Selden Centre, Specialist Assessment and Intervention Service

Monthly meetings were held for people who used the service. These meetings enabled people to talk about issues that affected their care and treatment. We found that people were assessed on their capacity to make decisions and referred to advocates to help them with big decisions such as managing their money.

We saw that care records were detailed and comprehensive and reflected the needs of the people who used the service. We found examples of person centred planning. This is a set of approaches designed to assist someone to plan their life and supports. It enables people with disabilities to make their own decisions and choices and improve their independence.

We spoke with staff and found that they were able to describe how they would recognise abuse and what action they would take if they suspected abuse. One member of staff talked about the training they had received in restraint and said, 'We have support plans in place that detail what is expected.' This meant that people were protected against the risk of possible abuse because staff had received appropriate training.

The Centre had been refurbished a couple of years ago and we found that outstanding building work had now been completed. We spoke with one member of staff who told us that the premises worked well and that rooms could be used for different purposes. This meant that the environment was suitable for the service it provided.

Staff told us that they felt supported to do their jobs well. Three people told us that there were opportunities for career development and that they could access additional training. For example, there were opportunities for progression from care assistant or support worker towards qualifying as a nurse. One member of staff said that, 'Everyone is really nice and very friendly. I do my best for them really.' We observed that staff worked well as a team and supported each other to create a positive and co-operative working environment within a client group that was emotionally and physically challenging.