Housing & Care 21 - Marigold Court provides personal care to people who are tenants in Marigold Court, an extra care housing scheme. The personal care is provided by an on-site domiciliary care team across the day and at night. At the time of the inspection 35 people were receiving the service.

At the last inspection in May 2015 we had rated the service as ‘Good’. At this inspection we found the service remained ‘Good’ and met each of the fundamental standards we inspected.

We found the service had established systems to protect people from abuse and respond to any safeguarding concerns. Risks to personal safety had been assessed and measures were in place to prevent people from being harmed.

Staff were appropriately recruited to check their suitability. There was sufficient staffing capacity to ensure people received safe, consistent care. The staff were supported in their roles and provided with training that equipped them in meeting people’s needs.

Good support was given to people to maintain their health and, where needed, to meet their dietary requirements. Suitable arrangements were made to safely assist people in taking their prescribed medicines.

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.

There was clear complaints procedure that people were confident of using if they were ever unhappy with the service. People made decisions about their care and had access to a range of information about what they could expect from using the service.

People and their families told us the staff were extremely caring, compassionate and respectful of their privacy and dignity. They greatly appreciated the personalised care provided and the supportive relationships which had been formed.

Care planning was focused on the well-being of the individual, how they preferred to be supported and the outcomes they wished to achieve. Good links had been developed with the local community and activities were arranged to encourage people to socialise and help avoid isolation.

The registered manager promoted an open, inclusive culture and provided leadership to the staff team. Audits were conducted to monitor standards and feedback about people’s care experiences was sought and used to influence the quality of the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

We found care was well planned and met people’s needs. People told us they were satisfied with the care and support they received. One person commented, "If I need someone, they’re here." Another person said, "I only have to buzz and they’re there." This person continued by telling us, “I’d recommend it here, you have some good laughs.” We saw staff treated people with courtesy and compassion.

We found arrangements were in place to reduce the risk of cross infection. Staff were aware of good hygiene practice and received relevant training. Appropriate protective equipment was in place.

We found there were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. People also made positive comments about the staff, and the comments we heard included, “They’re lovely (the staff)”, and, “I’m happy here and happy with the staff.”

The provider had a clear complaints system and people told us staff listened to them and responded to their comments. People told us they were aware of how to make a complaint.

We spoke with five people living at Marigold Court. They told us they were asked for their consent before agreeing to their care. One person said, “That’s quite true, they ask my consent first.” Another person commented, “No problems with that.”

People told us they were happy with the care and support they received. For example, one person remarked, “They help in every way.” Another person said, “We get the help we need.”

People also made positive comments about the staff, and the comments we heard included, “They’re lovely the carers” and “You couldn’t get any better.”

People using the service and their relatives spoke positively about care workers and the service they received. They said, “She is well cared for”; “They will do anything for you”; “The staff are kind and caring”; and, “They work hard but always have time for me”.

They told us they were involved in their care planning and that their care and support needs were met. A number of people said they felt secure in the knowledge that care workers were available day and night. Each person we talked with described being satisfied with the service. Their comments included, “It’s ideal for me”; “I’m very happy”; and, “I definitely have no complaints”.

We carried out an inspection of Marigold Court on 6 and 8 May 2015. The first day of the inspection was unannounced. We last inspected Marigold Court on 13 September 2013 and found the service was meeting the relevant regulations in force at that time.

Marigold Court provides personal care for up to 41 people who have privately rented flats within an extra care housing facility. At the time of the inspection there were 40 people in receipt of a service.

The service had a registered manager in post. 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 and were well cared for. Staff knew about safeguarding vulnerable adults. The two alerts we received since 2014 had been dealt with appropriately, which helped to keep people safe.

We observed staff provided care safely and found staff were subject to robust recruitment checks. Arrangements for managing people’s medicines were also safe. Appropriate processes were in place for the administration of medicines. Medicines records were accurate.

Staff obtained people’s consent before providing care. Arrangements were in place to assess people’s mental capacity and to identify if decisions needed to be taken on behalf of a person in their best interests. The registered manager was aware of when people were subject to a power of attorney.

Staff had completed relevant training for their role and they were well supported by the management team. Training included care and safety related topics.

Staff were aware of people’s nutritional needs and made sure they supported people with eating and drinking where necessary. People’s health needs were identified and staff worked with other professionals to ensure these were addressed.

People had opportunities to participate in a variety of activities and we observed staff interacting positively with people. Without exception, everyone spoken with praised the kind and caring approach of staff. We saw staff were respectful and explained clearly how people’s privacy and dignity were maintained.

Staff understood the needs of people and we saw care plans were person centred. People and their relatives spoke highly about the care they or their relatives received.

People, their relatives and staff spoken with had confidence in the registered manager and felt the service had good leadership. We found there were effective systems to assess and monitor the quality of the service, which included feedback from people receiving care.