We carried out a review of the data available to us about Austin Place on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Austin Place, you can give feedback on this service.
People’s experience of using this service
People were aware they had care plans and told us they felt staff met their needs. People said they were cared for by kind, caring and attentive staff who kept them safe. Staff had developed good relationships with people and were thoughtful in their approach to provide people with the best care possible.
People were happy with the food made for them and the way staff supported them with their medicines and access to healthcare professional input should they need it.
People said they were asked if they were happy with the service they received by the agency. They told us staff timekeeping was good, staff stayed for the time expected and on the whole they saw the same staff. People’s care records were detailed and gave good guidance to staff.
People were cared for by a sufficient number of staff who were well trained. Staff understood their responsibility in helping people retain their independence as well as gaining their consent before they carried out any care.
Staff felt supported and valued by management. Senior staff undertook regular audits of the service to check people were receiving a good level of care and where shortfalls were identified these were addressed. In addition, they looked for ways to improve the service for people.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (report published 18 August 2017).
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 we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
This inspection took place on 1 August 2017 and was announced. On the day of the inspection two people were receiving personal care. Neither person required support with their medicines. Both people had full capacity to make their own decisions and there were no restrictions in place.
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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The registered manager helped us during our inspection.
People lived in a homely environment. People’s apartments were furnished with their own belongings and they provided people with their own personal space. There was a communal lounge area and we saw people gathered there during the day playing cards.
Although the registered provider did not provide specific activities for people, they supported people with setting up a residents association to discuss activities and make suggestions in relation to how people could spend their time.
People told us they received care from kind, caring staff who showed them respect. They told us that staff arrived on time to give them their care and that they stayed the full allocated time. People said staff took time to talk to them and they felt comfortable in their presence. Where staff supported people with their food, people told us they made the decisions on what they ate.
Staff met with their line manager on a one to one basis and staff said they felt supported. We found the registered manager had good management oversight of the service and there was a good working relationship between them and staff. Although people had capacity, staff understood the principals of the Mental Capacity Act (2005). Staff received a good range of training and staff met together regularly as a team to discuss all aspects of the service.
There were a sufficient number of staff available for people and it was evident staff knew people well and understood people’s individuality and needs. Staff were aware of their role in keeping people safe so they would not be at risk of harm, either by an accident or from abuse. People told us they felt safe.
The registered manager undertook quality assurance audits to ensure the care provided was of a standard people should expect. We found the registered manager responded promptly to any areas we raised with them during our inspection. Recruitment processes were robust to help ensure that the registered manager had only suitable staff working at the service.
Regular fire checks and fire drills were carried out to help ensure staff would know what to do in the event of an emergency. If people required support out of hours, they had access to an emergency number who would respond to their call. Information was given to the service the following day to help ensure staff were up to date with people’s needs.
People’s care plans were very detailed and included all the information necessary to help ensure people received responsive care. People told us they were involved in their care plan and we read care plans were reviewed regularly in conjunction with the person and they had signed them.
A complaints procedure was available for any concerns. The registered manager told us they had received no formal complaints relating to the care people received. A satisfaction questionnaire was being sent out in September 2017 to obtain feedback from people on the service that they received.