We carried out a review of the data available to us about Housing 21 - Gildacre Fields on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Housing 21 - Gildacre Fields, you can give feedback on this service.
Housing 21 – Gildacre Fields is an extra care housing scheme that provides personal care and support to people. At the time of the inspection the service supported 50 people.
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
People and relatives spoke positively about the service and felt it was safe. People told us, “The staff really look after me” and “The carers are here if you need them.” Risks were managed in a safe way. Staff were recruited in a safe way and there were enough staff deployed to meet people’s needs. Arrangements were in place for the safe administration of medicines. Staff were confident how to safeguard people from potential abuse and safeguarding alerts were raised in a timely way. The provider learned from previous accidents and incidents to reduce future risks.
People’s needs were assessed before they started receiving support from the service. Staff received regular training and felt supported through scheduled supervisions and annual appraisals. People‘s nutritional needs were met and they had access to a range of health care professionals. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives, and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
Staff treated people with dignity and respect. One person said, “The staff are very good, if I need anything, they are there. They always ring the door bell and let me know who is outside before entering” People were encouraged to maintain their independence where possible. Information about advocacy services was available for people. The manager told us they would support people to access appropriate advocacy services if they needed them.
People’s plans of care were person-centred and detailed to inform staff how they wished to be supported. People and relatives knew how to raise any concerns, and any complaints received were fully investigated and subsequent action was taken.
People and relatives were happy with the service and felt it was managed well. The provider had an effective quality assurance process in place which included regular audits. People and relatives were regularly consulted about the quality of the service through surveys and meetings. Staff were involved in the ongoing development and improvement of the service through regular meetings.
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 this service was good (published 4 May 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.
Gildacre Fields is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own apartments at an extra care housing complex. There are 100 apartments and 30 bungalows within the scheme and at the time of the inspection there were 47 people in receipt of a care service.
The service had a registered manager in post. 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.
Staff had up to date training in how to safeguard people. The registered manager made referrals to the local authority safeguarding team when any concerns were reported by staff or identified by them.
People had risk assessments in place and associated care plans were clearly linked and updated in line with risk assessment reviews.
Staffing requirements were assessed in line with people’s support needs. From staffing rotas we found staffing levels were consistent and staffing cover was provided by existing staff. Staff were recruited in a safe and consistent manner with all necessary checks carried out.
Medicines were managed in a safe way. Records were complete and up to date with regular medicine audits being carried out. Any errors identified were investigated and acted upon.
Staff had up to date training and competency assessments were carried out in relation to specific areas, including the management of medicines. Regular direct observations of staff practices were also carried out as part of the supervision process.
People had capacity assessments and best interest decisions were made in relation to specific activities or topics. These were recorded and decision specific.
People were supported to meet their nutritional needs, including where people had special dietary needs.
People were supported to access services from a range of health care professionals when required. These included district nurses, GPs, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and falls team.
People's care plans were detailed, personalised, and reflected their current needs. Staff used them as a guide to deliver support to people in line with their choices and personal preferences.
People and relatives knew how to make a complaint or raise concerns and would feel comfortable in doing so. Some people confirmed they had no complaints about the care they received and they were happy with everything. Other people told us they had complained previously and that the registered manager dealt with and resolved their complaints satisfactorily.
People, relatives and staff told us the registered manager was approachable and operated an open door policy.
A range of regular audits was carried out that related to the service the scheme provided, as well as the premises and environment.
The service received a number of compliments and thank you cards from people who received care and their relatives about the support and professionalism of staff.