Comfort Call - Monica Court

Updated 3 November 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

Two inspectors and two Experts 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.

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 bought or 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.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 23 September 2022 and ended on 20 October 2022. We visited the schemes on 23, 26 and 28 September 2022.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 6 people who used the service and 26 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 13 members of staff including the registered manager, care manager, care co-ordinators and care workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 7 people’s care records and 8 medication records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 3 November 2022

About the service

Comfort Call Monica Court is an extra care scheme located in Salford, Greater Manchester. Two other extra care schemes form part of the registration called Mount Carmel and Moores House. Extra care schemes operate in purpose-built properties, which provide accessible and safe housing for older people to live independently. At the time of the inspection, 135 people were 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 and what we found

Staff had received training in safeguarding people. People were protected from the risks of abuse and harm and people said they trusted staff to keep them safe. People's care needs were risk assessed and care plans provided staff with the information they needed to manage the identified risk. Accidents and incidents were recorded and monitored. Medicines were managed safely. People told us they felt supported with their medicines.

Recruitment checks were robust to ensure staff were suitable to work with vulnerable adults.

The provider used an electronic system to determine staffing levels. The provider operated an on call system for staff support during evenings, overnight and weekends.

Governance systems were in place to monitor the standard of care people received. Regular audits of people's care plans, daily communication records, staff files and schemes took place. Staff praised the registered manager and wider management team, they felt supported in their roles.

Person-centred care was promoted. The manager and staff demonstrated a commitment to people, and they displayed person-centred values. People’s views and decisions about support were incorporated in their care plans. The service worked in partnership with other health and social care organisations and the community to achieve better outcomes for people using the service.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 9 September 2021). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to staffing and the management of accidents and incidents. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good based on the findings of this inspection. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.