Archived: Primrose Gardens

Updated 19 June 2021

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 completed by one inspector on site and two Experts by Experience (ExE) made telephone calls to people supported and relatives. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. Telephone calls to staff were made by three inspectors.

Service and service type

Primrose Gardens provides care [and support] to people living in specialist ‘extra care’ housing. Extra care housing is purpose-built or adapted single household accommodation in a shared site or building. The accommodation is [bought] [or] [rented] and is the occupant’s own home. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for extra care housing; this inspection looked at people’s personal care [and support] provided by service.

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

We gave 24 hours notice of the inspection because we wanted to be assured it was safe to visit during the current Covid-19 pandemic.

Inspection activity started on 21 April 2021 and ended on 27 April 2021. We visited the office location on 21 and 22 April 2021.

What we did before the inspection

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 reviewed information we had received about the service since their initial registration. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 13 people who received support and six of their relatives. We interviewed five members of support staff, the registered manager and an area manager. We looked at a range of records including the care records of three people and the recruitment records of three staff. We looked at a range of records relating to the management of the service including; policies and procedures, governance and management oversight.

Updated 19 June 2021

About the service

Primrose Gardens is an extra care service providing personal care to people living in their own flats. People had access to a range of communal areas inside the property and gardens outside. The service is based close to the centre of Chorley. There are 65 accessible flats. At the time of this inspection there were 17 people who received a regulated activity.

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

People were supported to be safe by staff who understood how to recognise and respond to risks including safeguarding concerns. People told us they felt safe and well cared for.

People had been involved in their care plans and were encouraged to maintain their independence. People were supported by staff who were trained and supervised.

People told us they felt staff treated them with kindness and respected their homes. One person felt some staff did not always communicate with them how they preferred, we have fed this back for the registered manager to address.

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.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. Specific assessments and care plans had been developed which maximised people's involvement and promoted inclusion.

The service was well managed, the provider had policies and procedures in place which helped ensure the registered manager had good oversight of quality issues. People found the staff and registered manager approachable, however, one person felt they did not always get a response. We have fed this back to the registered manager to address.

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 11 October 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about staffing levels and skills. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

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.