Housing 21 - Walstead Court

Updated 12 September 2019

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of 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.

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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. We gave a short period of notice of the inspection. This was because people are often out, and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since they registered with us. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 10 people who used the service and one relative about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff and the registered manager, and the operations manager.

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

Updated 12 September 2019

Housing 21 - Walstead Court is an extra care housing facility providing personal care to older people and to younger people with physical disabilities. Walstead Court is a purpose built, three story block, with 26 flats and communal space, including a large lounge and dining area and a garden. Not everybody living at Walstead Court received support with personal care from the provider. 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.

Some regulatory requirements were not fully understood. This was an area of practice that needed to improve. We did not identify any negative impact for people and the registered manager took immediate steps to ensure that this omission was addressed.

People told us they were happy with the care they received. People and their relatives described feeling safe living at Walstead Court. Risks were assessed and managed effectively, and staff were responsive to changes in people’s needs. Staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding people from abuse and knew how to report any concerns. There were enough suitable staff to care for people safely. One person said, “The staff are very reliable.”

Staff received the training and support they needed to be effective in their roles. People told us they had confidence in the staff. Assessments and care plans were comprehensive and reflected people’s diverse needs and choices. People were supported to have enough to eat and drink and to access health care services when they needed them. 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.

People told us staff knew them well and were kind and caring. One person said, “You can have a good joke with the carers but when it comes to the actual care, they do exactly what needs doing.” Staff had enough time to spend with people and said that they could chat to people and never had to rush. One person said, “They show that caring is about more than just meeting physical needs.”

Staff supported people to make decisions and this was reflected in people’s care records. People told us they felt respected and their dignity and privacy were protected.

Staff provided care in a personalised way. Care plans identified people’s choices and preferences and guided staff in how to provide care in the way people preferred. People were supported with communication needs, and staff encouraged people to take part in activities and events to reduce risks of social isolation. The provider had a complaints system and people knew how to raise any concerns.

Systems for monitoring the quality of the service were consistent and effective. People told us the service was well managed. Staff spoke highly of the registered manager and described a positive culture where they were encouraged to express their views and ideas. Staff were well motivated and told us they enjoyed their work.

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

Why we inspected. This service was registered with us on 8 June 2018 and this was the first inspection since registration. We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the well led section of this full report. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern.

Follow up. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.