We carried out a review of the data available to us about YourLife (Gosforth) on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about YourLife (Gosforth), you can give feedback on this service.
YourLife (Gosforth) is a care service which provides personal care to people living in their own apartments in Kenton Lodge. There were 12 people receiving personal care at the time of this inspection.
Not everyone who lived at Kenton Lodge received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People praised the staff for their care and kindness. Staff were friendly and engaging. People got on well with all of the staff and staff knew how to support each person in the way they preferred. The service was run in the best interests of the people who used it.
Staff made sure people were treated with dignity and respect, and their privacy was protected. People were fully involved in the arrangements about their care and their decisions were respected. Staff had good working relationships with other care agencies for the benefit of the people who used the service.
The service was safe. Risks to people’s health and safety were managed without compromising their independence. If people needed assistance with their medicines, this was managed in a safe way.
There were enough staff to make sure people received care and support when they needed it. Staff were trained and supported to carry out their job safely.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff assisted them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service upheld this practice.
People said the service was well-run and praised the management style as friendly, helpful and efficient. They were asked for their views in person and in surveys. They had information about how to raise issues and were confident about discussing anything with the management team.
Staff said the management team were open and approachable. They were happy in their roles and said the registered manager was encouraging and supportive.
The provider and registered manager were committed to continuous improvement of the service.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 29 September 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
YourLife (Gosforth) is a care service which offers care and support for people living within Kenton Lodge assisted living apartments. At the time of this inspection the service provided care to nine people which accounted for approximately 20 hours of care per week. As the service delivered a low number of hours of care per week, we have not included as many examples of descriptions of the care provided as we usually do. This is so people can not be identified.
A registered manager was in place. 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. The registered manager is also the registered provider.
People told us they felt safe with staff employed by the service. A safeguarding policy was in place and staff we spoke with were aware of their responsibilities in responding to any concerns of a safeguarding nature. There were enough staff to meet people's needs. People told us their care was provided by a small team of staff who knew them well. Safe recruitment procedures had been followed.
New staff were trained in the care certificate, a set of minimum standards for care staff. All staff undertook training in a range of subjects through both online e-learning and face to face practical training. Training was well managed and up to date.
Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required by law to monitor the application of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA), and to report on what we find. MCA is a law that protects and supports people who do not have the ability to make their own decisions and to ensure decisions are made in their 'best interests'. We found the provider was complying with their legal requirements.
People we spoke with told us they were happy with the care they received. They told us care staff were polite and kind.
People's needs had been assessed and care had been planned to meet those needs. People's care records were detailed and contained rich information about people, their plans of care and life histories. Staff we spoke with were very knowledgeable about people and the care they required.
People were encouraged to share their feedback. The registered manager visited people to carry out staff observations to monitor staff conduct. People were also asked to complete surveys about their care delivery. We saw positive responses had been received to the most recent survey.
The service had not received any complaints. People we spoke with told us they would not hesitate in sharing any concerns, but that they were very satisfied with the service.
A range of checks were carried out to monitor the quality of the service. These were in-depth and in line with the key questions CQC asks of service. Audits included monitoring people's care records as well as management information. Feedback from surveys had been communicated with staff and areas for improvement had been monitored to ensure identified actions were completed.
During the inspection the registered manager and staff told us of the provider's commitment to delivering high quality care.