Background to this inspection
Updated
28 August 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
The inspection was carried out by two inspectors.
Service and service type
This service provides care to people living in ‘extra care’ housing. Extra care housing is purpose-built or adapted single household accommodation in a shared site or building. The accommodation 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 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 announced. We spoke with the registered manager on 25 July 2019 and asked them to send us some information for review before we visited their offices. The registered manager did this promptly. We visited the office on 31 July 2019.
What we did before the inspection
Before this inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service, including the action plans sent to us in relation to previous breaches, and information sent to us on the day we announced the inspection. We sought feedback from partner agencies such as the local safeguarding team and 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 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.
During the inspection
We spent time reviewing records including four people’s care plans and associated documentation such as Medicines Administration Records (MARs). We spoke with the registered manager and five other members of staff. We visited three people in their homes, and spoke with them. We also spoke with a relative of someone who used the service.
After the inspection
We asked the registered manager to send us some information after the inspection to show how they had acted on our feedback. We received this promptly and included this evidence in making our judgement.
Updated
28 August 2019
About the service
Peripatetic Service De Lacy Gardens provides personal care to people living in their own flats within an extra care housing development. This consists of one building which contains people’s homes, communal areas such as meeting rooms, hairdresser, shop and a restaurant. The provider and the landlord also have offices in this building. At the time of our inspection there were 21 people who used the service.
There was good support available to people to make decisions about their care. We made one recommendation about improving the records relating to the support one person needed for decisions they could no longer make alone.
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. CQC does not regulate premises used for extra care housing; this inspection looked at people's personal care and support service.
People felt safe using the service, and had care and support provided by sufficient, safely recruited staff. The management of medicines remained safe, and people got these when they needed them.
People were protected from abuse, and any risks associated with their care were well documented with clear guidance for staff to follow.
Staff had a robust induction and received the on-going training and support they needed, including when they supported people at the end of their lives.
People received effective care that helped them maintain healthier lives, and the provider worked well with other health professionals when necessary.
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; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People told us staff were caring and said they were supported to remain as independent as possible. Care plans were written and reviewed with people’s involvement, which helped ensure support was always in line with current needs and respected their preferences. When people made complaints there were good processes in place to ensure issues were addressed.
Care was person-centred, and we did not find any evidence of discrimination in the service. Systems to measure, monitor and improve quality in the service were effective and involved people and staff. The registered manager was meeting the requirements of all legislation covering health and social care.
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 requires improvement (published July 2018). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Peripatetic Service De Lacy Gardens on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
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.