Background to this inspection
Updated
11 March 2022
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.
As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.
This inspection took place on 17 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 24 notice of the inspection.
Updated
11 March 2022
This inspection took place on 15 March 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection as the service is community based and we needed to ensure the registered manager would be available
Sanctuary Homecare Ltd provides care and support to people living in an ‘extra care’ housing scheme. The scheme is referred to as Exning Court by people, relatives, staff and the provider. We have also referred to the scheme as Exning Court in our report. Extra care housing is purpose built or adapted single household accommodation in a shared site or building. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and service. Not everyone living at Exning Court received the regulated activity. On the day of our inspection 28 people were receiving a personal care service.
Exning Court consists of 34 self-contained flats. There are eight two bedroom apartments and 26 one bedroom apartments built around a central courtyard. The service is situated in a quiet rural area on the edge of the village of Exning near Newmarket. The service provides support to people to live in their accommodation, with their own tenancy agreements. The aim of the service is to provide people with support they need to live as independently as possible. The people who used the service received individual bespoke support hours depending on their assessed needs.
At the last inspection in July 2016, we found a breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. We were concerned because there was poor recording of peoples changing needs in their care plans and the provider was failing to keep an accurate up to date contemporaneous record of the care given. We asked the provider to take steps to improve and complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key question of responsive. At this inspection we found improvements had been made.
There was a registered manager in post at the time of the inspection. 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.’
There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs and spend time with them. People received their care when they wanted it and consistently, there were no missed care calls. Risk assessments were carried out and promoted positive risk taking which enabled people to live their lives as they chose. People received their medicines safely.
People were cared for by staff who received appropriate training and support from their line managers. Staff skills were regularly assessed through spot checks to ensure they knew how to support people in a safe, respectful and effective way.
The service worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Assessment 2005 (MCA) and staff sought people's consent before entering their home and supporting them.
The staff were caring and kind and had developed good relationships with people using the service. They engaged with people and welcomed their relatives and friends when they visited. Where needed, people were offered support to eat and drink and to prepare meals and snacks.
People's needs and preferences were assessed prior to them moving into the service. There was an assessment process in place, which involved people and ensured that people received support that met and was based on their needs and personal preferences.
The service was well-led and people were satisfied with the care and support provided. Staff said they liked working at the service because they were able to provide a high standard of care. There was a quality assurance system in place to ensure the service was routinely audited and checked.