Orion Care Services received a Good rating across all five key questions at its February 2016 inspection, demonstrating safe, person-centred care for 26 people with learning disabilities in supported tenancies. Minor areas for improvement included ensuring individual staffing allocations were documented on office rotas and making complaints and survey information accessible to people with limited literacy.
Concerns (3)
moderate
Governance
: “Following a visit by contracts in December 2015 a number of shortfalls had been identified and actions by the provider had been recommended.”
minorRecord keeping: “The rota did not show how the staffing for individuals had been arranged in each project...agreed to add this to the rotas kept in the office.”
minorCommunication with families: “complaints information and satisfaction surveys...were not available in a format that people who were unable to read could easily understand.”
Strengths
· People felt safe and supported workers understood safeguarding responsibilities with relevant training completed.
· Sufficient experienced staffing levels with 105 support staff for 26 clients, and consistent staff allocation per project.
· Medicines managed safely with trained staff, MAR checks each shift, and additional project manager audits.
· Staff had comprehensive induction programmes and ongoing specialist training (e.g. epilepsy, autism, Studio 3 behaviours).
· MCA principles understood and applied; consent sought before care; DoLS awareness demonstrated.
Orion Care Services was rated Good across all five key questions at this scheduled March 2019 inspection, with particular strengths in person-centred care planning, safeguarding, and engaged leadership. Minor recommendations were made regarding staff training in mental health awareness and equality and diversity, and improvements were noted as needed around staff-person compatibility and timely family communication following incidents.
Concerns (3)
moderateCommunication with families: “a relative had not been contacted in a timely manner following an incident that had left their loved one with an injury.”
minorStaff training: “they had not received any specific training in mental health or equality and diversity. Such training would assist them to understand and respond to the needs of the people they supported.”
minorPerson-centred care: “One relative told us they their relative no longer did some of the activities that they used to and they believed that this was because the current staff team was not compatible with the person.”
Strengths
· Care plans were person-centred, detailed and regularly reviewed with people and their relatives.
· Medicines were managed safely, with MARS audited by managers and people's independence maintained where safe.
· Strong safeguarding culture with staff confident to raise concerns and management aware of local authority liaison responsibilities.
· Effective partnership working with health and social care professionals, including use of hospital passports and Accessible Information Standards.
· Positive leadership with a registered manager in post, regular supervision for staff, and a culture of continuous learning through audits and spot checks.