Archived: Freeman Court

Updated 29 June 2017

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.

Prior to our inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included any safeguarding alerts and outcomes, complaints, previous inspection reports and notifications that the provider had sent to CQC. Notifications are information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law.

This inspection took place on 9 and 16 May 2017. The inspection was carried out by one 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. We spoke with 11 people using the service and one relative.

We also spoke with the registered manager and seven members of staff. We observed care and support in communal areas, spoke with people in private and looked at the care records for seven people. We reviewed how medicines were managed and the records relating to this. We checked three staff recruitment files and the records kept for staff allocation, training and supervision. We looked around the premises and at records kept for the management of the service.

Updated 29 June 2017

This inspection took place on 9 and 16 May 2017. Both visits were announced with 24 hours’ notice given for the first visit to make sure the registered manager would be present for the inspection. This was the first inspection of the service following registration with CQC in June 2016.

Freeman Court provides personal care for up to 60 people living in one bedroom flats arranged over three floors. There were 59 people using the service at the time of this inspection.

The home had 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People using the service told us they liked living at Freeman Court and felt safe there. They said they were treated in a respectful and caring manner by regular staff members who knew them well and supported them effectively.

People, managers and staff told us that there had been changes to the service in recent months with the number of hours commissioned by the local authority reduced following reviews of people’s care needs. In spite of this, most people believed the service was of a good standard however opportunities for staff to spend quality time with people had been reduced.

People were supported by staff who were trained and well supported in their job roles. Staff members had been safely recruited and had received a full induction to the service. Staff we spoke with were confident that they provided a good service to people and said they would recommend Freeman Court to their family and friends. They had access to supervision and additional support when required.

Staff understood how to help protect people from the risk of abuse. The service had procedures in place to report any safeguarding concerns to the local authority. People and staff were protected from potential risk of harm as the service had identified and assessed any risks to them and reviewed these on a regular basis. People had assessments which were individual to the person and their strengths and needs.

Medicines were administered in a safe way. Staff received training and a competency framework was in place to make sure they understood and followed safe procedures for administering medicines.

Staff had received training in the MCA (Mental Capacity Act) and understood the importance of gaining people’s consent before assisting them.

The service completed a detailed personalised care plan for each person. They kept people’s needs under review and made changes as required. Further work was taking place to make sure documentation was regularly updated with electronic records being introduced.

People and their relatives felt able to raise any concerns or complaints. There was a procedure in place for people to follow if they wanted to raise any issues. Staff also said they felt comfortable in raising any concerns should they have any.

The service was well led. The registered manager monitored the quality of the service and made changes to improve the service provided when required. Staff and people who used the service found the management team approachable and responsive.