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Archived: St. John's Almshouses

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

32 St Johns South, High Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9LN (01962) 852743

Provided and run by:
St John's Winchester Charity

All Inspections

29 November 2016

During a routine inspection

This inspection took place on 29 November and 02 December 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 24 hours because the location provides a domiciliary care service; we need to be sure that someone would be available in the office.

St. John’s Almshouses is a registered charity that provides a personal care service to people who live in a complex of private apartments within communal grounds. Whilst not all people needed any personal care or support, those that did could either choose to make their own arrangements or use the personal care service provided by St. John’s Almshouses staff. When we visited, four people were using the service and receiving support with their personal care. Other people who lived at St. John’s Almshouses could receive care and support should they need it in an emergency.

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 and their families told us they felt safe and secure when receiving care. Relevant recruitment checks were conducted before staff started working at St John’s Almhouses to make sure they were of good character and had the necessary skills. However, there dates weren’t clear in staff employment histories. Therefore it was not possible to identify whether there were any gaps in between jobs. The manager was aware of our concerns and actions to address them had already been put in place.

People’s risks were not always managed effectively. People’s risk assessments and those relating to their homes’ environment were detailed and helped reduce risks to people while maintaining their independence. However, some people’s care records did not contain information to help staff reduce risks to people’s diabetes management.

Staff received training in safeguarding adults. They completed a wide range of training and felt it supported them in their job role. New staff completed an induction before being permitted to work unsupervised. Staff told us they felt supported and received regular supervision and support to discuss areas of development. Staff meetings were held every three months. There were sufficient numbers of staff to maintain the schedule of care visits to meet people’s needs.

People who used the service felt they were treated with kindness and said their privacy and dignity was respected. People received their medicines safely. Staff had an understanding of legislation designed to protect people’s rights and were clear that people had the right to make their own choices.

Staff were responsive to people’s needs which were detailed in people’s care plans. Care plans provided comprehensive information which helped ensure people received personalised care. People felt listened to and a complaints procedure was in place.

Staff felt supported by the registered manager and could visit the office to discuss any concerns. Staff meetings were held regularly. There were systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service provided. Accidents and incidents were monitored, analysed and remedial actions identified to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.

18 October 2013

During a routine inspection

During our visit we spoke with four people who receive personal care in their apartments. People were positive about the quality of care they received, saying for example, 'Moving here was the best move I've ever made' and 'The care here is very good.' Everyone said that staff listened to them and checked if they wanted assistance before providing care. One person said,

'If I don't want [care], I say so, and staff respect that.' We observed that staff were courteous, respectful and friendly towards people. Staff received training relating to their roles and were supported to develop their skills. People we spoke with were complimentary about the staff saying, for example, 'All the [care staff] are friendly and kind.'

From reviewing records, we found people's care plans were clearly written and included personalised risk assessments and guidance on the care they needed. Records relating to the delivery of care were detailed where necessary, and we saw that action was taken when people needed additional support. The service had a records retention policy and we observed that records were stored securely to maintain confidentiality.

25 May 2012

During a routine inspection

When we visited we talked with five people using the service. They all told us they were very satisfied with the service provided. People said, 'I wouldn't want to live anywhere else' and they told us that care workers and nurses were 'always nice, and knocked on the door or rang the bell before entering'. People also said that if they were needed anything, staff were very quick to respond to calls, and always very helpful. We were told by everyone we spoke with that they felt very safe and that they were treated with dignity and respect. People understood the care they received and appreciated the support provided by the staff and by the organisation. They told us that there were a range of social activities offered, such as a weekly lunch club.