Background to this inspection
Updated
5 June 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 planned this inspection to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
An inspector and an expert by experience carried out the inspection. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. Our expert by experience had cared for older people with a range of health needs.
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 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 did not have a registered manager who was registered with the CQC. However, a person who was the registered manager of another nearby service run by the provider had applied to be registered manager of Pine Court and the other service. A registered manager is a person who, with the provider, is legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
Our inspection visit on 7 May 2019 was announced. We gave the registered manager 48 hours’ notice of our inspection visit. We wanted people to know we would be visiting, and we asked the manager to inform people, so they could set time aside to talk with us if the wanted to.
What we did
Before the inspection visit we looked at information we held about the home and used this information as part of our inspection planning. The information included notifications. Notifications are information on important events that happen in the home that the provider must let us know about. We requested information from the local authority that pay for the care of some of people.
Providers are required to send us a provider information return (PIR). 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.
We spoke with 17 people who used the service. We spoke with the manager, two senior support workers and two support staff. We looked at five people’s care records as well as other records relating to the management of the home.
Updated
5 June 2019
About the service
Pine Court provides personal care 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. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not regulate premises used for extra care housing; this inspection looked at people’s personal care service. At the time of our inspection 34 were receiving personal care.
People’s experience of using this service
People were happy living in their apartments and using the facilities at Pine Court. They told us they felt safe and secure. They liked the staff who looked after them and felt safe and comfortable when staff supported them. Communal areas were kept safe and were clean and well maintained.
Staff knew each person well. They knew about people’s likes and dislikes and their preferences about how they wanted to be looked after. People were supported to take their medicines when they needed them. People’s medicines were safely stored.
People’s care plans included assessments of risks associated with their care. Staff followed the risk assessments to ensure that people received safe care. Staff knew how to report any concerns about people’s safety and well-being.
There were enough staff to meet people’s needs in a timely way. People received personal care visits from staff when they expected them. People told us that when they used their alarms from their apartments, staff came quickly.
Staff went through a thorough recruitment process so that the provider knew they only employed suitable staff. Staff undertook training that supported them to have the knowledge and skills to do their job and effectively meet people’s needs.
People received support with making their own meals and / or used the Pine Court restaurant. They told us they were very pleased with the quality of meals they could choose from.
People had access to health services when they needed them. Healthcare professionals supported staff to help people maintain or improve their health. Activities at Pine Court included keep fit exercises to support people’s well-being.
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 made choices in all aspects of their lives. Staff respected people’s choices and preferences and people’s views were listened to and acted upon.
Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity and encouraged people to be as independent as possible.
People had use of facilities at Pine Court such as a restaurant and a communal lounge where activities took place.
The manager monitored the quality of care and support people experienced and acted on their feedback.
Lessons were learnt when mistakes were made. For example, after a series of medications errors the management of medicines was reviewed and improved.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
At the last inspection we rated this service as Good (report published on 10 September 2016).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.