Octavia Housing -Bridge Water House

Updated 19 December 2023

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

The inspection was conducted by 2 inspectors 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.

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

We gave a short period of notice. This is because we planned to visit people in their own flats and wanted them to know about this in advance so they could consent to this. We also wanted to make sure the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 10 November 2023 and ended on 13 November 2023. We visited the location on 13 November 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We looked at all the information we held about the service, including notifications of significant events.

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 received feedback from the local authority who commissioned care at the service and oversaw the provision of the extra care housing and support.

During the inspection

We spoke with 17 people who used the service during our visit. We also spoke with the relatives of 7 other people during our visit and on the telephone. We received feedback from the local authority commissioning and monitoring team. We spoke with 5 support workers, the activities coordinator, the registered manager and other members of the management team.

We looked at the care records for 5 people who used the service. We looked at other records used by the provider for running the service, these included records about medicines management, quality monitoring and staff training and support.

Updated 19 December 2023

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Octavia Housing – Bridge Water House is an extra care scheme. This is a specialist housing where people can live independently in their own flats. The provider offered personal care to people. 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.

The provider also ran a lunch club and organised activities in communal areas. People were able to join these if they wanted.

At the time of our inspection, 32 people were receiving personal care and support. Most people were older adults. There were also people with learning disabilities, people with mental health needs and people with physical disabilities using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of right support, right care, right culture.

Right support: Risks to people's safety and wellbeing were managed. However, these had not always been fully assessed or planned for. Staff knew people well and could meet their needs but without proper assessment and plans, there was a chance people would not receive the right support. We discussed this with the registered manager so they could make the required improvements.

People were supported to have choice, control, and independence over their own lives. Staff focused on people's strengths and promoted these. People were supported to pursue their own interests. People lived in a safe environment and had their own private flats which staff helped them to keep clean. Staff supported people to access other professionals such as doctors, advocacy services and social workers. People were supported to take their medicines when needed and as prescribed.

Right care: People were treated well and with kindness. Staff understood people's diverse needs and met these. People's privacy and dignity were respected, and staff were compassionate, caring and polite. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. There were enough skilled staff to meet people's needs and to keep them safe. People were supported to make choices and to communicate their needs. People were supported to take positive risks.

Right culture: People led inclusive and empowered lives because of the ethos, values, attitudes and behaviour of management and staff. People received good quality person centred care. Staff understood about people's needs and had information about best practice for supporting people with learning disabilities, autism and dementia. Staff turnover was low, and staff were happy working at the service. Staff felt well supported. People using the service, staff and other stakeholders were asked for their views and these were valued. Staff ensured risks of a closed culture were minimised so that people received support based on transparency, respect and inclusivity.

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.

For more information, please read the detailed findings section of this report. If you are reading this as a separate summary, the full report can be found on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was good (published 27 April 2018).

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of right support right care right culture.

Follow up

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