Archived: Dean Road ECS

Updated 19 March 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by two inspectors. An Expert by Experience made phone calls to people and their relatives’. 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

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 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.

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 we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 22 February 2022 and ended on 1 March 2022. We visited the location’s office on 22 February 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed information we held about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people and six relatives by telephone. We also spoke with five staff members including care staff and the registered manager. We spoke with a visiting G.P. We reviewed a range of records including, five care plans, four staff files, staff rotas and a range of medicines records.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification and requested further documents, for example policies and procedures.

Updated 19 March 2022

About the service

Dean Road ECS is an extra care housing service providing personal care to people. The service provides support to people aged 65 and over. At the time of our inspection there were 24 people using the service. People using the service lived in flats in one purpose-built building.

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

Risk management plans did not always give staff clear guidance to mitigate identified risks to people. People’s ‘as and when required’ medicines were not always recorded in line with good practice. The registered manager took action to address our concerns after we pointed these to them. We have made a recommendation in relation to records management.

Staff followed best practice guidelines regarding COVID-19 and the prevention and control of infection. Recruitment checks undertaken ensured only suitable staff members were employed. There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to keep people safe. The registered manager learned lessons when things went wrong.

Staff received ongoing training to meet people’s needs. Staff told us they received opportunities to reflect on their work through one-to-one meetings with the registered manager and felt well supported. 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 were treated with dignity, kindness and respect. Staff understood the importance of supporting people to maintain their independence. Staff monitored people’s health and wellbeing and sought medical guidance and support when necessary.

People were all complimentary about the way the scheme was managed and how approachable the office-based managers were. The provider promoted an open and inclusive culture which sought the views of people living, visiting and working at Dean Road ECS. The provider worked in close partnership with a range of local community health and social care professionals and agencies to plan and deliver people’s agreed packages of care and support.

People’s care was planned in line with their preferences. Care plans were regularly reviewed to reflect their changing needs. People were aware of how to raise their concerns and were confident these would be addressed. People were supported to document their end of life wishes if they chose to.

People, their relatives and staff spoke highly of the registered manager. The values of the provider were evident through the management of the service. Audits were undertaken to ensure issues identified were acted on swiftly. People’s views were sought to monitor and improve the service delivery. The registered manager placed importance of working in partnership with stakeholders.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 27 July 2019.

Why we inspected

This service was registered with us on 16 December 2019 under the current provider and this is the first inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.