Your Life (Northallerton)

Updated 3 September 2021

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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

The service had a Registered Manager. This means that when registered they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service.

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spent time with people who used the service. We spoke with four people who used the service, two relatives, the registered manager, and two support staff.

We reviewed a range of records. These included three people’s care records, a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including audits and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 3 September 2021

About the service.

Your Life (Northallerton) is an extra care service providing personal care to seven people aged 70 and over at the time of the inspection. People using the service lived in apartments within the Malpas Court complex. 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

We received positive feedback from people, who told us they were happy with the service they received from Your Life (Northallerton). People received individualised personal care and staff knew people very well. Care plans covered all aspects of people’s lives, histories and their preferences. People were supported to maintain important personal relationships.

People’s health and well-being needs were supported by a fully trained and supported staff team. People were empowered to have their say and to exercise their rights. Access to an advocacy service was available where needed. Systems were in place for communicating with people, their relatives and staff to ensure they were fully involved.

Medicines were safely administered and recorded accurately. Individualised risk assessments were in place. Staff were confident about how to raise any concerns to safeguard people. Robust recruitment and selection procedures ensured suitable staff were employed.

Staff completed training in infection prevention and control. The registered manager completed competency checks and regular spot checks with all staff regarding safe use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and infection prevention and control procedures.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 6 March 2019).

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding to test the reliability of our new monitoring approach. We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.