Westgate Court

Updated 9 January 2019

This inspection was planned to check whether the registered 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 included a visit to the agency’s office on 29 November and 13 December 2018. To make sure key staff were available to assist in the inspection, the registered provider was given short notice of the visit, in line with our current methodology for inspecting domiciliary care agencies. An adult social care inspector carried out the inspection.

To help us to plan and identify areas to focus on during the inspection we considered all the information we held about the service, such as notifications sent to us by the registered provider and information from people who contacted us to share their experiences. We also requested the views of other agencies that worked with the service, such as service commissioners, social workers and safeguarding teams.

We visited two supported living services and spoke with five people who used the service and four staff members. We also spoke with a further six staff, three people who used the service and five relatives on the telephone. We spoke with the manager, the regional director and office staff during our visit to the office.

We looked at documentation relating to people who used the service, staff and the management of the service. This included checking six people’s care records, how complaints and concerns had been managed, staff recruitment, training and support documentation, and the quality assurance systems, to check if they were robust and had identified areas for improvement.

Updated 9 January 2019

The inspection took place on 29 November and 12 December 2018. The registered provider was given short notice of the visit to the office, in line with our current methodology for inspecting domiciliary care agencies. At our previous inspection in October 2016 the service was given an overall rating of good. Although we rated the key question well-led as requires improvement and we identified a breach of regulation. At this inspection the service had improved and was rated good in all key questions.

The provider had restructured the service since our last inspection and it is now divided into five regions rather than one office location covering the whole of the country. Although the location was registered as Westgate Court it was known as ‘North East Community Services’ by the provider and staff.

The service is a domiciliary care agency. This service provides care and support to people living in five ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live in their own home as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support. The service also provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. Most people who receive a service are in Leeds and York. The agency currently caters for people whose main needs result from an acquired brain injury. At the time of our inspection 51 people were receiving personal care from the service.

The service did not have a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. However, there was a new area manager in post who had submitted their application to CQC to become the registered manager.

People told us they were safe. Staff understood the importance of safeguarding vulnerable people. Risks were managed and people were able to take risks as part of an independent lifestyle.

There were enough staff to ensure that people's care and support needs were met safely and there were safe recruitment processes in place.

People continued to receive their medicines in a safe manner and received good healthcare support. The service supported people to prepare and make meals. Staff told us that meal choice was very much down to the individual.

People’s needs and choices were assessed and mental capacity assessments were undertaken. Where appropriate peoples best interests were considered and formally documented.

Staff displayed empathy and worked with people and their relatives to understand how best to support them. Potential barriers to communication were addressed through staff's understanding of people's unique communication styles which were detailed in people's care records.

Everyone we spoke with, without exception, said they were very happy about the service being provided. Staff were kind, considerate, respected people and maintained their dignity.

People received individualised, personalised, person centred care that met their needs. People were supported to live fulfilled and meaningful lives.

People were listened to and any complaints received were dealt with following the providers complaints policy and procedure.

A system was in place for checking the quality of the service using audits, satisfaction surveys and meetings. People made their views known through direct discussion with the area manager and staff or through the complaint and quality monitoring systems. People's privacy and confidentiality were maintained as records were held securely

Further information is in the detailed findings below.