Archived: Redwood House

Updated 14 August 2015

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 took place on 25 June 2015 by two inspectors and was announced. The provider was given a short notice period because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that senior staff would be available in the office to assist with the inspection.

Before the inspection we looked at the provider information return (PIR) which the provider sent to us. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also looked at all the information we have collected about the service. The service had sent us notifications about injuries and safeguarding investigations. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law.

During our visit we spoke with twelve people who use the service and three of their relatives. We spoke with the registered manager and eight staff. We also spoke with local authority social care professionals that included an Adult Safeguarding Co-ordinator, Care Quality Officer and Maximising Independence Social worker.

We looked at six people’s records and records that were used by staff to monitor their care. In addition we looked at six staff recruitment and training files, duty rosters and records used to measure the quality of the services that included customer questionnaires’ and health and safety audits.

Updated 14 August 2015

This inspection took place on 25 June 2015 and was announced.

Redwood House is a domiciliary care agency that supports adults over the age of 55 in their own flats within the Redwood House Extra Care Scheme. The extra care team can assist adults with a variety of needs and operates from an office within the housing complex. At the time of the inspection the service was providing personal care to thirty four people.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our visit. 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 said they felt listened to and were happy with the service provided. They told us that staff treated them with kindness and respected and involved them in decisions about their care.

People told us that they felt safe with staff and would be confident to raise any concerns they had. Comments included: “I would not put up with anything like that. I pay good money here and I like to be respected”.

The provider’s recruitment procedures were robust, medicines were managed safely and there were sufficient staff to provide safe, effective care.

There were procedures in place to manage risks to people and staff. Staff were aware of how to deal with emergency situations and knew how to keep people safe by reporting concerns promptly through processes that they understood well.

Staff received an induction and spent time working with experienced members of staff before working alone with people. Staff were supported to receive the training and development they needed to care for and support people’s individual needs.

People’s needs were reviewed regularly. Up to date information was communicated to staff to ensure they could provide appropriate care. Staff contacted healthcare professionals in a timely manner if there were concerns about a person’s wellbeing.

People told us they had been asked for their views on the service and were able to raise concerns and complaints if they needed to. They felt the registered manager would take action if necessary.

The provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received. There were various formal methods used for assessing and improving the quality of care. Feedback was sought from people and care records were audited. Complaints were addressed and action taken according to the provider’s policy.

The registered manager had a good knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and staff understood their responsibilities in relation to gaining consent before providing support and care.