Amber Valley Total Care

The culture of the service was not inclusive and empowering for all staff. Some staff felt unable to raise concerns due to the structure and dynamics in the management team.

Risks to people were not always assessed and plans to mitigate risk and guide staff on how to support people in relation to specific risks were not always in place.

Staff were not recruited safely; pre-employment checks were not completed thoroughly.

People were not always supported safely with their medicines because the recording of medicines were not in line with best practice guidance. We could not be assured that people were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives or that staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; because the policies and systems were not in place to support this practise.

People felt they were safely supported by the care staff. The care staff had good awareness of abuse and neglect and knew how to report any safeguarding concerns. However, people were at increased risk of harm because staff were not safely recruited, risks were not adequately assessed, care plans were not always comprehensive and there were shortfalls in communication between the staff and management.

Care staff received appropriate training and were confident in supporting people with their care. They attended to people's needs in a timely manner and had enough time allocated to spend with people, and knew their needs well. People told us staff were caring and reliable.

People had the opportunity to provide feedback on the service. There was a complaints policy in place and formal complaints were investigated.