HF Trust - Pound Lane

This inspection was prompted by information received which indicated there might be risks to people using the service. We considered the principles of Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture during our assessment. Whilst people received caring, person-centred support, the service did not consistently meet all aspects of this guidance because governance and safety systems were not always effective.

People appeared safe and spoke positively about living at the service. Staff knew people well and were committed to supporting them to live meaningful lives. Care planning was generally person-centred and people were supported to access healthcare services, maintain relationships and take part in community activities. Systems were in place to monitor health and safety, medicines and safeguarding concerns.

However, we identified some shortfalls which affected the consistency of safe care. These included medicines management issues, inconsistencies between paper and electronic records, gaps in some documentation, staffing pressures and areas of the environment requiring improvement. The provider had identified a number of these issues and was taking action to address them; however, further work was needed to ensure risks were consistently monitored and managed.

The registered manager had been absent from the service for an extended period and an interim manager was overseeing day-to-day operations. Staff described the interim manager as visible and proactive, and there was evidence of improvement work being undertaken with the local authority and partner agencies. The provider told us the registered manager was due to return shortly after the assessment. Whilst leaders demonstrated a commitment to improving the service, governance systems had not always identified and addressed issues promptly. Further work was needed to ensure oversight was consistently effective and improvements were embedded and sustained.