Archived: Bletchley Community Hospital

At the last inspection, on 16, 17 and 18 December 2015, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found that the service remained Good.

Staff had an understanding of abuse and the safeguarding procedures that should be followed to report abuse. Risk assessments were in place to manage risk within a person's life. There were arrangements in place for the service to make sure that action was taken and lessons learned when things went wrong, to improve safety across the service.

People received their medicines as prescribed and staff supported people to access support from healthcare professionals when required. The service worked with other organisations to ensure that people received coordinated and person-centred care and support.

Staff recruitment procedures ensured that appropriate pre-employment checks were carried out to ensure only suitable staff worked at the service. Adequate staffing levels were in place.

Staff induction training and on-going training was provided to ensure that staff had the skills, knowledge and support they needed to perform their roles. Staff were well supported by the senior management team and had regular one to one supervisions.

Staff demonstrated their understanding of the Mental Capacity Act, 2005 (MCA) and they gained people's consent before providing support.

People were involved in planning how their support would be provided and staff took time to understand people’s needs and preferences. Care documentation provided staff with appropriate guidance regarding the care and support people needed to regain their independence. Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect and spent time getting to know them and their specific needs and wishes.

People, relatives and staff were encouraged to provide feedback about the service and it was used to drive continuous improvement. The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and had a process in place which ensured people could raise any complaints or concerns.

The service notified the Care Quality Commission of certain events and incidents, as required.

We spoke with two relatives of people that used the service. They told us that they found the service to be very good. We spoke with three members of staff from the service who enjoyed their work and felt well supported in their roles.

We found that people's needs were assessed and a care plan was put in place to ensure that their needs were met. We found that staff from the service carried out the assessment and ensured that people consented to the care described in the plan. We found that where additional services where involved in people's care that appropriate information was shared and where referrals to other services were required that the staff ensured that these were made.

We found that appropriate checks were carried out on staff before they started work and that there was a detailed complaints policy in place and that a copy of it was given to people when they started to use the service. We found that people were asked for feedback about the service and that the provider took action to address any areas for improvement that had been identified.

We spoke with two relatives of people who used the service who told us "We're very pleased with them" and "We're very satisfied".

We spoke with four staff members who all told us that they felt well supported. One staff member told us "I'm proud of the service that we offer". We found that staff attended a handover meeting at the beginning of their shift which enabled them to be kept up to date with information and provide any feed back to the team leaders.

We found that people received an initial assessment where the aims and objectives of their care were discussed and identified. A care plan was then put in place to ensure that their needs were met. We saw that the provider took appropriate steps to ensure that peoples welfare and safety.

We found that the provider ensured that staff received suitable training and support during their employment. We found that people who used the service were asked for their feedback about their care and support.