Care and Support Service Sandford Station

Updated 9 June 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 office visit took place on 13 April 2018 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours' notice that we would be coming. This was so we could be sure the registered manager was available to speak with us.

The inspection was a comprehensive inspection and was conducted by two adult social care inspectors. During our inspection, we visited four people who used the service, spoke with four staff, the registered manager and new manager. Following the inspection, we had feedback from the local authority contracts and compliance team.

We looked at a range of records about people's care including three care files. We also looked at other records relating to people's care such as medicine records and daily logs. This was to assess whether the care people needed was being provided. We reviewed records of the checks the registered manager/ provider made to assure themselves people received a quality service. We also looked at seven staff records to check that safe recruitment procedures were in operation, and staff received appropriate supervision and support to continue their professional development.

We reviewed the information we held about the service. We looked at information received from the statutory notifications the provider had sent to us and commissioners of the service. A statutory notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to send to us by law. Commissioners are people who work to find appropriate care and support services, which are paid for by the local authority.

Updated 9 June 2018

Care and Support Service Sandford Station is a domiciliary care service, which provides support to people who live in their own homes. The provider is registered to support people with a wide range of needs including dementia, older people, and people who have physical disabilities. 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. People using the service lived in flats and houses in a large gated community. Not everyone living at Sandford Station receives regulated activity; 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.

We inspected the service on 13 April 2018. The provider was given 48 hours' notice of our visit; because we needed to be sure that, someone would be in the location's office when we visited. At the time of our inspection, there were 36 people using the service; primarily the service supported older people. At the last inspection in December 2015, the service was rated Good overall. At this inspection, we found the service remained Good.

The service had a registered manager in place. 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.

Staff demonstrated knowledge of how to support people who may be vulnerable. They were able to identify elements of potential abuse and neglect and they knew how to report incidents. They knew the people they supported well.

People we spoke with told us they felt safe, respected and well cared for. Staff had good knowledge about people's needs. They worked well together as a team, sharing knowledge and ideas, which would enhance the service.

All staff that were employed at the service were recruited safely. References were sought prior to employment commencing and employment checks were completed to support the registered manager in making safe decisions about whom they employed. A comprehensive induction and training package was available to all staff and they were supported through regular supervision and appraisal.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and encouraged them to remain independent. Staff understood that people should be consulted about their care and they understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

Best interest decisions involved people's representatives when required. Staff worked in a person centred manner and treated people with dignity and respect.

Staff had positive, genuine relationships with the people they supported. People were treated with kindness and compassion and they told us staff were caring.

Care plans were centred on the needs and preferences of the person and detailed individual requirements. Care plans were regularly reviewed and kept up to date when people's needs changed. People were involved in devising their care plan and they had active input into the reviews of their care.

People's choices and preferences were valued and recognised. We received consistently positive feedback from people who used the service.

People knew how to complain and they were confident that any complaint made would be dealt with.

The registered manager supported the staff to be effective in their role. Staff told us the manager was responsive to their needs and very supportive.

The provider sought people's views on the service through surveys and questionnaires. Where issues were identified, the provider took action to resolve them.

The registered manager and the provider completed regular audits and quality assurance checks of the service and this supported them to identify and resolve potential service issues at an early stage.