Updated 13 March 2019
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team:
The inspection was conducted by one adult social care inspector and one 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 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 service.
Not everyone using Housing & Care 21 – Linskill Park receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.
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 short notice of the inspection visit because we needed to ask people for permission to visit them in their own homes and to be sure staff would be available to assist us to access records.
Inspection activity started on 6 February 2019 and ended on 11 February 2019.
What we did:
Prior to the inspection, we reviewed any evidence we already held about the service. We asked for feedback from the local authority who commission services and the local safeguarding team. We also checked records held by Companies House.
We last asked the service to complete a Provider Information Return in June 2018. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
We visited Linskill Park on 6 February 2019 to see the registered manager and office staff; and to review care records, policies and procedures. We spoke with the registered manager and one assistant care manager. We also visited nine people who agreed to meet with us and we spoke with one relative and one friend. We reviewed information and contacted staff on 7 and 8 February 2019. We emailed all staff for their feedback and to ask questions about their skills and knowledge. We received 12 responses.
We reviewed three people's care records, three staff personnel files and records related to the safety and quality of the service.
After our first site visit, we requested some additional evidence to be sent to us. This was received and the information was used as part of our inspection.
We also met with the designated local authority social worker for Linskill Park who provided us with feedback.