Archived: Mencap - Hull

' Is the service caring?

' Is the service responsive?

' Is the service safe?

' Is the service effective?

' Is the service well led?

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, speaking with people who used the service, speaking to staff who supported people who used the service and from looking at records.

If you want to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report.

Is the service caring?

People's preferences, interests, aspirations and diverse needs had been recorded and care and support had been provided in accordance with people's wishes. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the needs of the people who were supported by the service and could describe how to maintain people's dignity and how to ensure people's choices were respected.

Risk assessments were completed which ensured staff knew how to keep people safe. People who were supported by the service and their families where appropriate had been involved with the formulation of their care plans; where needed, people had been supported to make informed decisions. Health care professionals, for example doctors, district nurses, speech therapists and occupational therapists had been consulted and their advice sought when people needed specialist care and attention.

Is the service responsive?

The service had a complaints procedure which people could access. People were therefore assured that complaints were investigated and action would be taken as necessary. The provider consulted with people about how the service should be run and any issues were addressed. People were also consulted about their care needs.

Staff followed instructions from visiting health care professionals, for example doctors, psychologist, district nurses, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists. This ensured people received the support they required to meet their needs.

Is the service safe?

Staffing rotas were set taking people's care needs and level of support into account when making decisions about the numbers, qualifications, skills and experience required. This helped to ensure people's needs were met.

The provider had policies and procedures in place for staff to follow to report any abuse they may witness or become aware of. Staff also received training about how to keep people safe and could recognise the signs of abuse.

People's ability to make an informed choice or decision had been assessed and safeguards were in place to ensure any decisions made on their behalf were in their best interest.

The provider ensured checks were undertaken when recruiting new staff. This ensured people supported by the service were not exposed to staff who had been barred from working with vulnerable adults.

Is the service effective?

People's health and care needs were assessed with them and they were involved in writing their plans of care. Plans were in place for staff to follow to support people who may be a risk to themselves and others. Health care professionals were consulted if required.

People's care plans detailed their preferences and method of communication. This enabled the staff to identify when the person was not happy or needed more support with any given situation.

People's dietary needs were assessed and where needed heath care professionals were consulted. People's dietary intake was recorded and their weight monitored.

Is the service well led?

The provider consulted with people about how the service was run and took account of their views. Relevant persons who had an interest in the care and attention people received had also been consulted and their opinions taken into account about how the service was run. Staff received training which equipped them to meet the needs of the people who used the service. The provider also gave staff the opportunity to gain further qualifications.

What people who used the service and those that matter to them said about the care and support they received.

We spoke with one person who was supported by the service. They told us they were happy with the support they received and the care staff were kind. They told us they could go out with the staff's support and remain independent. They also told us they trusted the staff and could raise concerns if they had any. We saw responses in surveys which had been sent to family and health care professionals, these were positive and praised the service for the support they provided. Family commented on the quality of information shared with them and health care professional commented on the professionalism of the staff.

A person who used the service was visiting the provider's premises on the day of our inspection and they told us, 'My treat on a Sunday is chocolate cake and they take me out in the car to garden centres' and 'My support worker treats me with respect and they prepare my meals for me.'

We looked at the staffing rota which confirmed there was always enough staff on duty to support people's needs. The rota identified specific staff number at the defined locations of the service and there were enough staff allocated to the numbers of people who used the service.

We looked at a system that was called the 'compliance monitoring tool'. This was an electronic system checked the risk assessments of people who used the service for accuracy.

We observed good information governance principles and secure access controls. This meant that electronic personal records were held securely, remained confidential and access to information was only accessed by those staff that needed to.

People told us that they were happy with the service they received and that staff were supportive. Comments included; "I like the staff and we have a laugh" and "We go out to the pub for our tea."

People who used the service told us their views and complaints were listened to and that any problems were quickly dealt with. We saw that all documentation used by the agency was in an accessible format.

We communicated with the local authority contracts and safeguarding teams who told us that the provider co-operated with them and listened to advice and direction.