Radis Community Care (Ditchburn Place)

Updated 5 October 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

This inspection was carried out by one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care and support to people living in their own flats 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 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 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 the service four working days’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 24 August 2021 and ended on 9 September 2021 where we visited the office location.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority who work with the service. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 11 people who used the service and eight relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager, two team leaders and two care workers. We also contacted the housing services manager who works for an external organisation separate to Radis Community Care (Ditchburn Place). They are responsible for the building, facilities and maintenance.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medication records. We looked at two staff recruitment checklists. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. The registered manager confirmed via email that staff had been asked to complete training on how to put on and take off their personal protective equipment safely. This personal protective equipment included face masks, disposable aprons and gloves.

A person using the service who was interviewed as part of this inspection got back in touch with CQC to add some further feedback.

Updated 5 October 2021

About the service

Radis Community Care (Ditchburn Place) is a domiciliary care service that provides personal care and support to people living at Ditchburn Place. Ditchburn Place is an extra care housing service. Staff provided personal care and support to 24 people at the time of the inspection. Ditchburn Place had 51 flats and was situated in the centre of Cambridge.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.

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

Staff knew the people they supported well. There were enough suitably trained and knowledgeable staff to help support people in a timely manner. People and their relatives told us there had not been any missed care visits.

Staff had medicines administration spot checks undertaken to review their competencies following their training. Staff had supervisions and appraisals. New staff to the service had to complete an induction that included shadowing a more experienced staff member. Potential new staff to the service had checks carried out on them to help make sure they were suitable to work with the people they supported.

People and their relatives told us the support from staff made them and their family member feel safe. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of how to keep people safe from harm or abuse. They also knew that they should report any concerns they may have to their line manager or to the local authority.

Staff had given people the opportunity to discuss their end of life wishes should they choose to do so, and these wishes were documented. Staff would work with external health professionals to try to make sure people have as dignified a death as possible.

Staff had access to information in people’s care plans and risk assessments that helped guide them to care and support people safely and effectively. Staff supported people to take their prescribed medicines safely. Infection control practices in line with government guidance were in place to reduce the risk of cross contamination. Lessons were learnt and shared with staff when things went wrong.

The care service was not responsible for people’s food and drink. Prior to COVID-19 restrictions, activities and meetings took place in the communal areas of Ditchburn Place should people choose to attend. As COVID-19 restrictions were reducing, residents’ meetings were to be scheduled and people were re-establishing links with the local community. Staff helped promote people’s privacy and dignity and encouraged people to be involved in decisions around their care. People felt listened to and their choices were respected.

The registered manager and staff worked with external health and social care professionals. This would help people to receive joined up care and support. Complaints about the service had been investigated, responded to and resolved where possible. People, and their relatives were asked to complete surveys to feedback on the service provided. Staff could enable people to have information in different formats such as large print or pictorial formats to help them access information.

The registered manager sent staff any guidance and legislation updates. This helped support the staff team to work with the most up to date guidance. Staff meetings were held to update staff on people’s care needs and provide updates on guidance and the organisation. Audits were undertaken to monitor the quality of the service.

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.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 3 March 2020.

Why we inspected

This is the first inspection since the new provider registered with the CQC on 23 April 2020.

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.