Comfort Call Bowmont House

Updated 24 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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector and one 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.

Not everyone using Comfort Call – Bowmont House receives a regulated activity. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

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

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection visit. We needed to be sure the registered manager or a suitable deputy would be at the office.

Inspection site visit activity started and ended on 27 November 2019. We visited the office location on 27 November 2019 to speak with people who used the service, see the management and office staff and to review care records and policies and procedures.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we held about the service. We contacted the local authority contracts and safeguarding teams for any information they held about the service. We used their feedback to inform the planning of this inspection.

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.

During the inspection

We spoke with seven people and one relative. We spoke with four staff: the care scheme coordinator and three care staff including a senior carer. We looked at four people’s care plans and information relating to staff training, medicines management, rotas, recruitment and the management of the service.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We contacted two external health and social care professionals by telephone.

Updated 24 December 2019

About the service

Comfort Call – Bowmont House is an extra care scheme providing care and support to older people living in their own flats in one larger building. There were 25 people in receipt of personal care at the time of inspection.

People’s experience of using this service

People felt safe and at home. Staff knew people well and were mindful of any risks they faced. Bespoke risk assessments were in place and staff worked well with external professionals to support people when they were more vulnerable. Staff knew what action they would take if abuse was suspected.

Staff were well trained and well supported through regular themed supervisions and appraisals.

Continuity of care was strong, with a low turnover of staff. Missed or late calls were extremely rare. Rota planning was effective and arrangements were in place to prevent delays and missed calls.

People were treated with dignity, respect, patience and good humour.

Care plans were sufficiently detailed, person-centred, and with input from external health and social care professionals. People were involved in their care planning and review.

The service enabled independence in that it bridged a gap between people living on their own at home and people moving to a residential care service. The majority of people felt the service did this well.

End of life training and external links with specialist professionals were in place. The provider recognised more could be done to broach conversations about advanced care planning and end of life care at an earlier stage. We have made a recommendation about this.

The service was well-led. The care scheme coordinator was well respected by staff and well known by people who used the service. The culture was an open one. People and staff felt they could raise concerns or queries through a range of means, and that they would be dealt with appropriately.

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.

Audits at a local level, regionally and by the provider’s national quality assurance team helped ensure quality standards were maintained and people remained safe.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

Good (last report published 15 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 any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.