Archived: Alcazar Court

Updated 8 December 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 30 October 2015 and was unannounced.

The inspection was carried out by an inspector and a specialist professional advisor who was a nurse with knowledge of needs of older people.

Prior to the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included information sent to us by the provider, about the staff and the people who used the service. Before the inspection the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). 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 spoke with the local safeguarding team and a GP to obtain their views.

During the visit, we spoke with 13 people who used the service, two visitors, five care staff and the acting manager. We spent time observing care and support.

We also looked at a sample of ten care records of people who used the service, nine medicine administration records, three staff records and records related to the management of the service.

Updated 8 December 2015

This inspection took place on 30 October 2015 and was unannounced.

Alcazar Court is a supported living service. The service consists of 45 flats and people are given varying levels of support with personal care dependent on their needs.

The service does not have a registered manager. 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. The acting manager has applied to the Care Quality Commission to be the registered manager for the service.

Our previous inspection on 17 July 2014 found that the service did not meet the standard relating to consent, because the registered manager hadn't considered issues of unlawful deprivation of liberty that might arise when confining equipment is used to keep people safe. The provider wrote to us and told us that they would introduce an assessment toolkit that would highlight the risks from confining equipment to people who used the service. At this inspection we found that the service had carried out and appropriate assessment and where necessary referred to the Local Authority so that they met requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

Staff understood people’s rights to make choices about their care and the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

We found a breach of regulation at this inspection. People may be at risk as there had been no assessment and care planning to support them to manage their medicines themselves.

There was an accessible complaints policy which the acting manager followed when complaints were made to ensure they were investigated and responded to appropriately.

Staff were deployed in sufficient numbers to meet people's needs. Staff knew how to keep people safe. Staff knew how to identify abuse and the correct procedures to follow if they suspected that abuse had occurred.

People were kept safe from the risk of abuse. Risks to people were identified and staff took action to reduce those risks. People were provided with a choice of food.

Care was planned and delivered in ways that enhanced people’s safety and welfare according to their needs and preferences. Staff understood people’s preferences, likes and dislikes regarding their care and support needs.

People were treated with dignity and respect. People using the service, relatives and staff said the acting manager was approachable and supportive.

At this inspection we found one breach of regulations in relation to the management of medicines. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.