Working at Warm Melody Retreat

Disproportionate use of restraint by staff; local authority confirmed it amounted to physical abuse, with safeguarding concerns not consistently documented.

Recruitment practices required further improvement as the home manager failed to adhere to the service's recruitment policy; gaps in employment without explanation in staff records.

Staff with managerial responsibilities did not receive appropriate role specific training; restraint training not delivered by an approved provider.

There was a lack of managerial oversight. The registered manager had been away from the service due to personal circumstances.

People told us staff helped them to meet their basic needs but did not do long-term planning; 'staff don’t support me to go out, I organise things myself'.