Archived: Comfort Call - Willow Barns

Updated 25 May 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 completed by one 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 service.

Service and service type: Comfort Call Willow Barns is registered to provide personal care to adults who live in their own flats. At the time of inspection Comfort Calls was providing personal care to 50 people.

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 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.

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit to ensure there would be staff in the office.

Inspection site visit activity started on 30 April 2019 and ended on that day. We visited the office location to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.

What we did: Before our inspection we reviewed all the information we held about the service, including changes, events or incidents that the provider is legally obliged to send us within the required timescales. We contacted professionals in local authority commissioning teams and safeguarding teams.

Before the inspection the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed this in advance of the inspection and used it to inform the inspection.

We spoke with four people who use the service and three relatives over the telephone. We spoke with seven members of staff: the registered manager, the regional manager, regional director, team leader, and three care and support staff.

We looked at three people's care plans, risk assessments and medicines records. We reviewed staff training and recruitment documentation, quality assurance systems, a selection of the home's policies and procedures, meeting minutes and lessons learned documentation. Following the inspection, we contacted two external health and social care professionals.

Updated 25 May 2019

About the service: Comfort Call - Willow Barns (Willow Barns) is an Extra Care service supporting people to live independently in their own flats. The service was providing personal care and support to 50 people at the time of inspection.

People’s experience of using this service: The registered manager had been in place for four months and had gained a strong understanding of people’s needs and the processes and policies of the service. They were well supported by a dedicated team of staff, including experienced senior staff who deputised for them. Area management ensured the registered manager was accountable for maintaining good standards.

Where there was scope for improvement, the registered manager was receptive to feedback. Auditing processes for medicines administration were not always in line with established best practice. We have made a recommendation about this.

People and their relatives spoke highly of the registered manager, as did staff. Staff felt they were well-led and given direction.

Staff turnover was low and morale improved at the time of inspection after a time of managerial change.

Good community links were in place and people pursued interests and activities meaningful to them.

Records were accurate, up to date and person-centred. Staff shared information on a daily basis via a handover book and regular meetings.

Medicines administration was safe and staff had the appropriate skills and knowledge. People were kept safe and staff were suitably trained in safeguarding principles and practice.

People’s capacity was assumed and staff acted in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Appropriate training was in place for staff regarding this and other core areas, such as eating and drinking, mobility, first aid and dementia awareness.

The registered manager had acted on advice from external stakeholders to improve the service. Staff received formal and informal support from the registered manager.

The culture was positive, welcoming and open. People and their relatives were encouraged to raise any concerns and to play a part in the planning of care.

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

Rating at last inspection: This is the first time we have inspected the service.

Why we inspected: We inspected the service in line with our scheduled programme of inspections.