Spring Hill Court was inspected on 13 and 16 November 2018. The inspection was announced on both days. This was the service’s first inspection following registering with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in December 2017. The service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

This service 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 bought or 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 service.

Spring Hill Court provides support for adults aged 55 and over. There are 39 flats at the extra care housing facility. The housing scheme has accessible communal areas, a hairdressers and treatment room available for use by external organisations and professionals, such as chiropodists. Respite and guest flats were available for people or visitors staying at the service for short periods.

Not everyone using Spring Hill Court receives a regulated activity. CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of inspection there were 12 people receiving a regulated activity. The service provides planned care visits and an emergency responder service to all those living in the housing scheme.

The service is registered to provide support for people with dementia, learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder, mental health needs, older people, people with a physical disability and those with sensory impairment. At the time of inspection, the majority of people receiving a service were older people.

Where services support people with learning disabilities or autism we expect them to be developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any other citizen. There were no people with a learning disability or autism using the service when we inspected. Therefore, we were unable to assess and monitor if the service was following this guidance.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with CQC 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.

Staff understood their responsibilities to safeguard people using the service. They were able to identify signs which would indicate people may be experiencing abuse and were aware of different types of abuse.

Risks to people using the service were assessed and control measures put in place to reduce the likelihood of risk occurring. When new risks to people were identified following accidents and incidents, the cause of these was explored. Support from relevant professionals and updated risk assessments were put in place.

Medicines were managed safely overall. The support people required to take their medicines safely was assessed. Staff received training and competency checks prior to administering medicines. We have made a recommendation about ‘when required’ medicines.

New staff received an induction and underwent a six-month probation period to help them familiarise themselves with their role and consider their suitability. Staff received supervision to support their professional development.

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