Background to this inspection
Updated
25 April 2020
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
The inspection team was made up of 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
Housing 21 – Beckwith Mews is an extra care housing scheme. This service provides personal care to people living in their own bungalows and apartments within the scheme.
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
We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small, and people are often out. We wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.
Inspection activity took place on 27 February 2020. We spoke with people who used the service and their relatives, visited the office location and spoke with staff.
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 also contacted Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
During the inspection
We spoke with four people and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, an assistant care manager and four care workers.
We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and three people’s medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.
Updated
25 April 2020
About the service
Housing 21 – Beckwith Mews is an extra care housing scheme that provides personal care and support to people. At the time of the inspection the service supported 32 people.
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
People and relatives spoke positively about the service. They felt it was safe and staff were caring. People told us, “When they [staff] come in to see me, they are always very friendly and ask me if I’m alright. They seem very caring,” and “I can’t fault them because they are very patient with me.”
There were systems in place to keep people safe. Risks were assessed and managed. Staff were recruited in a safe way and there were enough staff deployed to meet people’s needs. Arrangements were in place for the safe administration of medicines. People were safeguarded from potential abuse. The provider learned from previous accidents and incidents to reduce future risks.
An assessment of people’s needs was completed before they received support. Staff received regular training and felt supported. Staff supported people to maintain a balanced diet and to access a range of health care professionals. 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.
Staff treated people with dignity and respect. Comments from people included, “When they [staff] help shower me, they always respect my dignity as much as possible,” and “They [staff] are more like friends.” People were encouraged to maintain their independence where possible. People had access to advocacy services.
People received person-centred care. Care plans detailed how people wanted to be supported by staff with different tasks. Complaints were investigated and actioned. People and relatives had no complaints about the service but knew how to raise any concerns, should any arise.
The service was well-managed. The registered manager promoted an open and honest culture. Effective quality assurance processes were in place. People and relatives were regularly consulted about the quality of the service through surveys and meetings. Staff were involved in the development and improvement of the service through regular meetings.
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 22 August 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.