YourLife (Maidenhead)

We found the service prioritised and effectively responded to safety concerns. People were kept safe from avoidable harm and staff understood their responsibilities to report any potential concerns for people’s health, safety and welfare. People felt safe and were supported to manage risks in their lives, assisted by staff who had access to personalised care plans and risk assessments. People were supported in a safe living environment and staff understood how to check people’s apartments and communal spaces for potential hazards. Staff told us they received training and support to equip them effectively for their roles, however we identified a concern in relation to one staff member’s recruitment check which the service responded to during our assessment. We also identified areas for improvement in relation to the recording of people’s medicines support.

Systems and processes promoted a person-centred culture, which empowered people to make decisions about the running of the service. There was a clearly defined staffing structure which meant people benefited from access to management cover 24 hours per day. Systems were in place to promote good communication within the staff team, and following a period of management instability, a new manager was appointed in December 2023. The new manager was committed to their role and was closely supported by the registered manager and provider. A system of daily and monthly service audits were in place, with additional audits conducted at a provider level. However, we found these audits were not fully effective, as they had failed to identify some of the concerns we found during our assessment.