23 April 2018
During a routine inspection
The service had a registered manager. 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 legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and the associated regulations on how the service is managed. The registered manager was not available on the day of the inspection. In the absence of the registered manager, the director supported us with the inspection.
The service was safe. Risks had been identified and information had been included on risk assessments on how to mitigate risks to ensure people received safe care. Staff were aware of how to identify abuse and knew who to report abuse to, both within the organisation and outside of the organisation. Pre-employment checks had been carried out to ensure staff were fit and suitable to provide care and support to people safely. Staff told us they had time to provide person centred care and there were enough staff to support people. There were systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. Staff were provided with personal protection equipment to ensure risks of infection were minimised when supporting people.
The service was effective. Staff had received training required to perform their roles effectively. People were cared for by staff who felt supported. Spot checks had been carried out to observe staff performance to ensure people received the required care and support. Staff felt supported in their roles. People’s care and support needs were assessed regularly for effective outcomes. Staff could identify the signs people gave when they were not feeling well and knew who to report to.
The service was caring. People had a positive relationship with staff. They told us that staff were caring and their privacy and dignity were respected by staff. People were involved with making decisions about their care and were encouraged to support themselves where possible.
The service was responsive. Care plans were person centred and detailed people’s preferences, interests and support needs. Staff had good knowledge of the people they supported. No complaints had been received since the service registered but people knew how to make complaints and staff were aware of how to manage complaints.
The service was well-led. Staff told us the culture within the service was open, transparent and told us the service was well-led. Audits were carried out to ensure there was a culture of continuous improvement. People and staff were positive about the management team. People’s feedback was sought from surveys.