Osborne Court Limited

Updated 2 May 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.

The inspection took place on 03 March 2018 and was unannounced. We visited the office location on 03 March 2018 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.

Before the inspection we contacted Wirral Council contracts department. They told us that they had no concerns about the service. We looked at all of the information that CQC had received about and from, the service since the last inspection. This included notifications about issues that had happened in the service.

During the inspection spoke with the acting manager, and two other members of staff and we met with two people who received a service. We looked at medication audit records, staff rotas and training records and we also looked at care records for two of the people and four staff files.

Updated 2 May 2018

We carried out an unannounced inspection of Osborne Court on 2nd March 2018. The service was rated Good at the last inspection in December 2015. Osborne Court comprises of 40 apartments which are owner occupied and run by a management company whose board members live in Osborne Court. The company is registered with the Care Quality Commission as a domiciliary care agency, so that a care service can be provided for people who live there if they require this. At the time of inspection eight people were receiving a personal care service.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good. With the Effective domain improving to Good.

The service had a registered manager who had been in post since July 2016. However they were absent during the inspection and an acting manager was in attendance.

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.

Care records including risk assessments were well-kept and up-to-date. Each person using the service had a personalised support plan and risk assessment and all were up to date and regularly reviewed. We found that people and their relatives were involved in decisions about their care and support. We also saw that medications were handled appropriately and safely.

We found that recruitment practices were in place which included the completion of pre-employment checks prior to a new member of staff working at the service and disciplinary procedures had been followed appropriately and in accordance with the provider’s policies and procedures. Staff received a comprehensive induction programme regular training and supervision which enabled them to work safely and effectively.

GPs and other healthcare professionals were contacted for advice about people’s health needs whenever necessary. The provider had systems in place to ensure that people were protected from the risk of harm or abuse. We saw there were policies and procedures in place and training to guide staff in relation to safeguarding adults.

The provider had quality assurance processes in place including audits, staff meetings and quality questionnaires. The provider had policies and procedures in place which they regularly reviewed. They included policies on health and safety, confidentiality, mental capacity, medication, whistle blowing, safeguarding and recruitment.

People told us they were happy with the staff and felt that the staff understood their support needs. People and their relatives had no complaints about the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.