Anchor & Hope Care Services

Updated 17 March 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is 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.

This inspection took place on the 19 February 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection was conducted by one inspector. Prior the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included details of notifications received from the provider. A notification is information about important events that the provider is required to send us by law.

The provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to the inspection. This is a form that asks the provider to provide some key information about the service, what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make. We used this information to help inform our inspection planning.

During the inspection we spoke with two people and one relative to gain their views on the service, and spent time observing the interactions between people and staff. We spoke with two members of staff, including the registered manager, and looked at records, including two people's care plans, staff recruitment, training and supervision records, and other records relating to the management of the service, including meeting minutes, policies and procedures, Medication Administration Records (MARs), and checks and audits undertaken by the provider.

Updated 17 March 2018

This inspection took place on the 19 February 2018 and was unannounced. Anchor and Hope Care Services is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing, or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Anchor and Hope Care Services accommodates up to three people with mental health needs. There were two people living at the home at the time of our inspection.

At our last inspection of the service in January 2017 we found breaches of regulations because medicines were not consistently managed safely. The provider’s systems for monitoring the quality and safety of the service did not comprehensively consider key aspects of health and safety, and notifications had not always been submitted to the CQC where required. Following that inspection the provider wrote to us to tell us the action they would take to address our concerns. At this inspection we found that the issues we identified had been addressed, in line with the provider's action plan.

The service had a registered manager in post. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

At this inspection we found that risks to people had been assessed, and action had been taken to manage identified risks safely. People were protected from the risk of abuse because staff were aware of the types of abuse that could occur, and the action to take to report any abuse allegations. People told us there were sufficient staff deployed to provide them with the support they needed. The provider followed safe recruitment practices.

Medicines were securely stored, recorded appropriately and administered as prescribed. The provider had systems in place to protect people from the risk of infection. The registered manager reviewed the details of any accidents or incidents that occurred, in order to reduce the risk of repeat occurrence.

People’s needs were assessed and the assessments were used to form the basis of their care plans. Staff discussed the details of people’s care plans with them to ensure they were up to date and reflective of their current needs and preferences. Staff received an induction when they started work at the service, and regular refresher training which gave them the skills and knowledge to support people effectively. Staff were also supported in their roles through regular supervision and an annual appraisal of their performance.

The registered manager demonstrated an understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), although the people using the service had capacity to make their own decisions about their care at the time of our inspection. People told us staff sought their consent when offering them support. People had access to a range of healthcare services when they needed them and the provider worked with other agencies to help ensure people received consistent joined up care across different services.

People were supported to maintain a balanced diet. They were involved in choosing the things they wished to eat and told us they enjoyed the meals on offer at the service. The premises was suitable to meet people’s needs. Staff treated people with care and consideration. They respected people’s privacy and treated them with dignity. People were able to make decisions for themselves about the care and treatment they received.

People told us the support they received met their individual needs. They were supported to access a range of activities which reflected their interests, and to maintain the relationships that were important to them. Staff encouraged people to maintain their independence. The provider had a complaints policy and procedure in place, and people told us they knew how to make a complaint, but had not needed to do so.

The provider had systems in place for seeking feedback from people about the service they received, and feedback showed that people were experiencing positive outcomes whilst living at the service. Staff told us they worked well as a team and spoke positively about the working culture at the service. The registered manager and staff shared information about the running of the service at handover meetings between each shift. People, relatives and staff told us the service was well managed and that the registered manager was approachable and supportive.