This announced inspection took place on 5 July 2017. At our last inspection visit in April 2015 the provider was meeting the regulations. Showell Court provides personal care to people in sheltered accommodation. At the time of our inspection there were 34 people living at the service who received personal care.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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 when staff were in their homes providing care. Staff knew how to recognise and report the signs of potential harm or abuse.

People’s risks had been identified and assessments had been completed to ensure people received safe care. Staff stayed the expected length of time for calls. People did not always receive calls from a consistent staff group. The provider had systems in place to ensure people received their calls when staff were on leave or off sick. People were supported with their medicines if required.

People told us staff had the skills required to support them. Staff were provided with training and information to support people’s care and health needs. The provider had safe recruitment processes in place to reduce the risk of unsuitable staff being employed.

Staff understood the need to gain people’s consent to care before providing any support or assistance. Staff knew how to support people’s choices. People were happy with the food and drink provided and were supported when required to access healthcare professionals.

People told us staff were caring. People said they were supported by staff to maintain their independence and their dignity and privacy was respected. People said they received care that met their needs and felt involved in developing their care plan. People said any issues were responded to quickly by the provider. People knew how to raise issues with the provider and were confident any concerns would be addressed.

People and staff were positive about the service and said the service was well managed. The provider listened to people’s views and feedback to improve the service. Regular checks were completed to review and monitor the quality of care that people received; this included observing staff practice and reviewing records.

We spoke to three people who were being supported by the service to take their medicines. We found that all three were happy with how the service was supporting them to obtain, administer and dispose of their medicines.

We found that the service had appropriate arrangements in place, which ensured that medicines were managed safely.

We spoke with eight people, two relatives and six staff members including two staff members from the management team.

We found that people received appropriate care which met their needs and requirements. One person said, “They carry out all the checks on me from the time I go to bed and they are back in the morning.”

Arrangements were not in place to ensure that medicines were managed in a safe and appropriate manner.

Selection and recruitment processes were robust to ensure that suitable staff were employed to work with people. One person said, “The staff are really good. They are well trained and kind.”

We found that a robust complaints process was in place. However, not all complaints and comments had been recorded and addressed, which people and their relatives told us about during the inspection.

Records we looked at were accessible, accurate and fit for purpose. This would minimise the risk of people receiving inappropriate care. One relative said, “Their care plans are excellent.”

We carried out this inspection to check on the care and welfare of people. There were 42 people who received personal care on the day of the inspection. We spoke with six people, four relatives, four staff, and the team leader.

We found that people and their relatives were involved with care planning and delivery. One relative told us, “They do involve you, so you know what is happening.”

We found that people’s care records were detailed to provide an overview of people’s needs and preferences. We found that risks associated with people were assessed and monitored. One person said, “The care is OK, staff come and help you if you press the button.”

We found that arrangements were in place to ensure that people were safeguarded from harm.

We found that staff were supported to carry out their role through training, and supervision. One person told us, “Staff look after me well, and they do their job properly.”

We found that systems were in place to monitor and assess the quality of the service, so that improvements could be made. One relative told us, “The complaints process is better than before and is working well.”

We undertook an unannounced inspection of Showell Court on 17 and 20 April 2015.

Showell Court provides personal care in a sheltered housing setting. At the time of our inspection there were 35 people receiving personal care, who were living within the sheltered housing complex.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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.

At an inspection held on 2 July 2014, we asked the provider to take action to make improvements regarding how the provider dealt with people’s complaints, and this action has been completed.

Staff were knowledgeable about keeping people safe from abuse. People were assessed to identify potential risks to their safety.

People and staff gave us differing views on whether there were enough staff to support people. People and staff told us that staff were not always able to respond to ad hoc call bells in a timely manner. People received pre-arranged visits on time and by the number of staff agreed in their assessments.

People told us they received the medicines they required to support their health. However, we found that guidance regarding ‘as required’ medicines was not always available in people’s medicines records to help guide staff. Staff were not always clear about how and when these medicines were required.

Staff knew how to support people’s rights and respected their choices. The registered manager demonstrated they knew what steps to take if a person’s ability to make decisions was deteriorating.

Staff supported people to drink and eat, in order to support their well-being. Staff knew what people preferred to eat and what foods they needed to support their health Staff helped people to access external healthcare services when they needed them.

Staff were caring towards people. The provider assessed people’s needs prior to them using the service, so that staff knew what support people needed. Staff knew what was important to people, such as their relationships with friends and family.

Staff demonstrated that they knew how to support people’s dignity, privacy and independence.

The provider reacted appropriately to people’s changing needs and made referrals to outside agencies to help meet these needs. Staff followed the advice of external healthcare professionals in order to support people appropriately. People’s needs were reviewed so that the provider could identify any changes in support requirements. Care records were personalised to the individual.

People had various ways in which they could raise issues, such as at arranged meetings. Staff were aware of how to support people in matters of complaint and complaints were appropriately dealt with in line with the provider’s procedure.

The provider promoted a positive culture within the service and people described the management team as approachable. The management team supported staff in carrying out their roles. This meant that the management team worked towards improving people’s experience of the service. The provider carried out a number of audits in order to identify issues with the service and improve care standards.