Archived: Brook - Bedfordshire

People using the service were advised about any treatments they needed and were asked to consent to the treatment before it was given. This showed respect to the young people using the service. We observed that staff were mindful of their responsibility to ensure a young person understood and agreed to any treatments.

We saw that the service stored and administered medications correctly and the staff responsible for prescribing medications had been appropriately trained. We saw robust guidelines that supported staff administering medication. This ensured the medications systems in place were safe and effective and protected people from harm.

The staff employed by the service had been correctly recruited and checked as being appropriate to work with young people and vulnerable adults before being offered a position.

The service had a complaints policy which was easy to use and available.

During our visit we found people's contribution to discussions and decision making about their care to be documented. We found that each individual had their medical history and any risk factors specific to them reviewed and recorded. We saw that arrangements were in place to deal with foreseeable emergencies including appropriate staff training and the provision of items for use in an emergency. We found that the nurses working at the service were appropriately registered. Staff were completing a program of mandatory training and were knowledgeable in such things as protecting people from the risk of abuse.

We found that the service had quality monitoring systems in place and people had a variety of methods available for them to share their views and opinions about the service. We noted that where actions to prevent the recurrence of incidents or changes to improve the service were required these were completed.

One person said of her visit to Brook Bedfordshire: "It's a really good and helpful service."