Archived: Advantage Healthcare - Birmingham

Before people received any care or treatment they were asked for their consent and the provider acted in accordance with their wishes. Where people did not have the capacity to provide their own consent, this had been provided by a suitable representative.

People were generally pleased with their care. One person told us, 'They have been very, very good'if I need anything they will do it straight away.' Another person said, 'I get all the care I need'everything's fine.'

People's needs were assessed and their care and treatment was provided in a way which met their needs and respected their choices.

People were cared for by staff who were supported to deliver care and treatment safely and to an appropriate standard. Staff confirmed that they received good opportunities for training and development and they felt well supported in their roles.

There were good arrangements for providing people with details of how to make a complaint and for handling complaints. The majority of people we spoke with were confident that their complaints would be dealt with appropriately.

There were good arrangements for assessing the quality of the service and for making sure that the standards were maintained and improved upon, where possible. These included asking people for their views about the service they received.

We spoke with several people who used the service. They told us that they and their relatives had been involved in making decisions about their care and their views had been taken into account. All were pleased with the service. One said, 'They are absolutely brilliant'.

People's needs were assessed. The files contained details of the care and treatment provided and this was consistent with the plans. People told us that staff took good care of them.

People were protected from the risk of abuse. The provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent it from happening. There were guidelines for staff outlining the expected standards for staff in addition to policies and procedures about safeguarding people.

Staff were trained in the required areas and they received updated training. People we spoke with told us they felt that the staff were competent. We spoke with several members of staff and they told us that they felt well supported.

We saw systems for monitoring and assessing the quality of care. These included seeking feedback from people using the service and checks made by senior managers from the company.