Bradford Regional Office

Improvements were required to ensure the management team had effective oversight of accidents and incidents, to ensure lessons were learned. This included incidents of distress, we found some records which were not robustly completed by staff, and not all incidents of distress were reviewed appropriately. We found no harm to people, and the provider had recognised this and planned to implement more robust monitoring systems, which they evidenced to us. Medicines were mostly managed safely, however some improvements were required to records, to ensure they contained enough detail, such as allergy information. Most people and relatives told us they received their medicines as prescribed, and staff completed medicines administration records (MAR’s). Staff promoted safe infection, prevention and control (IPC) practices, and regular checks were in place to ensure people’s homes were safe for use. People were safeguarded from the risk of abuse. People were supported by enough staff; all pre-employment checks were in place and staff received training to carry out their roles effectively.

People had their needs assessed and reviewed, the provider had recently introduced a new care planning software system and these included care plans and details about people’s wishes and preferences. People had positive behaviour support plans in place, which detailed potential triggers and de-escalation strategies. People received support from external professionals where required, and partners told us staff worked well with them. People had consented to their care, and where people lacked capacity, appropriate authorisations were in place about their care and support. People had regular reviews from social services, to ensure their placements were suitable and they were happy with their care and support.

Staff provided person centred support to people. Staff supported people to undertake activities and cultural experiences which were meaningful to them. People were supported to achieve their goals and have good outcomes. People were encouraged to maintain community links and maintain family relationships. People were provided with information in accessible formats and people had detailed communication plans in place, which guided staff about how to effectively communicate with each individual.

Whilst we found several auditing systems in place, some improvements were required to ensure audits identifies concerns we found in relation to monitoring accidents and incidents and medicines records. Staff felt supported in their roles. Staff told us managers were approachable and listened to them, and culture amongst the team was good. Most people and relatives told us the service was well led, and there were clear visions and values in place for the service. At the time of our assessment the local authority were working closely with the service, following some safeguarding concerns. They told us the service worked with them and improvements had been made. Some of these improvements were currently being embedded into practice.