24 March 2016
During a routine inspection
The inspection took place on 24 March 2016 and was unannounced. This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered with us.
There was a registered manager for 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.
People’s privacy was respected however, people told us that staff entered bedrooms without permission to do room checks .This could compromise the rights of the people who occupy those rooms. However the registered manager told us after the inspection that staff do not routinely enter clients rooms without prior notice. Room checks were completed on a weekly basis. The time and day was agreed with the client in advance between the client and their assigned worker. Clients were written to in advance to state the procedure that was followed.
People were supported to stay safe by the staff. Staff were competent in their understanding of the subject of abuse. Staff were able to tell us what to do if they were concerned about someone. They had attended training to help them understand what abuse was and knew who to report concerns if they had them.
People felt they were well supported with their mental health needs and they understood the aims of the service. They told us they were there to gain confidence and to recover from their mental health issues. They also said they were achieving these aims during their time at the service.
People were supported by staff with a good understanding of their needs and the care they required. The staff were trained and knew how to provide them with effective support. People knew how to make their views known and there was an effective system in place to receive and address complaints and concerns.
There were systems in place to ensure that people’s rights were protected if they did not have the mental capacity. There was guidance in place for staff to follow about the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
There was enough staff to support people with their mental health needs and provide a caring and effective service. People told us they were treated in a kind way by the staff. The staff engaged people in social activities, household tasks and other activities of daily living. Staff had a caring and attentive approach. Staff knew people well and provided them with a service that met their needs.
Care records set out how people wanted to be supported by the staff in their recovery programmes. Staff encouraged people to make choices and helped them to be independent.
People benefited because the quality of care and service they received was checked and monitored. Audits on the care and service were completed regularly. People were asked for their views of the service as part of this process.