16 January 2013
During a routine inspection
As part of the inspection process we visited an operational office in Par, spoke with the registered manager, the regional management team, and spoke with four people who worked for the organisation.
We spoke with the deputy clinical director and the operational head of Devon and Cornwall, South West Ambulance Service Foundation Trust. Both people were complementary about the service and told us that they had a 'very good relationship' with them, and that 'they had worked with them for many years'.
We found that people's privacy, dignity and independence were respected and care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare.
People who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening.
Appropriate checks were undertaken before staff began work and we found that the provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people receive.
There was an effective complaints system available and comments and complaints people made were responded to appropriately.