Essential Social Care 13 Panfield Road

There was a Registered Manager in place. A Registered Manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Staff were trained to safeguard people from abuse. They knew the signs to recognise abuse and the procedure to report any concerns. They also knew how to whistle-blow if needed to protect people.

People's needs were met by staff. There were sufficient staff available and deployed properly to support people. Staff underwent recruitment checks to ensure they were suitable to work with people.

Risks to people were identified and management plans developed to alleviate harm to them. People received support to take their medicines as prescribed and the management of medicines was safe. Staff knew how to report incidents and accidents and records of these were maintained. Actions were put in place to reduce reoccurrence. Staff were trained and followed good infection control procedures.

Staff and the registered manager understood their roles and responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice. People consented to their care before they were delivered.

People's care needs were assessed and support plans developed on how identified needs would be met individually. People received support from staff to meet their needs, develop new skills, and achieve their goals. People were supported with activities that they enjoyed. People were supported to maintain relationships that mattered to them.

Staff were supported through an induction, supervision, appraisal and training to provide an effective support to people. Staff provided support to people where needed with preparing their meals and meeting their nutritional needs. Staff supported people to access health and social care services to maintain good health. The service ensured people's support was well coordinated with other services and professionals.

People were treated with compassion and kindness. People told us that staff respected their privacy and dignity. People were involved in planning their care and support. Staff respected their decisions and choices. People were encouraged to maintain their independence as much as possible. The service promoted people's religious beliefs and culture and supported them to maintain these.

People and their relatives knew how to complain about the service should they need to. People and their relatives told us they were happy with the service. Staff told us they received the direction and leadership they needed from the registered manager and service managers.

Various checks were carried out to assess the quality of care provided to people. Actions were put in place to address areas of concerns identified. The service worked in partnership with other organisations to improve the service.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found