Background to this inspection
Updated
28 September 2019
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type
This service provides personal care to people living in a retirement living complex, which is purpose-built accommodation on a shared site. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises this inspection only looked at the personal care provided for people using the service.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
The inspection activity started on 5 September 2019 by visiting the office location, and we conducted telephone interviews with staff on the 9 and 10 September 2019.
What we did before the inspection
We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We also reviewed notifications received by the Care Quality Commission from the service. A notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to tell us about by law. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with three people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with three members of support staff, the registered manager and the area manager.
We reviewed a range of records. They included three people’s care records and relevant medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment, training and supervision. Also, a variety of other records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures and quality assurance monitoring records.
Updated
28 September 2019
About the service
Your Life (Stony Stratford) is a domiciliary care agency based in Elizabeth House retirement housing complex in the heart of Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes. The service provides personal care to people living in their own apartments.
Not everyone who used the service 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. At the time of our inspection three people were receiving personal care from the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People received safe care and were protected against avoidable harm, neglect and discrimination. Risks to people’s safety were assessed, staff were aware of the risks, and care plans detailed how the risks were to be appropriately managed.
Staff were appropriately recruited and there were enough staff to meet people’s assessed needs. Where the provider took on the responsibility, people's medicines were safely managed. Systems were in place to control and prevent the spread of infection.
People had good relationships with staff. People were supported to express their views and be involved in making decisions about their care. Staff maintained people’s privacy and dignity and treated them with respect.
People’s needs, and choices were assessed. Staff received induction training and ongoing training and support that enabled them to have the skills and knowledge to provide effective care.
People were supported to maintain good nutrition and hydration. Staff supported people to access healthcare services when required.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People and their families were fully involved in the care planning and reviews of their care. The provider had a complaints procedure which was accessible to people using the service.
Quality assurance systems were in place to ensure all aspects of the service delivery were continuously assessed and monitored.
Why we inspected:
This service was registered with us on 10/09/2018 and this is the first inspection.
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.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk