Yourlife (Bedford)

Updated 23 October 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.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried about by two inspectors.

Service and service type

This service provides care 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 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 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.

Inspection activity started on 31 August 2021 and ended on 17 September 2021. We visited the office location on 31 August 2021.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since registration. We sought feedback from the local authority, local 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.

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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with one person who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the area manager, registered manager, care and support workers and administrators.

We reviewed a range of records. This included medication records and three people’s care records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at various records relating to the management of the service as well as staff rotas, training information and infection prevention control documentation. Professional feedback on the quality of the care and support was also received after the inspection.

Updated 23 October 2021

About the service

YourLife (Bedford) is a domiciliary care service that provides personal care and support to people living in their own apartments within Oakhill Place. This service is available to older people living with dementia, physical disabilities and sensory impairment. People can choose to use external care agencies if preferred. At the time of the inspection 56 people lived at the service.

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. At the time of this inspection four people were receiving this type of support.

People live independently in their own apartments within this retirement living complex.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People felt safe with the care and support provided by the service. All staff had received safeguarding training and knew how to protect people from potential harm. Safeguarding policies and processes were in place.

Risks to people were reviewed regularly with people and their relatives. Professional healthcare support was called upon to mitigate any risks. The health and safety of people receiving personal care was taken seriously, and everyone was offered a safety pendant when they moved into the retirement village.

There were enough suitably qualified staff at the service to support people safely, who had each been through a rigorous recruitment process. New staff received an induction, which included shadowing more experienced members of staff prior to supporting people with their personal care.

Staff were knowledgeable and people received their medicines as prescribed and on time. Staff received frequent competency assessments and for new staff, spot checks were carried out by senior staff.

The service’s infection prevention control policies and procedures were adhered to and followed throughout the pandemic, ensuring both staff and people at the service were protected from cross contamination. Records showed that staff wore personal protective equipment when supporting people with personal care.

Staff had completed all mandatory training and specialist training for specific health conditions was being sought at the time of the inspection.

People’s needs were assessed prior to using the service. People felt listened to, respected and were involved in decisions about their care and support. Care plans outlined individual preferences and wishes and how people wanted to be supported. These were reviewed monthly or sooner if people’s needs changed. People and their relatives we spoke with felt staff were kind and compassionate. One relative said, “Staff are so patient and lovely and the times we have been down here with [family members] you can't fault the way they treat them.”

The service worked with a wide range of key organisations who are also involved in people’s care. Feedback received about the registered manager’s professional manner was positive.

The registered manager was dedicated to their role and understood their responsibilities. They had effective oversight of the service and audits had been carried out to identify improvements.

People, relatives and staff spoke highly of the registered manager and their dedication to the role. One written compliment said, “You and your team have been fantastic in settling [family member] into their new home. Nothing has been too much trouble.”

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff were knowledgeable about the mental capacity act and were able to speak about how they would ensure people had full control of their support and that they offered people choice throughout.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 07 November 2019. This is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the date of registration.

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.