Archived: Eleanor Centre

Updated 1 August 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.

This was a comprehensive inspection which took place on 21 and 25 June 2018 and was carried out by one inspector. This inspection was announced on both days. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure staff would be available during the inspection, so we could access relevant records at the service’s office. Part of the second day was spent speaking with people on the telephone.

Before the inspection we looked at information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually, to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We looked at the notifications received from the service and reviewed all the intelligence CQC held, to help inform us about the level of risk for this service. We also contacted the local authority safeguarding, commissioning teams and Healthwatch to request their views of the service. Healthwatch is the independent national champion for people who use health and social care services.

We looked at three people's care records and two medication administration records (MARs). We also looked at a selection of documentation in relation to the management and running of the service. This included stakeholder surveys, quality assurance audits, complaints, recruitment information for three members of staff, staff training records and policies and procedures.

We spoke with two people who used the service and one relative. Another person provided written feedback. We spoke with three members of staff, as well as the registered manager and a team leader.

Updated 1 August 2018

The inspection took place on 21 and 25 June 2018 and was announced.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to older adults, younger disabled adults and people with mental health needs.

Not everyone using Navigo Extra receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection 16 people were receiving a regulated activity.

There was a registered manager at the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 protected from abuse and avoidable harm, by staff who knew how to keep people safe. Potential risks to people were identified on an individual basis and documented clearly with an action plan, so these could be minimised. Risks were also considered in people’s home environment, to keep people and staff safe. The registered manger had oversight of accidents and incidents and recorded these on an electronic system, so patterns and trends could be analysed to reduce similar events reoccurring.

People were supported to receive their medicines safely. Although, the registered manager had identified recurring minor recording errors this was being addressed with staff. One person had a medicine ‘as and when required’ (PRN) but there was no guidance available to staff to support them to administer this as prescribed. This was addressed by the registered manager during the inspection.

Staff received effective levels of supervision and support and were recruited safely. Staff had completed an induction and a range of training to equip them with the skills and abilities to meet people’s needs. People were supported to access healthcare and attend appointments. For those who required assistance with their nutritional needs, support was provided to maintain a diet of their choosing.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff supported people to maintain their independence and treated people with dignity and respect.

People were supported by skilled staff that were knowledgeable about people’s needs and supported them in line with their preferences. People’s care plans were person centred and reviewed regularly with them to ensure they were involved. People were supported to access the community and leisure activities if chosen. There was a complaints policy in place and those that had been received were responded to appropriately, to ensure outcomes were achieved for people.

There was a positive culture within the service and people told us they felt listened to. There were effective quality assurance systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided, understand the experiences of people who used the service and identify any concerns.