Services for Independent Living was rated Good across all five key questions at its November 2023 inspection, with people and relatives consistently praising staff as kind, caring and professional. Minor governance gaps were noted around incident identifier accuracy and staff consistency, but no regulatory breaches were identified.
Concerns (5)
moderate
Incident learning
: “from 7 December 2022 to 28 November 2023, this had not been picked up by the provider; however, the incident had been investigated at the time”
moderateRecord keeping: “staff had used the correct incident identifier for a person whose records stated that they had a scald. action was taken at the time and re-rated to a rash”
minorMissed or late visits: “A relative told us, 'The staff have other calls to do, so when they finish early, the last 10 minutes could be spent chatting with the person rather than going. Sometimes they rush'”
minorPerson-centred care: “One person told us, 'I would feel so much better if it were just one staff member helping me to wash rather than different staff each day.'”
minorGovernance: “Audits were carried out regularly by senior staff to monitor the service provided and assess where improvements were required. However, not all issues were captured through this process.”
Strengths
· People and relatives described staff as friendly, kind, caring, helpful and polite, with numerous thank you cards received at the office.
· Staff received regular supervision, spot checks, and appraisals, and felt well-supported and listened to by management.
· Robust recruitment practices including HR manager oversight, DBS checks, and mandatory pre-employment training.
· Strong person-centred care with communication passports, accessible information formats, and culturally sensitive support.
· Provider nominated as best place to work for two consecutive years; staff nominated for and won care awards.
Quality-Statement breakdown (21)
safe: Incidents and accidents investigated and lessons learnedGood
safe: Staffing and recruitmentGood
safe: Using medicines safelyGood
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from abuseGood
safe: Preventing and controlling infectionGood
effective: Ensuring consent to care and treatment in line with the lawGood
effective: Assessing people's needs in line with standards, guidance, and the lawGood
effective: Staff support: training, skills, and experienceGood
effective: Supporting people to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced dietGood
caring: Ensuring people are well treated and supported, respecting equality and diversityGood
caring: Supporting people to express their views and be involved in decisions about their careGood
caring: Respecting and promoting people's privacy, dignity, and independenceGood
responsive: Planning personalised care to ensure choice, control and meeting needsGood
responsive: Meeting people's communication needsGood
responsive: Supporting people to maintain relationships and avoid social isolationGood
responsive: Improving care quality in response to complaints or concernsGood
well-led: Continuous learning and improvementGood
well-led: Promoting a positive, person-centred, open and inclusive cultureGood
well-led: Engaging and involving people and staff, considering equality characteristicsGood
well-led: Duty of candour: being open and honest when things go wrongGood