Radis Community Care (Ness Court ECH) provides care and support to older people living in a specialist ‘extra care’ housing scheme. 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 and support service. Not everyone using Radis Community Care (Ness Court ECH) receives the regulated activity of personal care. CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with personal care, help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.
This announced inspection took place on 19 October 2018. At the time of this inspection, 20 people received the regulated activity, personal care.
At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.
There was 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.
People were protected from avoidable harm by a staff team trained and confident to recognise and report any concerns. Staff assessed and minimised potential risks. Staff were only employed after satisfactory pre-employment checks had been obtained. There were enough staff to ensure people’s needs were met safely and in a timely manner.
People were supported to manage their prescribed medicines by staff who were trained and had been assessed as competent to administer medicines. Staff followed the provider’s procedures to prevent the spread of infection and reduce the risk of cross contamination.
People’s care was planned and delivered in line with good practice guidance. Staff knew the people they cared for well and understood, and met, their needs. People received care from staff who were trained, well supported, and had the skills and knowledge to meet people’s assessed needs.
People were supported by staff to have enough to eat and drink. People were assisted to have access to external healthcare services to help maintain their health and well-being.
Staff understood and complied with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the home supported this practice. People were fully involved in making decisions about their care and support. People and their relatives were involved in the setting up and review of their or their family member’s individual support and care plans.
Staff treated people kindly and made people feel that they mattered. Staff respected and promoted people’s privacy, dignity and independence.
People’s personal and health care needs were met and care records provided staff with clear, detailed guidance in how to do this. Staff supported people to take part in past-times and hobbies they enjoyed. Staff supported people to consider their end of life care to ensure they had the most comfortable, dignified, and pain-free a death as possible. Staff worked in partnership with other professionals to ensure that people received joined-up care.
People’s suggestions and complaints were listened to, investigated, and acted upon to help improve the service.
Staff liked working for the service and were well supported by the registered manager. The registered manager sought feedback about the quality of the service provided from people and took action to make improvements.
The provider’s monitoring process looked at systems throughout the service. The registered manager also carried out audits and quality monitoring checks to help identify shortfalls and to help drive forward improvements.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.