Archived: Allen's Court

Updated 6 December 2016

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 was the service’s first comprehensive inspection since registration with the Care Quality Commission on 20 September 2016.

As part of our inspection we reviewed information received about the service, for example, we looked at information received from commissioners of the service who supported people at the service. Commissioners are people who work to find appropriate care and support services which are paid for by the local authority. They had no further information to tell us that we were not already aware of.

The inspection took place on 10 November 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice hours of our visit. The notice period ensured we were able to meet with the registered manager and staff during our visit. The inspection was conducted by one inspector.

During our visit to the office we spoke with three people who used the service and a social care professional to obtain their views of the service provided. We also spoke with the registered manager, the house manager and two care workers. After our visit we spoke with two relatives of people using the service by telephone.

We reviewed three people’s care records to see how their care and support was planned and delivered. We looked at three staff records to check whether staff had been recruited safely and were trained to deliver the care and support people required. We looked at other supplementary records which related to people's care and how the service operated. This included checks management completed to assure themselves that people received a good quality service.

Updated 6 December 2016

This inspection took place on 10 November 2016. The inspection was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of our inspection. This was to make sure we could meet with the manager of the service and care workers on the day of our office visit.

Allen’s Court is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes within a supported living location. The service specialises in the care of people with dementia, learning disabilities or autism spectrum disorder, mental health conditions, physical disabilities, sensory impairments, and people who misuse drugs and alcohol. Support hours provided by the agency depended on people’s assessed needs. The service is based in Coventry.

At the time of our inspection there were ten people using the service and the service employed eight care workers.

This is the service’s first ratings inspection since registration with the Care Quality Commission on 20 September 2016.

The service had a registered manager. A requirement of the provider’s registration is that they have a registered manager. 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.

There were enough care workers to meet people’s needs effectively. People received their care and support from care workers who they knew, and at the times agreed. The provider conducted pre-employment checks prior to staff starting work, to ensure their suitability to support people in their homes.

People and relatives told us they felt safe using the service and care workers understood how to protect people from abuse. Risks to people’s safety were identified and care workers understood how these should be managed.

Care workers completed training considered essential to meet people’s needs safely and effectively. Care workers completed an induction when they joined the service and had their practice checked by a member of the management team.

The registered manager understood their responsibility to comply with the relevant requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). However, where people had been assessed as not having capacity to make certain decisions, information about how decisions were to be made in people’s best interests were not always clearly documented. Care workers gained people’s consent before they provided personal care and respected people’s decisions.

People’s privacy and dignity was respected by care workers. Where possible, care workers encouraged people to be independent. People told us care workers had a caring attitude and had the right skills and experience to provide the care and support required.

People saw social and health professionals when needed and systems were in place to manage people’s medicines safely. Staff had received training to do this. Support was given to people who required help with eating and drinking.

People and relatives were involved in planning and reviewing their care. Care records gave care workers the information needed to ensure care and support was provided in the way people preferred. Care workers followed this information.

People and relatives told us they knew how to raise any concerns and felt these would be listened and responded to effectively.

Everyone we spoke with said the management team were approachable. Care workers felt valued because the management team were available to provide support and were receptive to their ideas and suggestions. Care workers and the management team shared common values about the aims and objectives of the service.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service provided and to understand the experiences of people who used the service. The provider used this feedback to make some improvements to the service where needed.