Background to this inspection
Updated
9 August 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.
This inspection took place on 20 and 21 June 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in and staff and people who used the service would be available to speak with us.
Inspection site visit activity started on 20 June and ended on 21 June 2018. It included speaking with people, relatives and staff. We visited the office location to see the registered manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.
The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Before we visited the service, we checked the information we held about this location and the service provider, for example, inspection history and notifications. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send to the Commission by law. We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
We contacted professionals involved in caring for people who used the service, including commissioners. We also contacted Healthwatch. Healthwatch is the local consumer champion for health and social care services. We sent questionnaires to people, relatives and professionals about the service. We received a total of 15 completed questionnaires.
We spoke with four members of staff, including the registered manager and three care staff. We spoke with 12 people using the service and three relatives, to gain their feedback on the service.
We looked at a sample of six care plans and other documents relating to people's care. We looked at records related to the operation of the service, including four recruitment files, training and supervision, staff handbook, service user guide, meeting minutes, audits and quality assurance.
We also viewed the safeguarding, recruitment, equality and diversity, infection control and medicines policies.
Updated
9 August 2018
The inspection took place on the 20 and 21 June 2018 and was announced.
Newington Court Extra Care Unit 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 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 Newington Court Extra Care Unit receives regulated activity; 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. At the time of the inspection, there were 20 people receiving the regulated activity.
This was the first inspection of the service since their registration with the CQC on 18 May 2017, following a change in provider. The service’s office was based at the site of the extra care unit.
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 told us they felt safe living at Newington Court Extra Care Unit. People were protected from the risk of abuse and avoidable harm. Staff received training in safeguarding and were aware of who to contact if they had concerns.
Risks to people were assessed, monitored and were reviewed regularly or when people's needs changed. People were involved in decisions about any risks they may take.
People told us and we observed there were sufficient staff available to support people to stay safe and meet their needs. The provider’s policies and systems promoted safe recruitment practices.
People were supported with their medicines safely; they received these on time, as prescribed and were supported by trained staff.
People were protected by the prevention and control of infection; staff had access to personal protective equipment and had completed food hygiene training.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People were protected from the risk of poor nutrition and staff were aware of people's nutritional needs. The service worked with external professionals, such as district nurses, GPs, occupational therapists, physiotherapists as and when needed.
People who used the service and their relatives were complimentary about the standard of care provided by the service. People said their privacy and dignity were respected and they enjoyed positive relationships with all staff.
People's needs were assessed before they started using the service and care plans were personalised.
People who used the service and their relatives were aware of how to make a complaint.
People, relatives and staff were regularly consulted about the quality of the service. People told us the registered manager and staff were helpful and approachable.
There were quality assurance arrangements in place, which were used to identify and address current and potential concerns and promote continuous improvement.
As this was the service’s first inspection under the new provider's registration there were no requirements for previous ratings to be displayed.