Hollymere

Updated 25 March 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by 1 inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support 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 and support service.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post. However, following the departure of the previous registered manager a new manager had been recruited and commenced their employment 20 March 2023. They confirmed their intention to submit an application to become the registered manager.

Notice of inspection

We gave a short period of notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 9 March 2023 and ended on 22 March 2023. We visited the location’s office on 16 March 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection and sought feedback from the local authority. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people who used the service and 6 relatives. We also spoke with the Regional Head of Operations, five care staff and an agency worker. We reviewed a range of records. This included 3 people’s care records, medication records and a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures. We also reviewed 4 staff files in relation to recruitment, supervision and training.

Updated 25 March 2023

About the service

Hollymere is an extra care service consisting of 71 apartments, accommodating people within a large purpose-built building. At the time of our inspection there were 59 people using 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.

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

The majority of feedback received about the service was positive. People felt safe with the care they received and were supported by staff who understood their role in keeping people safe from abuse. Risks associated with people’s individual needs were assessed with measures in place to mitigate. The provider aimed to support people with a consistent staff team. Whilst recruitment was ongoing the service was supported by consistent agency staff. Systems were in place to ensure recruitment was safe. People received their medicines safely. Staff received training and were aware of the procedures to follow to prevent and control the spread of infection.

People’s needs were assessed and incorporated into personalised care plans. Systems were in place to ensure staff were appropriately trained to carry out their role and their competency to do so was checked. The service worked effectively with external agencies to support people to maintain their health and well-being.

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.

People were supported by staff who treated them with kindness and respect. One person told us, “The best thing is the care team, they are fabulous.” People’s privacy and dignity were respected.

People’s communication needs were considered. Information was available in alternative formats to meet people’s needs. People had information about how to raise a concern and were aware of who they would speak with should the need arise. Procedures were in place to ensure complaints were handled and responded to appropriately.

The majority of people spoken with felt the service was well-led and told us they were able to speak with the management team quickly if needed. Systems were in place to assess the quality of the service. Opportunities to capture learning were identified and the Regional Head of Operations confirmed ongoing plans to continuously improve the service.

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 08/09/2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection to provide the service with its first CQC rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.