Saint Andrews Limited

At the time of the assessment the provider did not have a registered manager, however the care manager was in the process of applying to become registered manager with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The provider delivered person-centred care that placed people firmly at the heart of decision-making and support. People received comprehensive assessments before commencing care, which enabled the provider to fully understand their needs, preferences and goals, and ensured the service could safely and effectively meet those needs. People were introduced to staff who would support them before care commenced and were supported by a small, consistent team of staff, helping to promote continuity of care and the development of positive, trusting relationships.

There was a proactive and positive culture of safety across the service. Incidents and accidents were reported, reviewed and analysed, and lessons learned were identified and shared with staff to help drive improvements and reduce the likelihood of recurrence.

People's individual risks were assessed and managed through personalised risk assessments, including for specific health conditions such as epilepsy. Staff supported people to take positive risks where appropriate, promoting independence whilst maintaining safety.

The provider had invested significantly in workforce development. The introduction of the provider's own Care Skills Academy demonstrated a commitment to ensuring staff had the knowledge and skills required to deliver high-quality care. Staff completed comprehensiveinduction and training programmes and were supported through regular competency assessments, spot checks and ongoing development opportunities.

Staff demonstrated a detailed understanding of the people they supported and consistently treated people with exceptional kindness, compassion and respect. People were supported in a way that recognised their individuality, promoted their dignity and maximised their independence.

The provider demonstrated an exceptional commitment to staff wellbeing and had implemented a wide range of initiatives to support employees both personally and professionally. The provider actively encouraged staff to share ideas, provide feedback and raise concerns and had introduced a range of initiatives to strengthen staff engagement and involvement in service development.

The care manager worked closely with external professionals to help people and their relatives understand the range of health and social care services available to them. The provider had undertaken extensive work to develop strong relationships with health and social care professionals, community organisations and local networks. This helped ensure people could access relevant information, services and support and reflected the provider's commitment to serving the wider community.

Further work was required to strengthen medicines management systems, particularly in relation to the provision of clear and consistent protocols for the administration of 'as required' (PRN) medicines. In addition, end of life planning was not always sufficiently developed and would benefit from a more proactive approach to ensure people's wishes and preferences were explored and documented at an earlier stage.