Working at Whitehatch

The three staff we spoke to regarding fire safety were unable to tell us how they would safely evacuate people in the event of a fire. They told us they had not received training to understand how to use the fire evacuation sledges and were unclear about the procedure they should follow.

Staffing levels were not always adequate. The registered manager told us they had challenges with recruitment of staff meaning they had needed to use agency staff more frequently. One staff member told us, 'There are not enough staff which means there is not enough time to spend with people.'

Staff training was not always effective in giving staff the knowledge and skills to support people. Training records showed some staff were overdue for refresher training in important areas such as infection control, moving and handling, and basic life support. The compliance percentage for these topics was 71% on the day of inspection.

The staff team were not consistent in their support for people and in creating opportunities for engagement and occupation. When we observed staff interacting with people they support, they were kind and caring. However, there were many missed opportunities by staff to engage with people.