Emerald House

There were no measures in place to securely store and record controlled drugs, the registered manager ordered appropriate storage and recording for controlled drugs on the day of the inspection. Overstock of medicines which needed to be returned to the pharmacy was stored with current medication which could lead to people being given out of date medicines; a medicine return book was not in use to ensure returns were recorded accurately.

Quality assurance system was not robust enough to identify the risks found during the inspection. This placed people at risk of harm.

Information about risks and safety were not always identified or up to date. Risks that could put people at harm, for example, environmental risk assessments did not identify or address risks to individuals found during the inspection. We have made a recommendation about the management of risk assessments.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; however, the policies and systems in the service did not support this practice as staff had not received training.

We have made a recommendation about the training of staff in relation MCA to ensure staff knowledge is up to date.

Staff were recruited safely. There were enough staff to meet people's care needs.

People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people's privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse.

Staff members were very positive about working at the service and felt supported by the manager and the provider.