07 November 2023 and 08 November 2023
During an inspection looking at part of the service
Our rating of this location went down. We rated it as requires improvement because:
- The service had a clear and detailed treatment model in place but staff did not complete appropriate, regular physical health checks and document detailed treatment plans in line clinical guidance and the service model.
- The service had high healthcare assistant vacancy rates and a reliance on temporary agency staff.
- Staff did not complete post incident checks, including neurological observations of young people and body maps when young people had sustained injuries.
- The service did not always complete patient searches and log these in line with the service policy after a young person had taken leave, increasing the risk of items being secreted onto the ward area.
- Care planning documentation did not always give a detailed rationale around the treatment plan prescribed for young people, particularly around physical health needs and mental state for young people who were at a healthy weight for their height.
- Young people did not have adequate storage for their belongings and staff did not manage items of potential risk safely, increasing the risk of young people’s belongings being lost or a potential safety incident occurring.
- Governance processes did not always ensure that ward procedures ran smoothly. The processes in place did not always identify gaps in post incident checks, gaps in young people’s physical health checks and gaps in young people’s care planning.
However:
- The ward environments were safe and clean. The wards had enough nurses and doctors to keep people safe.
- The ward teams included or had access to the full range of specialists required to meet the needs of patients on the wards. Managers ensured that these staff received training, supervision and appraisal. The ward staff worked well together as a multidisciplinary team.
- The service delivered tailored training specific to the service.
- Staff felt listened to and able to influence service delivery. Staff spoke positively about the service and were proud of their work and enjoyed their role.
- The service provided psychological therapies in line with national guidance.