Creative Support – Carlisle Services

Updated 22 November 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 was planned to check 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 comprehensive inspection took place between 10 to 18 October 2018. This was an unannounced inspection so the provider and staff did not know we were coming. The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.

Before we visited the service, we checked the information we held about this location and the service provider. 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 contacted professionals involved in caring for people who used the service, including commissioners and social workers.

During the inspection we spoke with eight people who used the service about the care and support they received and four relatives. We also spoke with the registered manager, a locality manager, a care co-ordinator and five care workers. We looked at the care records of five people who used the service and the personnel files of four members of staff. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 22 November 2018

Creative Support – Burnside Court Extra Care Carlisle provides personal care to some people who live in their own flats within an extra care housing scheme. This service provides care to people living in specialist 'extra care' housing. Extra care housing is purpose-built or adapted accommodation in a shared site or building. The accommodation is rented, and is the occupant’s own home. People's housing was provided by a separate provider under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for extra care housing; this inspection looked at people's personal care service. At the time of this inspection 35 people received personal care.

This inspection began on 10 October 2018 and was unannounced. Further visits were carried out on 12 and 18 October 2018.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

The service had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 they felt safe with the staff who supported them. Staff understood how to report any concerns. There were enough staff employed to assist people with their agreed care packages. The provider carried out checks to make sure only suitable staff were employed.

People were assisted with their medicines in a safe way. There were some inconsistencies about recording ‘when required’ medicines but this was not unsafe. Staff had the right equipment, training and protocols to make sure they supported people in a hygienic way.

Before people began using the service their needs were assessed to make sure it could provide the right care for them. Staff said they had good training and support to care for people in the right way.

Staff worked well with other health agencies and people were supported to access health services. Staff assisted people with their nutritional well-being if this was part of their care package agreement.

People’s consent and permission was sought and care was only provided with people’s agreement. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff assisted them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People and relatives were positive about the caring, friendly and helpful nature of staff. People said they enjoyed good relationships with the staff team and felt they received a good standard of care. Staff treated people with dignity and respect. They helped people to maintain as much independence as possible.

People received personalised care that was based on their unique preferences and needs. They were fully involved in agreeing the plan of their support. Staff were knowledgeable about people’s individual care needs and how they wanted to be assisted.

People, relatives and professionals said the management team were open and approachable. People had opportunities to give their views about the service. There was a clear complaints procedure in place and people had information about this.

Systems were in place for auditing the quality of the service and for making improvements. The registered manager was keen to share learning and there were regular staff meetings for communicating expected standards and sharing views.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.