21, 22 & 23 February 2022
During a routine inspection
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it. Although, this hospital was not a specialist service for people with a learning disability, they did provide care for five patients with a learning disability or autism. We have therefore applied this guidance.
Our rating of this service went down. We rated it as requires improvement because:
- People’s risks assessments and management plans were not robust to assure staff of the patient’s safety.
- People could not access assistance if required in an emergency in the occupational therapy building.
- People did not have clear goal orientated plans for discharge and did not have access to all the required specialists and therapies suitable to ensure they did not spend longer than necessary in hospital.
- The facilities were not suitable to promote the treatment, privacy and dignity for people with mobility difficulties.
However:
- People’s care and support was provided in a clean, well-furnished and well-maintained environment.
- The service had sufficient, appropriately skilled staff to keep them safe.
- People were protected from abuse and poor care . Staff followed good practice with respect to safeguarding and minimised the use of restrictive practices.
- Staff had the skills required to develop and implement good positive behaviour support plans to enable them to work with patients who displayed behaviour that staff found challenging.
- People received kind and compassionate care from staff who protected and respected their privacy and dignity.
- Staff understood their roles and responsibilities under the Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010, Mental Health Act 1983 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
- People and those important to them, including advocates, were actively involved in planning their care.