Archived: Human Support Group Limited - St Andrews House

Updated 21 February 2020

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 conducted by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in their own flats within this 'extra care setting, so that they can live as independently as possible. People's care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for extra care living; this inspection looked at people's personal care and support.

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.

Inspection activity started on 19 December 2019.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We reviewed information received from other agencies and statutory notifications. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people and one relative about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with two care staff, one team leader, the registered manager and the provider’s representative. We looked at the relevant parts of the care records of three people who used the service. We also looked at four staff recruitment files and other records relating to the management of the home. This included audits, policies and incident records.

After the inspection.

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found after the inspection. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We also contacted the commissioners of care for feedback.

Updated 21 February 2020

About the service

St Andrews House is based within the community of Nottingham. People using the service live in flats within the extra care setting. (Extra care scheme is purpose-built accommodation in which varying amounts of care and support can be offered, and where some services and facilities are shared enabling older people to live independently in their own homes) The building was managed by an independent organization. The service supported 13 people and employed nine staff at the time of our inspection. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

We inspected the service to ensure systems were in place to protect people from avoidable harm.

The process for submitting notifications needed to be more robust. Risks were assessed and monitored to reduce risks for people and staff managed any risk effectively. Relevant checks were in place to ensure the right staff were employed. People received their medicines as prescribed and in a safe way. Infection control legislation was adhered to and Lessons were learned when things went wrong.

People’s needs were assessed to ensure they received effective care. Staff were supported to attend training and develop their skills and knowledge.

Where required people were supported to have a balanced diet and the service was supported by healthcare professionals and worked well with them to provide consistent care and support.

The provider demonstrated an understanding of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act. 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.

Staff were kind, considerate and treated people respectfully. The service promoted independence and encouraged people to do things for themselves. Staff and management worked with passion and dedication and the people who used the service always came first. The registered manager and staff worked well with external healthcare professionals to ensure people received good care and support.

We have made a recommendation about the safeguarding reporting system.

Why we inspected

This service was registered with us on 02/11/2018 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.