Mencap Derbyshire and Derby City Domiciliary Care Agency

People's experience of using this service:

The service met the characteristics of 'Good'. Staff understood their responsibilities to safeguard people and report any concerns. People received support to take their medicines safely. Recruitment checks determined the suitability of new staff to protect people that used the service. The risk of people acquiring an infection, was minimised as infection control procedures were in place and followed. Support plans were in place to promote positive behaviours and safeguard people from injury when they became anxious.

People received the support they needed as sufficient staff were available to support them to do what they wanted to do. The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support in the following ways; People were supported to take reasonable risks which enabled them with opportunities to lead a full life. People spent their day as they preferred and were supported to take part in social activities of their choice to enhance their well-being.

Staff understood the support people needed to make decisions when they were unable to make specific decisions independently. Mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions were undertaken where people needed support to make specific decisions. This demonstrated that people's rights were upheld and they were supported in the least restrictive way possible.

People were supported as needed, to ensure their preferences and dietary needs were met. Healthcare services were accessible to people with staff support as needed, and people received coordinated support, to ensure their preferences and needs were met.

Information was available in an accessible format to support people's understanding. People maintained relationships with their family and friends and were encouraged to give their views about the service. This included raising any concerns they had. People and their representatives were involved in their care to enable them to receive support in their preferred way.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and these were used effectively to enable the provider and registered manager to drive improvement.