Link House

The provider was changing over to an electronic recording system which when established should provide clearer governance oversight. Although people's records were of a high standard, on the medication error forms staff had not recorded if medicine errors had been reported to the local authority or if they had sought medical advice in line with the medicines protocol. The registered manager assured us staff did report correctly and revised the form to ensure staff ticked of all actions completed. Medicine procedures were kept under review and all staff were adequately trained and had their medicine competencies assessed.

The service had the right number of staff in line with people's assessed needs and the outcome of recent funding reviews were being challenged by the registered manager to ensure people remained appropriately funded. People took part in activities in line with their interests and needs and these were discussed at residents' meetings and in one-to-one meetings with staff. People's care plans included outcomes they wished to achieve and what support they needed to achieve their goals.

People were encouraged to make their own decisions and any restrictions on people's freedoms due to risk were clearly documented and people were supported to remain safe. 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.

Right Care: People's needs were clearly documented, kept under review and where changing needs were identified these were followed up with relevant professionals. There were close working relationships with family and the community. Continuity of staffing helped ensure people's needs were known and met consistently. Safeguards were raised as required to ensure people's safety.

Right Culture: People received good outcomes of care and the service supported people in a range of different ways around their changing needs. There was shared accommodation and single accommodation. Staffing levels varied from intermittent support to 1-1 support in line with needs and people were able to contact staff 24 hours a day. Some people had monitoring/sensor alarms and CCTV was being considered to further enhance people's security and wellbeing.

A range of audits were completed which included seeking feedback from staff, people using the service, relatives, and visitors. The registered manager acted on feedback to enhance people's experiences and the manager was proactive in ensuring people had the support they needed.