This inspection was unannounced and was carried out on the 26 and 27 June 2017. We last inspected in December 2014 and the service was rated as good. We found at this inspection that the service remained good.

Winton Court provides personal care for tenants living at Winton Court. At the time of our inspection there were 40 people receiving services at Winton Court. The personal care people receive is regulated by the Care Quality Commission, but the accommodation is not.

People told us they felt safe at Winton Court. Staff confirmed they felt there were sufficient staff to support people and people told us staff always visited them for the required length of time.

Records showed that where required, risk assessments were completed and personalised to the person receiving services.

All staff had up to date training in safeguarding vulnerable adults. The service had a payment system for the on-site shop, hairdresser and restaurant allowing people to pay at a later date. This also allowed family members to support people with their money and helped prevent financial abuse.

People are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

The staff received training they needed to carry out their roles effectively. They were supported in their role by the registered manager and seniors and received supervision at least every three months. Staff supervision had a standard agenda so all key areas were covered with each staff member. Staff also had an annual appraisal.

People told us staff treated them with respect and always helped them to maintain their dignity. Each person had a profile describing how staff should knock and enter their flats. People told us they felt comfortable with all the staff who supported them and relatives told us they felt everyone had developed caring relationships.

People told us they were regularly asked for their views and input into the service, whether that be via small questionnaires delivered through their door or face to face chats.

We noted the service organised regular events for people living at Winton Court. These varied between women’s clubs, men’s clubs, bingo and church service at Winton Court. The service was adapting a room to become a cinema room.

We saw information on how to complain was also advertised on notice boards in communal areas. People told us they would be comfortable raising any concerns.

All staff we spoke to were positive about the leadership and support to the staff team at Winton Court. They told us the registered manager was approachable and a part of the bigger team.

We saw the registered manager and other senior staff completed a number of audits to ensure the quality of the service was maintained. Where issues were highlighted action was taken.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, and to pilot a new inspection process being introduced by CQC which looks at the overall quality of the service.

This was an announced inspection carried out on 29 July 2014.  We carried out this inspection at short notice because we needed to check that the registered manager, or another senior person in the service, would be available to speak with us at the time of our visit. Prior to this inspection, we last inspected the service in July 2013 and found the service was meeting all regulations inspected.

Housing 21 – Winton Court provides personal care for tenants living at Winton Court. At the time of our inspection there were 43 receiving services at Winton Court. The care people receive is regulated by the Care Quality Commission, but the accommodation is not.  

A registered manager was in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider.

People told us they felt safe living at Winton Court. Staff told us they felt there were sufficient staff available to support people and people told us staff always visited them for the appropriate length of time.

We saw where required, risk assessments were done on an individual basis and personalised to the person receiving services.  We saw staff managed any risks on an individual basis and did so without restricting people.

All staff had received training in safeguarding vulnerable adults. Staff told us the training was effective and had covered all the different types of abuse. The service had also set up a monthly invoicing system for the shop, hairdresser and restaurant allowing people to pay at a later date. This allowed family members to support people with their money and prevent financial abuse.

All staff we spoke to told us they received mandatory training. They said they felt supported in their role and received supervision at least every three months. We noted each staff supervision had a standard agenda so all key areas were covered with each staff member. We spoke to a staff member who had only recently joined the organisation. They told us they had attended a corporate induction and then shadowed an experienced staff member until they had been comfortable to work alone.

People who used the service told us staff treated them with respect and always helped them to maintain their dignity. We noted when staff were going to visit people at their flats they knocked and waited for a response prior to entering. People told us they felt comfortable with all the staff members and relatives told us they felt everyone had developed really good relationships. One relative said they felt the staff were like extended family members.

People told us they were regularly asked for their views, whether that be via small questionnaires delivered through their door or face to face chats.

We noted the service organised regular events for people living at Winton Court. These varied between women’s clubs, men’s clubs, bingo and church service. We saw some people also went out to a local day centre.

We saw everyone at Winton Court had a copy of the service user guide. In each guide was a copy of the complaints procedure. We saw information on how to complain was also advertised on notice boards in communal areas. People told us they would be comfortable raising any concerns, however everyone said they were very happy living at Winton Court and had no complaints.

All staff we spoke to were very positive about the leadership and management at Winton Court. They told us the registered manager was approachable and a part of the bigger team. All staff we spoke to had a clear understanding of whistleblowing procedures and were confident that any concerns they raised would be addressed.

We noted the registered manager and senior staff members completed a number of weekly and monthly audits to ensure the quality of the service was maintained. We saw if any areas for improvement were identified then these were quickly actioned and noted accordingly. 

People told us they were asked for their consent before agreeing to their care and were satisfied with the care and support they received. One person said, "If you use the buzzer someone comes in seconds." Another person commented, "It’s excellent here, you feel safe, you are safe. I’d recommend it 100%." We saw staff treated people with courtesy and compassion.

People also made positive comments about the staff, and the comments we heard included, "I’m in the best place possible, the girls are wonderful." Other comments included, "Very happy, I couldn’t say anything bad about any of them" and "The lasses are wonderful, they’ll do anything for you." The provider ensured staff were vetted before starting work.

We found people had ready access to their records, which were accurate and up to date. This included up to date assessments and care plans, which helped guide staff on how to meet people’s needs safely.

People using the service told us they received the care and support they needed and were satisfied with the service. Their comments included, “I am very happy with the support”; “The staff are genuinely caring people”; and, “I can’t fault anything about it”. Staff working in the service told us they were trained and well supported in meeting people’s needs.