Background to this inspection
Updated
25 February 2020
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 carried out by two inspectors.
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.
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 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be available to support the inspection. The inspection was completed in one day.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we have received about the service since the previous provider’s last inspection. This included checking incidents the provider must notify us about, such as serious injuries and abuse. We sought feedback from the local authority, Healthwatch and professionals who work with the service. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.
On this occasion, we had not asked the provider to send us a provider Information return (PIR). A PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service. This includes what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. However, we offered the provider the opportunity to share information they felt was relevant.
During the inspection
We spoke with three people who used the service and one relative and asked them about the quality of the care they or their family member received. We also spoke with a member of the care staff, the deputy manager and the registered manager.
We reviewed a range of records. This included all or parts of records relating to all four people who used the service. We also reviewed three staff files, training and supervision records and records relating to the safety and management of the service.
After the inspection
We asked the registered manager to provide us with a variety of policies and procedures and additional information. All information was sent within the required timeframe. We used all this information to help form our judgements detailed within this report.
Updated
25 February 2020
About the service
YourLife (West Bridgford) is an Extra Care Housing scheme that provides personal care for people living in their own flat on one site. There were four people using the service at the time of the inspection.
People’s experience of using this service:
People were kept safe from harm. Risks to their safety were assessed and acted on. There were enough staff in place to keep people safe. People’s medicines were safely managed. Staff had received training on how to reduce the risk of the spread of infection. Processes were in place that ensured causes of accidents and incidents were investigated and measures put in place to reduce recurrence.
People’s needs were assessed, and care records formed to guide staff on how to care for people. Current best practice guidance and legislation was not currently used to help inform care planning. Staff were well trained and experienced and understood how to care for people safely and effectively. People were supported to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. Some people received care from other agencies as well as this service. The two worked together to provide timely and consistent care.
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 well. They were kind, caring and respectful. People felt able to contribute to decisions about their care. Personal care provided in a dignified way. People’s privacy was respected.
People’s personal choices and preferences were always considered and acted on when care was provided. Care records were thorough and informed staff of people’s preferred way for care to be provided. People were provided with opportunities to avoid social insolation by meeting others. People felt able to make a complaint and were confident their complaint would be acted on. End of life care was not currently provided, but staff would support people with this if required. More detailed care planning for this was planned soon.
Robust quality assurance processes and knowledgeable staff and registered manager meant people received a good standard of care and positive outcomes. The registered manager was aware of the risks to people’s safety and always acted quickly to address them. People and staff all praised the approach of the registered manager, who they found friendly and welcoming. The registered manager had a good knowledge of their regulatory requirement to report concerns to the CQC. People’s views were requested and acted on to aid the development and continued improvement of the service.
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 7 August 2017).
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.