The Hollies

The service reported a high number of unwitnessed falls over the previous 12 months. We were not assured that systems were always in place to take action to reduce these. Equipment such as stair safety gates and handrails had been fitted to improve safety in the environment. There was a lack of effective governance systems. We found some policies were out of date or had no review date, the registered manager stated this would be actioned. We found risks were not always managed in the least restrictive way. We recommend the provider works within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) to determine whether alternatives could have been considered rather than using restrictive practices. During our inspection we found issues with medicines storage and administration. We were not assured the service reviewed medicines and records were not always complete. People at the service felt supported to take their medicines, one person told us, "I feel supported to take my tablets on time." People told us they felt safe living at The Hollies. The provider had effective safeguarding systems in place. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of how to raise safeguarding concerns. People and staff provided us with positive comments about the management team "if I need help, I know I can ask". Staff said they felt supported. We found the management team had taken steps to improve the service. The service had established good working relationships with health professionals, one health professional told us "the staff are always friendly and approachable".