Archived: Alexandra Park

We found people had their needs assessed and care was delivered to ensure people's safety. People's representatives were happy with the care delivered. One relative said, "On the whole I have no negative feedback. We met the team before X moved and felt they were a really good match for her."

We found staff were supported to deliver care to an appropriate standard through regular meetings and timely opportunities for relevant training.

We found that the provider had a process of assessment and care planning but inconsistency of practice and poor communication led to risks to the safety and wellbeing of some people.

We found that the service had forged useful and positive links with other agencies.

We found staff were not fully supported because there were gaps in relevant training and appraisal.

We found the provider had systems to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received but was not yet using them fully at this service.

At the time of our inspection the service did not have a registered manager. An new manager had been recently appointed and we were told they had made an application with us to become registered.

We found that people's care needs were assessed and reviewed and care was delivered in line with people's care plans. One person said, "The staff I find they are good- this is better for me."

We found people were supported to maintain their independence. One person said, "I get six hours a day to go out, I am not watched all the time. I go to my mother's and the bingo."

We found people required support with taking medication and this was safely handled.

We found that the management team had increased since our last visit and sufficient numbers of staff were on duty. One person said about staff, "He is very good (name) we get on very well. I feel satisfied here. I get checked every hour." Records showed and staff confirmed that they were supported by supervision and training.

The provider had systems in place for seeking the views of staff and the people who lived at the service, some of which were still to be gathered.

We found that the records were securely stored, the majority were well maintained and all were accessible to staff as and when they required them.

The provider was taking steps to improve the way people were involved in making decisions about their care and we saw that people enjoyed individualised services that took account of the things they liked to do and promoted their independence, for example some people attended college. Most activities took place in the community.

We saw that people lived as independently as possible in their own bungalows and enjoyed privacy and plenty of space. People chose when to get up and when they ate. Care was planned around individual routines but managing health and safety risks was not carefully planned. Specialists were not used to assist with this in every case.

The provider had notified us about safeguarding matters and had taken appropriate action in response to these.

We saw that people who used the service had complex needs but the support provided to staff did not match this level of complexity. Some of the gaps we saw in care planning and staff support had not been addressed by the provider's quality assurance system.