Archived: Priory Court Limited

Priory Court is a complex providing 44 owner occupied apartments. The complex provides a range of communal facilities including a lounge, dining room and parking. Staff are available 24 hours a day to provide general support. If needed people can purchase a care package from Priory Court to support them with their personal care. It is this part of the service that is registered with the Care Quality Commission to carry out the regulated activity 'personal care'.

At the time of the inspection only one person was receiving personal care.

Priory Court has a registered manager. 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.

The registered manager was based in the office and had oversight of the service. Day to day management in the settings where support was provided was undertaken by five duty managers who were rostered to provide support throughout the day and night hours.

The service had a range of policies and procedures in place which helped staff refer to good practice and included guidance on the Mental Capacity Act 2005. This meant that the staff members were aware of people's rights to make their own decisions. They were also aware of the need to protect people's rights if they had difficulty in making decisions for themselves.

We asked staff members about training and they confirmed that they received regular training throughout the year, they described this as their CPD (continuous professional development) training and that it was up to date. Staff training files looked at confirmed that they received regular updated training

We looked at one person’s care file in the office and also viewed the copy they held within their own home. Both explained what was important to the individual and how best to support them. This meant that staff had access to relevant information around what support people required, which helped to ensure that people’s needs continued to be met.

Staff members we spoke with were positive about how the service was being managed. During the visit we observed them interacting with the people they were supporting in a professional, caring and friendly manner. All of the staff members we spoke with were positive about the service and the quality of the support being provided.

We found that the provider used a variety of methods in order to assess the quality of the service they were providing to people. These included regular audits on areas such as the care files, including risk assessments, medication, individual finances and staff training. The records were being maintained properly.

During our visit to this location, there was one person who received support with personal care. We spoke with this person who made positive comments about the staff team who assisted them once a week with various personal care needs.

During our inspection, we looked at the file of the person who received personal care support. We found they had been involved in the care planning process. This helped to ensure support was provided in a way they wished it to be.

Consent forms had been signed by the person in relation to granting permission for staff to enter and leave their apartments using a master key. The consent form stated 'I consent to staff sharing information with other agencies to assist with my care package, to protect me from risk or harm, to enable me to gain the best possible outcome and to receive the right level of service'.

The plan of care for one person recorded, 'Apply prescribed cream to legs when instructed

by (name removed) or assist with shower at persons request. This showed the individual had control over the treatment she received. The person confirmed staff were very respectful and always asked permission before any tasks were conducted.

Methods for monitoring the quality of service provided had been established and systems had been developed in order to protect the health and safety of those who used the service.

Comments from those we spoke with included:

"The staff are super. They are gentle and caring. They will do anything for me. I just have to ask,"

"I feel so safe here knowing I can contact someone whenever I need to, if I didn't feel well or if I fell or if I was worried about something. They are here in a flash if I press my pendant. My family don't need to worry about me being here. They know I am safe."

"I am happy living here. Everything is just how I like it. I have all my things at hand and I am very satisfied with the girls who help me."

During our inspection we assessed standards relating to care and welfare and how people were supported to be involved in the planning of their own care. We also looked at the cleanliness of the environment and how the control of infection was managed. Standards relating to the recruitment of staff and monitoring the quality of service provision were also inspected. We did not identify any concerns in any of the outcome areas we assessed.

People told us that they had received the support they had needed from staff with their personal care. They also told us that staff had always been polite and respectful when supporting them and that they had been regularly asked their opinion of the care they had received. One person told us, 'They know what I need, very good'.

Staff had received the training and support they had needed to carry out their role effectively. Comments we received from people included, 'They work as a team' and 'They know what they are doing'.

Systems were in place at Priory Court for dealing with any safeguarding incidents or complaints that arose. Staff had an understanding of their role in reporting concerns and people who used the service told us they would feel confident to raise concerns with staff.