Derby House

People were supported to take positive risks towards independence using a creative and comprehensive approach to risk taking. Staff we spoke with demonstrated a clear understanding of what abuse was and how to manage and report any situation of this kind. Safe recruitment processes were used in line with the provider's recruitment policy to ensure staff employed were suitable to work with vulnerable people. There were sufficient numbers of staff available to be able to meet the needs of people who used the service. There was an effective system in place to manage people's medicines.However, we found some areas of the homes needed updating and maintenance. We discussed this with the provider, who was already addressing these concerns.

People were supported to have choice and control over their own care and to make decisions about their care, treatment, and wellbeing. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent

People spoke highly of the caring approach of all staff and told us how happy they were to be living at Derby House. The extremely positive relationships that had developed between staff and people resulted in positive impacts on people’s well-being. During our inspection we saw staff were kind and compassionate and treated people who used the service with respect and dignity. Staff showed consideration for people’s individual needs and provided care and support in a way that respected their individual wishes and preferences. They told us they felt listened to and respected by staff and could talk to them about any concerns they had. Throughout our inspection we found examples of where the manager and staff team had been extremely thoughtful and gone to great effort to provide care and support which improved people’s quality of life.

People were involved in planning and making shared decisions about their care and treatment, so it was centred around them and their needs. Staff empowered people to give their views and understand their rights, including their rights to equality and their human rights. Care plans and risk assessments were individual for each person and included their support in relation to a range of daily living skills and support areas in relation to their health and communication. Staff were aware of the importance of asking for consent before supporting people and respecting their wishes.

The management and staff team demonstrated an open honest and transparent culture, and all staff were confident their voices would be heard. There was a strong organisational commitment and effective action to ensure there was equality and inclusion across the workforce. The vision and values of the service were understood and supported by a highly motivated staff team. There were robust governance arrangements and staff understood their role and responsibilities. The management and staff teams worked in partnership with key organisations to support high quality care. There were effective and thorough arrangements in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service. The manager and staff team stressed the importance of providing high quality care.