Archived: Aspirations Southeast Adults

The service did not have a registered manager in post as the registered manager had left the service. An interim manager was supporting the service and plans were in place for one of the senior team to register as the manager.

A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The provider’s system of audits and checks was not picking up shortfalls in staff supervision and competencies.

Staff told us that they felt supported and they could talk to the managers at any time. Records showed that staff members had supervision meetings with their line manager in which they could raise any issues they had and where their performance was discussed, although these did not occur. on a regular basis.

Care records contained detailed and personalised information around people’s care needs. This meant that staff had access to relevant and accurate information on how they should support people. It was not always clear if this information had been reviewed or whether people or their relatives had been involved in reviews.

Where staff were supporting people with complex behavioural needs risk assessments were in place, which provided staff with information around how to keep people safe. Risk assessments were reviewed regularly to ensure information remained up to date.

Staffing levels were consistent with the hours allocated to people by the local authority. Where the manager felt that people needed additional support they had referred to the local authority for a review. Accidents and incidents were monitored and appropriate action had been taken to ensure people's safety was maintained. These actions included referrals to health professionals and the local authority for support.

Recruitment processes were robust and helped to ensure that staff were suitable to work with vulnerable adults. New staff had completed an induction, which included a period of shadowing experienced members of staff, and completing training in core subjects such as moving and handling, safeguarding and the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Staff were kind and caring towards people. They had a good knowledge of people's needs and how they liked to be supported. People's family members commented positively on the support their relatives received from staff.

The registered provider had a complaints policy in place. People's relatives told us that they would feel confident making a complaint if they needed to.

Staff received professional development and day to day support from their managers.

We saw that the provider had systems in place to gather feedback from people who used the service, and to regularly assess and monitor the quality of the service people received.

Assessments of potential risks and hazards, both to people who received the service and to the staff, were carried out and managed so that risks were minimised and independence encouraged.

Policies and procedures were in place relating to safeguarding.Staff had undergone training in safeguarding adults and staff we spoke with were aware of their responsibility to report any concerns.

The provider had a robust recruitment procedure in place to ensure that only people suitable to work with vulnerable people were employed.Staff received a wide range of training to equip them for their role.A member of staff said 'I really enjoy working here.I am well supported and really satisfied with the job I do.We put the person we are caring for at the centre of everything that we do'.

The manager described a range of measures that were in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service.This included annual quality questionnaires for people who received the service,staff surveys and audits of support documentation.