This inspection took place on 8 May 2017 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours' notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service; we needed to be sure that someone would be in. This was the first inspection of the service since it registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in March 2016.

There was a registered manager at the service. 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.

Battersea Place Retirement Village Limited provides a domiciliary care service for older people living in 105 apartments on site. At the time of the inspection, out of the 105 occupied apartments, only eight people were receiving personal care.

People and their relatives were satisfied with the service. They said the healthcare assistants understood their needs, were caring and they felt safe in their presence. They said they were always on time and stayed beyond their allocated time if they needed more help.

People were able to maintain relationships that were important to them. Family and friends were encouraged to visit and a guest apartment was available for people to book in advance if needed.

People led independent lives, making use of the opportunities on offer in the way of entertainment and activities such as a gym, swimming pool, cinema, craft room and library. Activities included aqua aerobics and Tai chi.

Staff recruitment procedures were robust and staff files included completed application forms, interview evaluation forms, references, proof of identity and address and DBS checks.

Healthcare assistants received a thorough induction based on the Care Certificate, which prepared them well for their role. They demonstrated a caring attitude and told us they felt well supported by their colleagues and managers.

Healthcare assistants said they liked working for the organisation and in their conversations with us it was clear they understood the organisation’s values.

People told us they were involved in their care plan reviews and were able to make a choice and have control over the support they required. They said the provider was flexible and accommodated their needs.

The provider utilised an electronic care plan system and each healthcare assistant was issued with a smartphone which they used to clock in and out, and checked off their tasks every time they visited a person to support them. This system allowed the managers to have an overview of when visits were carried out and if healthcare assistants attended visits on time. It also provided them with real-time information about the personal care tasks that had been provided at any particular time.

There were both long and short term care plans in place for people, short term plans were used to manage a specific aspect such as managing pressure sores or wound care. Each aspect of care, whether long or short term included the current need, outcome and action.

Standard risk assessments such as waterlow for pressure sores, moving and handling and the risk of falls were in place and reviewed regularly. If any areas indicated a high risk there was an associated care plan in place to manage the risk.

People’s healthcare needs were met by the provider. People were able to either retain their existing GP or to register with the visiting GP. There were two clinic rooms on site which were available for the visiting GP to use. Care records included people’s medical histories and observations. Daily record charts documenting visits from doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals were maintained.

There was an open culture within the service. People and their relatives were aware of the managers within the service and said they felt comfortable approaching