The Ruddington

People felt safe. Staff understood their duty to protect people from abuse and knew how and when to report any concerns they had to managers. When concerns had been raised, timely action was taken to investigate and safeguard people from potential risk. The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) is a procedure prescribed in law. It is used when it is necessary to deprive a person of their liberty (human rights), to keep them safe from harm. Staff did not always have a good understanding of DoLs. We saw some people had not had up to date referrals when their liberty was being deprived. People’s safety was managed well. Managers assessed and reviewed safety risks to people and made sure people, and those important to them, were involved in making decisions about how they wished to be supported to stay safe. The environment was managed safely, with procedures in place to ensure the home was well maintained. The care home was not well signposted, which could cause confusion for visiting professionals. The provider told us they would make changes to the signage in the care home. There were enough staff to support people with their needs. Managers reviewed staffing levels regularly to make sure there were always enough suitably skilled and experienced staff on duty. Staff received relevant training to meet the range of people’s needs at the service. Managers made sure recruitment checks were undertaken on all staff to ensure only those individuals that were deemed suitable and fit, would be employed to support people at the service.

Staff treated people in a kind and supportive way. Staff understood how to support people’s independence. People were not always involved in writing their care plans. People told us activities were limited and they were not always aware what activities were available.

People were supported to access health and social care agencies. Staff worked to remove barriers, to ensure equal access for all. Care plans were kept up to date with people’s medical needs. People were supported to access health appointments when needed. Where external medical advice was given, this advice was then followed by the staff team.

There was an open culture, where people and staff felt able to raise concerns. Staff understood their role and responsibilities. There were effective auditing processes in place, to ensure the service ran safely.