Archived: The Cannons

Updated 12 January 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 checked 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.

The inspection took place on 9 November 2017 and was announced. The provider was given 24 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be available to respond to our queries.

One inspector and an expert-by-experience carried out the inspection. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The Expert by Experience had experience of providing support to older people.

On the day of the inspection we visited the service and spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager and the Head of Care Services. We met or spoke with six members of care staff. We visited or met with seven people in their flats but also met a number of other people informally during our visit, for example in the dining room. We had email contact with three health and social care professional to ask them about their views of the service.

We reviewed all the information we had available about the service including notifications sent to us by the registered manager. This is information about important events, which the provider is required to send us by law. We also looked at information sent to us from others, including family members and the local authority. We used this information to plan what areas we were going to focus on during our inspection.

We looked at three people’s care records and three staff records. We examined information relating to the management of the service such as health and safety records, personnel and recruitment records, quality monitoring audits and information about complaints.

People had the choice to select another care agency to provide their care. At the time of the inspection all the people at the service chose to have care provided by Swan Housing. There were seven people who did not require personal care at the service, though staff continued to provide a ’peace of mind’ service which helped monitor their welfare and wellbeing.

Since we last visited the service there had been a change in the registration details of the service with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which meant The Cannons was registered as a new service in 11 November 2016. However, this new registration was due to an administrative change, which transferred the registered address of the service from the head office of the organisation in Billericay, to the actual address of the ‘extra care’ scheme in Colchester. The registered manager remained the same and there was no tangible impact on the people at the service from this administrative change.

Updated 12 January 2018

The Cannons 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 The Cannons receives the regulated activity of ‘personal care’; which involves help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. CQC only inspects the service provided by people receiving ‘personal care’. When looking at the care these people receive we also take into account any wider social care provided.

The Cannons is comprised of 38 units on one site. Most of the units are self-contained flats within a central building which also houses the communal facilities. There are four bungalows in the grounds which are also part of the service. The main offices are based in the main building which also has a number of communal facilities, including a laundrette and dining area. At the time of our inspection there were 36 people living at The Cannons.

The inspection took place on 9 November 2017 and was announced.

A registered manager was 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.

The manager was a strong and effective leader who promoted a person centred and open culture. There were innovative and comprehensive measures in place to check on the quality of the care provided which involved staff and people at the service. There was a clear vision for the service and a commitment to developing high quality care, in line with best practice. The provider and manager worked well with external partners to ensure people received a consistent service.

People were enabled to minimise risks to their safety while retaining their independence, where possible. There were sufficient, safely recruited staff to support people and meet their needs. The manager constantly evaluated staffing numbers to ensure the service responded to any changing needs. Staff advocated for people where they were concerns about their safety. People received personalised support with their medicine. Staff supported people to minimise the risk of infection.

Staff were skilled in providing care for people in which met their individual needs and good practice was promoted throughout the service. Staff provided flexible support to enable people to have enough to eat and drink. People’s on-going wellbeing was monitored well and where necessary they were supported to access input from external health and social care agencies. The manager and staff actively promoted people’s right to make choices and monitored people’s capacity to make decisions about the care they received.

Staff developed positive relationships with people and provided support which was caring and enabling. People were treated with respect and their human rights and dignity was promoted. Where necessary, people had access to advocacy.

Care and support had been developed in consultation with people and was outlined in clear plans to staff. Support was tailored to people’s needs and reviewed and amended as necessary. People felt able to raise concerns and these were responded to promptly and effectively.