Melton Short Breaks Service

Inspectors found that people were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Relatives spoke positively about the care and support.

“People were treated with kindness by staff who delivered care.” from the report

People were offered varied activities and trips, including opportunities linked to their social and cultural interests. There was also plenty to do inside the home.

“People experienced a wide and varied programme of opportunities in regard to how they chose to spend their time.” from the report

The building had accessible bedrooms, wet rooms, communal areas, a sensory room and a garden. Inspectors found it exceptionally clean and tidy.

“The environment was exceptionally clean and tidy.” from the report

Communication passports explained people's preferred ways of communicating. Easy-read staff profiles helped people know who might support them.

“People had communication passports in their files which explained how they preferred to communicate with staff and others staying at the service.” from the report

People had food and drinks available and staff understood their dietary needs and preferences. People were encouraged to cook and bake to build confidence and skills.

“People were encouraged and supported to cook and bake during their stay.” from the report

There had been multiple medicine errors. Checks were not always completed properly, investigations missed important information, and some staff had gaps in their medicine competency records.

“Medicines were not always managed safely. Multiple medicine errors had occurred.” from the report

Inspectors found a restriction that negatively affected a person. Staff had not identified it before the inspection, despite having safeguarding training.

“People were not always protected from the risk of abuse and improper treatment.” from the report

Some staff lacked evidence of moving and handling training, and other training was out of date. Planned supervised medicine sessions were not always completed.

“Staff did not always have sufficient training to be able to meet people's needs.” from the report

Audits did not reliably find or address problems. Staff said they could not always challenge leaders, and some concerns were not dealt with correctly.

“The provider had failed to operate effective quality assurance systems to assess and monitor the safety and quality of people's care.” from the report

Records did not fully explain some people's religious needs or how they preferred to identify and be supported. This could make person-centred support more difficult.

“There were shortfalls in how people's needs were identified, particularly in respect of protected equality characteristics.” from the report