Archived: Bishopsfield Court

Updated 4 October 2019

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 out by one 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 is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats including an extra care housing scheme. This service also provides personal 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.

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

This inspection was unannounced.

The inspection activity started on 23 August 2019 and ended on 29 August 2019. We visited the office location on the 23 and 28 August 2019.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. 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 fifteen people who used the service and three relatives, about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eleven members of staff, including the quality and compliance manager, the training and development manager, the regional operations manager, the registered manager, a shift lead, a care co-ordinator, and five care workers. We also spoke with the extra care housing manager who is not employed by this organisation.

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

Updated 4 October 2019

About the service

Bishopsfield Court is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to 119 people in the community and within an extra care housing scheme at the time of the inspection. The extra care housing scheme was based in Peterborough and had 48 flats with communal rooms and gardens within one building.

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 registered manager notified the CQC of the majority of incidents that they were legally obliged to. However, there were two safeguarding incidents that CQC had not been notified of.

Staffing levels were looked at to make sure they were satisfactory to meet the needs of the people using the service. However, some people in the community asked that they be notified if their staff member was running late to their care call visit. Staff rotas that scheduled their care call visits changed at short notice to cover short term absences such as annual leave and sick leave. Staff told us this increased the risk of them not identifying the change and wanted the office staff to alert them earlier.

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.

People felt safe due to their care being provided by staff. Risk assessments identified possible risks to people`s health and well-being. Information was available to guide staff on how to minimise these risks as far as possible. Staff worked in conjunction with guidance from external health and social care professionals across different organisations. This helped promote people’s well-being. Medicines were safely managed.

Staff knew the people they supported. To develop their skills and knowledge staff received regular training, spot checks, supervisions, appraisals and further qualifications. People were supported to maintain their independence. Staff supported people who needed assistance with their food and drink intake.

Staff promoted and maintained people’s privacy and dignity. People had developed good relationships with staff who understood their individual preferences and care needs.

People and their relatives told us staff were caring. People`s personal information was kept secure in the agency’s office. People and their relatives were involved in discussions about their care. Concerns raised about the service were investigated and resolved where possible.

Staff felt well-supported by the new registered manager. There were regular visits from the senior management team to oversee the quality of the service provided. Audits were carried out to monitor the service and address any improvements required.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 23 February 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.