Housing 21 - Lea Court

Updated 6 September 2018

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 was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection took place on the 26 July 2018 and was carried out by an 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 service. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure that staff and the registered manager would be available. We also needed to ensure that consent was gained from people who used the service to enable us to visit them.

Before the inspection we reviewed the information included we held about the service, such as feedback from staff and people. We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). 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 also checked any notifications we had received from the provider about events that had happened at the service, which the provider is required to send us by law. For example, serious injuries, safeguarding concerns and changes to the service provided.

We spoke with six people who used the service and three relatives. We also spoke with three staff, the assistance care manager and the registered manager. We spoke with the Regional Extra Care Manager after the inspection to provide feedback of our findings. We viewed four records about people’s care and medicine administration. We also looked at systems in place that showed how the home was managed. This included audits and recruitment records for four staff employed at the service.

Updated 6 September 2018

We carried out an announced inspection at Housing and Care 21 – Lea Court on the 26 July 2018. At the last inspection on 26 January 2017 we found that there were breaches in Regulations. Improvements were needed to ensure that there were effective systems in place to monitor and manage the service and the provider had not consistently notified us of incidents that had occurred at the service. Following the last inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key questions safe, effective, responsive and well led to at least good. At this inspection we found that improvements had been made in some areas. However, further improvements were still required.

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.

People using the service lived in their own private flats in a large purpose-built building within the town of Madeley. The service is connected to a separately run community hub that has a café and food area and a hall where activities take place that people living within Lea Court are welcome to use.

Not everyone using Housing and Care 21 – Lea Court receives a 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 registered manager. 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.

Improvements were needed to ensure that the systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided were completed as required to identify concerns within the service. Records did not always contain accurate and up to date information.

We have made a recommendation about assessing and planning people’s diverse needs and advance care planning for people's end of life needs.

People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts and nutritional risks were assessed and monitored. People’s health was monitored and health professionals input was sought and followed where required.

Medicines were managed safely to ensure people were supported with their medicines as required.

Staff were aware of their responsibilities to protect people from the risk of harm. Staff knew people’s risks and supported them to remain as independent as possible whilst protecting their safety.

There were enough safely recruited staff available to meet people’s needs in a timely way and infection control measures were in place to protect people from the potential risk of cross infection.

People were supported to make decisions about their care in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, which ensured people were supported in their best interests.

People were supported by caring and compassionate staff. People’s choices were promoted and respected by staff in a way that promoted people’s individual communication needs. People’s dignity was maintained and their right to privacy was upheld.

People were involved in the planning of their care and people received care from a consistent staff group in a way that met their individual needs and preferences.

People and relatives knew how to complain and the provider had a complaints procedure in place.

Feedback had been gained from people and relatives which had been acted on to improve the service. Staff were supported in their role and were given the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge.