Background to this inspection
Updated
14 October 2016
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 inspection visit took place on 14 September 2016 and was announced. We gave the provider two days’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we wanted to make sure people and staff were available to speak with us. The inspection team consisted of one inspector.
We checked the information we held about the service and the provider. This included notifications that the provider had sent to us about incidents at the service and information we had received from the public. We also requested feedback from the local authority.
We had a provider information return (PIR) sent to us. A PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service. This includes what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. As part of our planning, we reviewed the information in the PIR.
We used a range of different methods to help us understand people’s experience of using the service. We visited six people in their own apartments and also spoke with two of their relatives and two visitors. We spoke with two people who used the service by telephone. We spoke with four members of care staff, a team leader, the head of care and the registered manager. We also spoke with two visiting community professionals.
We looked at the care plans of three people to see if they were accurate and up to date. We reviewed three staff files to see how staff were recruited and checked the training records to see how staff were trained and supported to deliver care appropriate to meet each person’s needs. We also looked at records that related to the management of the service. This included the systems the provider had in place to ensure the quality of the service was continuously monitored and reviewed to drive improvement.
Updated
14 October 2016
We inspected this service on 14 September 2016. This was an announced inspection, and we telephoned the provider two days prior to our inspection in order to arrange home visits with people. At our last inspection in September 2013, the provider was meeting the regulations we looked at.
ExtraCare Charitable Trust is registered to provide personal care support to older people who live in their own apartments within the housing complex. There are 135 apartments and at the time of our inspection, 39 people received personal care support visits.
There was a registered manager in post. 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 felt safe having support from the service and within their home environments. They were supported by staff who had good knowledge and understanding about protecting people from harm and abuse. Staff knew how to respond to any concerns and were confident at doing this. Risks to individuals were assessed, reviewed and managed and staff followed plans to protect people from harm. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Recruitment processes ensured that staff were safe to work with people and medicines were managed to reduce the risks associated with them.
People received support from staff who had the necessary knowledge to carry out their roles. Staff received training and support to develop their skills. People were able to make decisions about their support and staff sought their consent before care was provided. People were able to make choices about the food they ate and were supported to maintain their health and wellbeing.
Staff supported people in a kind and caring manner and people had developed positive relationships with them. People were involved in making decisions about their day to day care, and staff promoted their independence. People were treated with dignity and their privacy was respected.
People were involved with the planning of their support, and their care was responsive to their needs. Support was provided in an individual manner and peoples care plans were personal to them. People were supported to pursue activities that they enjoyed. They were aware of how to raise any concerns and complaints were dealt with in an open and timely manner.
The service was well managed and there were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. This was through feedback from people who used the service, their relatives, staff and a programme of audits. These were used to drive continuous improvement within the service.