The Care Quality Commission

Archived: Hereford Floating Support Service

Mencap - Unit 202 Berrows Business Centre, Bath Street, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 2HE 0808 808 1111

Provided and run by:
Royal Mencap Society

All Inspections

23, 25 January 2013

During an inspection in response to concerns

In this report the name of a registered manager appears who was not in post at the time of the inspection. Their name appears because they were still a Registered Manager on our register at the time.

We met people who used the service and some of the staff who supported them. We saw that the relationships between people and the staff were relaxed and that staff treated people with respect. We saw that people were encouraged to make choices. We spoke with a care worker who told us that their training included the importance of treating people as individuals.

We saw that people received the day to day support and healthcare treatment they needed. People's needs were being met but information in their care records had not been kept up to date. There were gaps in the daily care records. This meant they did not provide a full account of the care and support provided.

People received their medicines as prescribed. Their medicines were safely stored but improvements were needed to the record keeping. Steps were already being taken to improve these arrangements.

Appropriate checks were done before new staff started work. This helped to make sure that only people suitable to work with vulnerable adults were employed.

The provider had recognised that improvements were needed at the service. An action plan had been put in place and an interim manager was supporting the current part time manager. We were told that a full time manager was going to be recruited.

4 January 2012

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out this review to check on the care and welfare of people who used this agency. We visited the agency office and spoke on the telephone with people who used the agency and also some of their relatives. We also spoke with care workers on duty and on the telephone, and spent some time with the registered manager.

We talked to people about their experience of the care and service they received from the agency. One person told us "the staff are always helpful' they are very caring and help me', and 'I wouldn't be able to stay in my own home without them'.

Relatives of the people who used the agency said that they were "happy with the support' their relative was given and that they 'had no complaints'. People told us they would talk to the staff or the registered manager if they had any worries or concerns.

People told us that staff were friendly, courteous and spoke to them in a respectful way. Staff demonstrated they were aware of people's care and support needs. Staff said they were trained to help them understand how to meet people's needs and give the support they needed. Staff told us they worked well as a team and that they received support from the management team.

Staff told us their opinion was regularly sought through staff meetings and supervision systems.

Mencap had a system in place to monitor, review and assess the quality of services provided. This included annual surveys to people who used the agency, their relatives, staff and other professionals involved with people's care. The questionnaires had been made available to people who used the agency in a pictorial format to help people to give their views on the service they received.

We found that people who were supported by the agency received effective, safe and appropriate care, treatment and support that met their needs.