The Mount Camphill Community

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• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

People were safe, were protected from avoidable harm, by a staffing team who knew them well. Staff were matched to the people they supported, similar interests and likes made for helping to create a positive and supportive relationship. Staff told us they could tell from minor changes in behaviour and the way people presented each day if something was wrong. Staff were trained to recognise triggers to risks and to take steps to avoid issues escalating. Policies and procedures were in place to provide staff with the support and guidance needed to protect people. Systems were in place through auditing and staff meetings to capture and share best practice and lessons learned when things went wrong. A safe recruitment process was in place and staff went through a thorough induction which was supported moving forward with regular supervision meetings. Staff training and refresher training was up to date and staff were provided the skills they needed to safely support people.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

We did not look at Learning culture during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safe systems, pathways and transitions during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

People were protected from avoidable harm. People were supported by staff as they carried out their daily routines and during activities. We observed people helping to prepare food using sharp knives and electronic equipment. People were able to carry out tasks with staff always attentive and close by, able to intervene to safeguard people from risk. A safeguarding issue was ongoing at the time of our visit involving 2 people. Staff were able to create distance between the 2 people without hindering their routines and creating a safe environment for them to continue to live in.

Staff told us they had received training in safeguarding and had regular refresher training. The training timetables confirmed this. Staff were able to identify the different types of safeguarding. A staff member said, “Can be physical, verbal abuse, neglect or even sexual.” Staff were confident of the steps to take if the suspected safeguarding. Comments from staff included, “Go to (registered manager), unless an emergency. There are several in our safeguarding team but I can reach out to CQC and others if needed” and “Report to safeguarding lead, check actions and safety.” Staff were aware of and were confident to use, the whistleblowing process if needed. Whistleblowing provides legal protection to staff ensuring their anonymity.

People lived safely, protected from harm, supported by trained staff. We observed interactions between staff and people and saw that staff were attentive to people’s needs and safety issues. Staff were seen asking how people were feeling, if they were alright, if there were any problems. People reacted positively to staff and it was clear that they felt safe. Relatives told us they knew their loved ones were safe. Comments from relatives included, “They are fortunate to have a good staff to pupil/resident ratio made up of an enriched mix of co-workers and tutors which helps keep everyone supported and safe,” “Thus far we have found the safety of our son to be considered very seriously” and “Safety and safeguarding are a high priority.” People and relatives told us they were confident to raise issues or concerns and that they would be listened to with any additional actions being taken to ensure safety.

Safeguarding and whistleblowing policies were in place and were accessible to staff. Reports followed a set format which covered all aspects of the incident including immediate actions taken by staff to protect people and ongoing referrals to managers and other professionals. A recent safeguarding report gave a detailed chronology of all actions, people spoken with and advice sought. Minutes from meetings and discussions with professionals and clear lists of actions were included. The report gave a concise conclusion with actions to minimise the recurrence of the incident. It was resolved within 28 days, in line with the service policy and the people involved and their loved ones were kept informed of progress throughout. One category of incident was described as, ‘non abusive reportable incident.’ An example was aggression shown by a person towards their own property. Not all of these incidents met the threshold for a safeguarding referral but they were still recorded and audited to ensure any patterns or trends were detected.

We did not look at Involving people to manage risks during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safe environments during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

People and relatives told us there were enough staff to provide the support people needed and that staff had the training to give them the skills they required. Comments from relatives included, “They are fortunate to have a good staff to pupil/resident ratio made up of an enriched mix of co-workers and tutors which helps keep everyone supported and safe”, “I am aware that the new co-workers each year undergo intense training during their time there and the type of people recruited all appear to be enthusiastic and caring towards everyone”, “We believe the staffing levels to be correct and proportionate to the number of students resident” and “The staff appear to have been trained well and support my daughter with everything from personal care to her aspirations to work.”

The registered manager told us they used a values based recruitment process. People’s personal values and life skills were assessed during the recruitment process which ensured the staff employed were confident in speaking up if they had any concerns about people’s support and treatment. The registered manager said that every member of staff had a minimum of 4 supervision meetings a year, one of which was their annual appraisal. More frequent, informal meetings were often arranged at short notice to discuss issues or concerns. A staff member said, “I have quarterly supervisions. A two way process. If I have concerns I can raise them. I am confident my supervisors would resolve issues I might have.” New staff were matched to the people they supported according to similar interests. Staff told us about their induction: “Had full induction in the summer, extensive and often asked if feeling comfortable” and “Extensive introduction course before term started. It provides us with the skills we need.” Staff told us that there were enough staff available at all times to provide the support people needed. A member of staff said, “There are enough staff. Fewer of us during holidays but that’s all we need. We all get on, it’s like a family.” Another added, “Enough staff here to achieve goals. We have one and a half days off a week but there is down time for us when they are in lessons. The mentor system is good, comfortable relationships with other staff.”

Throughout our site visit we observed staff in every area of the service, supporting people, being available if needed but allowing people to safely, have time to socialise with their peers, with staff being close by if needed. During activities staff were on hand to provide one to one support to those that needed or asked for it. For example, during a cooking session where people were helping staff to prepare a meal for a small group of people and staff, support and guidance was given by staff to ensure people were fully engaged in the process of preparing the meal. The service provides supporting living accommodation across different houses on site and two houses off site. In each house there are live-in staff who are available day and night to support people.

Staff had been recruited safely. Staff files contained documents that confirmed this process. Documents included, references, identification documents, application forms and Disclosure and Barring Service forms (DBS). DBS checks provide information including details about convictions and cautions held on the Police National Computer. The information helps employers make safer recruitment decisions. Induction records were attached to staff files and provided details of initial interviews, ongoing supervisions and all training completed. The training matrix clearly showed a cycle of ongoing training and refresher training in all key areas for example, safeguarding, positive behaviour support and first aid.

We did not look at Infection prevention and control during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Medicines optimisation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.