Selkent Ambulance Service

We rated it as requires improvement because:

• Training requirements were unclear and inconsistent. The majority of staff had not completed safeguarding children training in accordance with national guidance.
• The service relied on paper records for all activities and papers were misfiled. This made it difficult to access and monitor information.
• There was a lack of key policies and there was not a clear process for how policies were approved and reviewed. This was not consistent with statements within the policies which stated they would be reviewed annually.
• Patient records were not always stored securely. We found patient identifiable documents had been left in the vehicles.
• There were limited systems in place to monitor the effectiveness and quality of the service.
• Out of date consumables were found on vehicles and some equipment such as ambulance trolleys had not been properly maintained.

However:

• Staff had training in key skills and had processes in place to report incidents and safeguarding concerns. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them when arranging patient transport.
• Feedback demonstrated staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and took account of their individual needs. They provided support to patients, families and carers and delivered a prompt service.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait too long for treatment.