that staff were caring. People’s support needs were recognised and responded to by a staff team who cared about the individual they were supporting.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People had access to information about their care and the service. They had their care plans in their apartments. They were kept informed of developments at the service at resident’s meetings. People told us the registered manager was approachable, friendly and helpful.

People were supported to access health services when they needed them.

People’s care plans included assessments of their needs and clear guidance for staff about how to support people. People knew how they could make complaints using the provider’s complaints procedure. They told us they were comfortable about discussing any concerns with the registered manager or staff.

There was an open and transparent culture at the service. People were involved in giving their views on how the service was run. Staff were kept informed and involved in developments at the service.

The registered manager had systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. The provider also monitored the service and supported the registered manager. The provider promoted the organisations values that were understood and practised by staff.