Caremark (Mid Surrey)

People's needs, choices and preferences were not assessed or recorded accurately, timely or in a person- centred way. There was a risk that staff who were new to supporting people would not know what their needs were and therefore not provide adequate care. Risks to people were not always assessed and staff lacked guidance on how to manage specific risks. Staff lacked practical training, training specific to the needs of the people they were supporting and some training was significantly outdated. People and relatives were not always confident that staff had been supported to have the knowledge required to provide the care required.

The manager lacked the support and infrastructure in the senior management team to manage a robust oversight of the service and to focus on improvements. Where they had the opportunity to make changes, such as with rotas and staff morale, we saw evidence of positive impact. The manager had a plan to address the concerns identified and would benefit from more support to action these promptly. There were sufficient staff to enable consistent workers who could establish relationships with people and become familiar with their needs. A system of shadowing and communicating between staff equipped staff with some knowledge of individual needs.

Staff provided a thoughtful, kind and considerate service to people. Staff had made efforts with people to improve their mood and quality of life. They worked efficiently in partnership with other professionals and relatives to coordinate care effectively for people.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.