Care Sante Kent

People were supported to be safe and free from abuse. They were involved in managing risks and staff knew people well to support with these. Staff demonstrated understanding of safeguarding people and who to refer to with concerns. Any concerns had been managed appropriately. People had enough staff to support their needs. Although staff raised concerns about office staff having to cover care calls and feeling rushed between calls, the registered manager was aware of this and actively trying to recruit.

People told us their choices and independence were respected and promoted. Staff gave examples of how they supported people and the importance of encouraging them to do as much as possible on their own.

People and their relatives felt that care was person-centred, that staff knew people well and communicated with them effectively. Staff gave specific examples of how they supported people to use alternative communication methods.

People and their relatives thought the service was well run, with a positive and caring culture. They knew who to speak to with any concerns and were comfortable doing this. They also were regularly asked for their opinions on how the service was and issues used as part of quality assurance. Staff were positive about the registered manager, however some of them raised concerns about the lack of support for the registered manager since the provider had changed. They felt communication could be improved between the office and care staff. The manager told us there was an emergency duty phone number that covered all care call times. However, not all staff were aware of this. The registered manager and provider completed a variety of quality assurance audits, monitoring people and staff documentation as well as the daily running of the service. They had oversight of concerns and a clear action plan to manage these going forward.