Housing 21 - Meadowfields

Not everyone using the service receives support with a 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 receive support with personal care, we also take into account any wider social care provided.

Housing & Care 21 – Meadowfields provides a service to older people and younger adults as well as people who misuse drugs and alcohol, with mental health needs, who may be living with dementia, a physical disability, a sensory impairment, a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection, there were 27 predominantly older people receiving support with the regulated activity 'personal care'.

The inspection took place on 14 and 21 November 2017 and was announced. We gave 24 hours' notice of our visit, because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure someone would be in the location office when we visited.

At the last comprehensive inspection in July 2015, the service required improvements to be consistently safe, but was rated 'Good' overall. We completed a focussed inspection in December 2016 and found further improvements were needed in the safe domain, but the service remained 'Good' overall. At this inspection, we found improvements had been and the service remained 'Good'.

The service had a registered manager. They had worked at the service since it first registered in 2014 and became the registered manager in September 2017. 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.

People told us they felt safe with the support staff provided. Staff were proactive in assessing and managing risk. The registered manager ensured sufficient numbers of suitable staff were deployed to meet people's needs. People received safe support to take their prescribed medicines. Staff used appropriate personal protective equipment to minimise the risk of spreading infections.

Staff were trained and received on-going support and supervision to ensure they provided effective care. Staff supported people to ensure they ate and drank enough. Staff worked with healthcare professionals to

make sure people's needs were met. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff were kind, caring and treated people with dignity and respect. People made decisions about how their needs were to be met.

Care and support was person-centred. People told us staff listened to them and responded to their needs. There were systems in place to gather and respond to feedback about the service provided.

The service was well-led. The registered manager promoted an open, inclusive and person-centred culture. Audits were completed to continually monitor the quality of the service provided. The registered manager was committed to improving the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found