Fosse Healthcare - St Mary's House

Fosse Healthcare St Mary’s House 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 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 only.

People using the service lived in either of the 2 schemes which are single flats with access to communal areas and gardens. Both schemes, St Mary's House and Birch Court, are in different areas within the county of Leicestershire. The main office was at the St Mary's House site with a ‘satellite office’ at Birch Court.

CQC only inspects services where people are being provided with the regulated activity of 'personal care'; this is where people are assisted with their personal hygiene. Not everyone using Fosse Healthcare St Mary’s House received personal care. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection 40 people were being supported with personal care across both St Mary’s House and Birch Court.

An experienced management team led Fosse Healthcare St Mary’s House.

The registered and care managers were a visible presence in the service supporting staff when needed and interacting with people who resided at St Mary’s House. People, relatives, and staff were all complimentary about the leadership team and the service.

People were supported by caring and compassionate staff who promoted choice. Staff spoke with and about people with warmth and respect, understanding each person’s individuality. People were encouraged and supported to maintain and develop their independence across all aspects of their daily lives. Staff worked alongside people to help them achieve their goals, make informed decisions, and live in line with their preferences, wishes, and aspirations.

People were supported by enough safely recruited staff, who had the skills and knowledge to provide effective support. A staff member told us, "I think there are enough staff. I have time to do my calls. I can always call on seniors or managers for help if we are running behind.”

Newly recruited staff were safely inducted into the service. Pre employment checks were carried out to ensure they were of good character. They were enrolled onto a training programme and throughout their employment underwent competency checks, for example for moving and handling. This ensured people received safe care. A staff member said, “When I started 6 months ago, I had my Disclosure and Barring check (DBS) done, 3 references from my previous jobs and an interview. My induction was over a week where I was introduced to people so I could get to know them and, once is started properly more experienced staff shadowed me.”

Staff understood their responsibility to safeguard people from the risk of abuse and understood the actions they should take and who and when to report any concerns to. They were knowledgeable about what concerns they would need to report and to whom. A staff member provided an example of how they would safeguard a person who was suspected to be at risk from financial abuse. They said, “I would listen to the person to ensure they were confident to share their concerns with me, and I would report them to the manager so they could investigate them and inform the person of this too as it was my duty to protect them. I could also report the concern to the local authority safeguarding team, the CQC or the Police. I have no concerns the management would not take these things seriously.”

People’s needs were assessed prior to care commencing. Resulting care plans were detailed and were developed with people and their relatives where appropriate. This promoted people’s choice and control in how they wished for their care to be delivered. Risks to people’s health and well-being were assessed to ensure they were supported with their health conditions.

People received their medicines when they needed them. A care manager told us, “Staff are all trained in this area. Some people self-medicate and do not require support. We still complete a risk assessment for these people some we monitor. We use body maps within our medicines administration forms (MAR) for people who require creams as part of their personal care routines to show where this is to be applied."