St. Anne's Apartments

Updated 9 January 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection was announced. We gave short notice as this is an extra care support service and we needed to ensure people would be happy for us to visit them in their own apartments. We also needed to ensure there would be staff available in the service office.

The inspection team consisted of one adult social care inspector and an expert by experience. An expert by experience is someone who has had direct experience or their relative had used registered services such as care homes and supported living services.

During the inspection we met and spoke with 11 people who used the service, eight staff including the registered manager, team leader and care staff.

We reviewed four people’s care plans and daily records, medicine administration records, three staff recruitment files as well as audits and records in relation to staff training and support and safety records.

We looked at all the information available to us prior to the inspection visit. These included notifications sent by the service, any safeguarding information sent to us from other sources such as healthcare professionals. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law. We also reviewed the service’s Provider Information Return (PIR). We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We sent out surveys to people, families staff and professionals. 13 people using the service were sent surveys and six were received back. Ten staff were sent surveys and we received 11 responses back. 13 relatives and friends were sent surveys and we received three responses back. Five community professionals were sent surveys and two responses were sent back. Their views and quotes are included in the main body of the report.

Following the inspection we asked for feedback from five health care professionals to gain their views about the service. We received feedback from three of them.

Updated 9 January 2018

This inspection took place on 2 November 2017 and was announced. Short notice was given to the service as it is a supported living service for people with learning disabilities and mental health issues. The staff needed to ensure people using the service were happy for us to visit them in their own apartments. This was the second comprehensive inspection completed on the service. The previous inspection was completed in June 2015 and rated the service overall –Good, with requires improvement in well-led, but no requirements were issued. Since the last inspection improvements had been made to show that the service fully monitored and analysed accident and incidents for any trends. They also ensured surveys completed were collated and themes and suggestions were actioned.

St Anne’s Apartment is an extra care supported living service that provides care and support to adults with a learning disability and mental health needs. This service provides care and support to people living in ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

The service is staffed 24 hours and had the governing ethos of a service that is flexible, a home for life whilst supporting people to be autonomous and independent. There were 14 people using the service at the time of our inspection. The age range of people receiving support varied from 21 – 80 plus years.

People who used the service lived in their own flats. Five flats were two-bedded, and five flats were single-bedded flats. There was also a communal dining area and kitchen along with outside gardens. The flats were located in two buildings with the service’s office in one of these buildings. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspects the care and support the service provides, but does not inspect the accommodation they live in.

St Anne’s Apartment’s belongs to the organisation the Frances Taylor Foundation. The Frances Taylor Foundation is part of the UK charity the Poor Servants of the Mother of God. As a faith based charity the underlying principles of care and respect for each individual informs all of the organisations work. The charity has services across London, Sussex and Merseyside.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People said the loved living at St Anne’s apartments, felt safe and well cared for. One person said “This is the best place I have ever lived. I love it here. I don’t want to move.”

The service was exceptionally responsive to people needs wishes and future goals. They worked collaboratively with people, other professionals and organisations to ensure people had their diverse needs and wishes met. People had fulfilling lives doing what they enjoyed and being challenged to try new things.

People were at the heart of the service and staff worked hard to ensure a person centred approach kept people engaged, healthy and active. People were treated with kindness, respect and compassion. Their diversity and uniqueness was celebrated. Staff had developed strong bonds and good relationships with people and understood what was important to them.

There were sufficient staff with the right skills and experience to ensure people’s needs and wishes were being met. Staffing covered a 24 hour period with people having specific hours as well as some shared care hours to enable them to be active and have fulfilling lives. Staff had comprehensive training and support to enable them to do their job effectively and safely. Staff knew people well, understood their needs and worked to honour their wishes and important routines.

People were protected from harm because there was a robust recruitment processes. Staff knew who to report any concerns about abuse to.

Care and support was well planned, with risks being clearly identified with positive support plans being used to reduce people’s anxieties and behaviours which may place themselves or others at risk. People were supported in the least restrictive way; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff had received training on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Applications had been made to the Court of Protection where necessary where people’s liberty was being restricted.

The registered manager and the provider of the service promoted strong values and a person centred culture The staff and people said the management team had an open and inclusive approach. Good systems had been used to review the quality of care and gain people’s views to improve the quality of care and support being delivered.