20 January 2012
During an inspection in response to concerns
Some people who used the service told us that they were happy with the support they were receiving. We spoke to a parent of a person that used the service and they also were happy with the service that was being received by their relative. They said the service was good because they could rely on the agency and because there was good communication with them. However it was reported that other people were not happy with the service they were receiving or had received.
We received information from professionals that had been involved with the support of a number of the people that used the agency during 2011 and into 2012. They were concerned about the behaviour of agency managers, and the quality of the service being delivered to people.
We concluded, based on all the information that we obtained during the inspection process, that the administration of the service was not operating effectively and that a number of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 were being breached.
We found evidence that people that used the service had not been treated with respect or their dignity maintained due to the actions of the service and its managers.
We found that where the service had taken responsibility for the management of peoples financial affairs it had not carried out this responsibility effectively to the detriment of people that used the service.
Most of the people that used the service had complex behavioural needs that required both careful assessment and thoroughly planned care. Though the planning and administration of some people's care had been improved since our last inspection of the service there was still more improvement necessary for assessment and care planning to reach an appropriate standard.
We were told by a number of professionals about issues they had experienced in their work with the service. They had experienced serious problems with communication and the administration of the agency to the detriment of the support they were able to give to people that used the service.
Since our last inspection of the service considerable changes and improvements had been made to the administration of peoples' medication. The facilities and administration system had been improved at the agency's office. The administration system was now compliant with the essential standard.
Since our last inspection of the service considerable changes and improvements had also been made to the training and support received by the support workers. We saw evidence both that the support workers had begun to receive supervision from the management and that training records were being redesigned. However the necessary further improvement of staff training was still to be completed.
Overall we found that the provider was not operating effective systems to identify, assess and manage risks to the health, welfare and safety of people that used the service. These failures were putting people that used the service at risk of receiving inappropriate care and support.