Archived: MLDP South Network

We received permission to visit and speak with people who used the service. We used different methods to help us understand the experiences of people who used the service because people had complex needs and so a number were not able to tell us their experiences. We talked with one person who used the service and a relative. We observed staff interaction with five people.

The person who used the service told us: 'Nice staff, I really enjoy it here.'

A relative told us: 'Staff are very good in all they do.'

We found that people were supported to understand the support available to them and when appropriate their representatives were involved in making decisions. We saw that people received the care and support required to promote their well-being.

At the previous inspection in January 2013 we found that staff had not received sufficient training to do their jobs. At this September 2013 inspection we found improvements because staff had received training.

At the previous inspection we found that records were incomplete. At this September 2013 inspection it was not possible to fully inspect this outcome area because information from the office was packed away. However of the five care files and care plans we looked at one was incomplete. In light of this we will look at this outcome again at our next inspection.

People we talked with were happy with the service and said staff were kind, helpful and met their needs. We were told:

'Staff are alright.'

'They're alright they're not bossy.'

'I'm happy, the staff help me out.'

And

'I'm happy.'

The person we visited smiled, nodded and told us they were 'Ok' when we asked about the way they were treated.

We found that whilst the majority of staff were suitably qualified to carry out their role, some additional training was required.

We found the service had systems in place to protect the rights of people using the service. We saw that people experienced effective safe and appropriate support. We found the staffing structure and staff deployment met the needs of people using the service. We also found that improvements were needed in the management of records concerned with support provided and management of the service.