Background to this inspection
Updated
11 December 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 checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by an inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
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 had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we held about the service including notifications of events the provider was required to tell us about. We spoke with a monitoring officer from the local authority.
The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. 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 used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 13 people who used the service and made observations of activities and interactions with staff. We spoke with the registered manager, care co-ordinator, four support workers, a training manager and two activities co-ordinators. We looked at records of recruitment and supervision for five care workers and records of training for all staff. We looked at records of care and support for four people and other records relating to the management of the service.
Updated
11 December 2019
About the service
Donnybrook Court is an extra care service for older people. People using the service lived in adapted flats in a purpose built building in Tower Hamlets. At the time of our inspection there were 17 people using the service.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.
People’s experience of using this service
People told us they were well treated by staff and we observed positive interactions throughout the day. The service assessed people’s needs around their culture and language and supported people to speak about and plan their care. A person told us, “I love it here. My family cannot believe how happy I am here. I would recommend this place to anyone.”
People were safeguarded against abuse and poor care and told us they felt safe living in the service. The provider assessed risks to people’s wellbeing and took the right action to improve people’s safety. People were able to call for help at any time using their pull cords and there was a prompt response to this. Staffing levels were planned to meet people’s needs and staff were safely recruited. Medicines were managed safely and the service protected people from cross infection and poor food hygiene.
Staff received enough training to do their jobs and the provider regularly reviewed the training they required. There were regular supervisions and observations of staff to make sure they had the right skills. People received the right support to have varied diets and to access healthcare services when they needed to.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People were involved in making sure that care was planned around their needs and regularly reviewed. The service was able to respond to people’s changing needs. Staff carried out life story work to understand more about people’s lives and their wishes for the future. There was a detailed activity programme in place; in response to feedback from people the service was expanding this.
Managers were visible in the service and approachable. The management of the service carried out regular checks to make sure people’s care and support was appropriate and safe. There was good team work and communication between the staff team.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection:
This service was registered with us on 7 December 2018 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on when the service registered with us.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information 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.