London Care (Leaholme)

Updated 4 August 2021

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 one inspector.

Service and service type

This service 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 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.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. We gave a short period notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since it was registered. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. 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 three people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff including the registered manager, two care workers and a representative of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care records and medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and four in relation to staff supervision. 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 registered manager to validate evidence found. We spoke with four professionals who regularly visit the service, two relatives and one care worker and received feedback from them.

Updated 4 August 2021

About the service

London Care (Leaholme) is an extra care housing service providing personal care to 26 people at the time of the inspection.

The service supported people who lived in a bespoke housing complex consisting of 40 flats. The accommodation is rented or owned and is the occupant's own home. There was a housing manager who ran the scheme. 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 were positive in their feedback about the care they received. One person told us, “ I'd recommend it to anyone.” Staff knew people well and encouraged them in their independence. People shared examples about how staff had gone above and beyond to help them or support them in one to one activity.

Everyone we spoke with felt safe in the company of staff. Care staff were well informed about risks to people's health or wellbeing and knew how to deliver their care safely. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and people told us staff came quickly if they needed additional support. Staff supported people to take their medicines or reminded them when they were due. People were protected from the risk of infection. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff had received additional training in infection prevention and control.

People received good quality care that improved their wellbeing. People spoke positively about the staff who supported them and had confidence in their skills and experience. Staff felt supported and felt their views and opinions were valued. Staff supported people to access healthcare professionals and support when needed.

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.

Care was personalised to meet people's needs. Care plans provided information and guidance for staff on people's care and support needs, likes and dislikes, and the way they wanted to receive personal care. People's communication needs were identified and planned for. Staff supported people to pursue their interests and had adapted activities to fit within COVID-19 restrictions. People expressed confidence they could raise any issues or concerns with any member of staff and that they would be addressed.

People benefited from a well led service. The service was well organised and had a range of systems in place to ensure its smooth operation and to support good communication. Professionals who worked with the service said they appreciated the open communication and willingness of staff to collaborate to improve outcomes for people.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 9 August 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was the first inspection for this service.

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.