- Independent mental health service
St Andrew's Healthcare - Birmingham Also known as 1-121538294
We served a warning notice on 19 December 2024 on St Andrews Healthcare for failing to meet the regulations in relation to treating people with dignity and respect at St Andrew's Healthcare - Birmingham.
Report from 16 October 2024 assessment
Contents
Ratings - Forensic inpatient or secure wards
Our view of the service
Background: Onsite assessment: 12 to 14 November 2024
We found the service required improvement and identified 5 breaches of the regulations in relation to person centred care, dignity and respect, safe care and treatment, good governance and staffing.
Staff were not always clear about how they learnt from incidents and what was done to improve.
People were not cared for in a well-maintained environment that respected their dignity. Equipment and technology did not consistently support staff to deliver safe and effective care.
The electronic medicines system was slow at times. However, people's medicines were appropriately prescribed and supplied.
People had mixed feedback about involvement in their care plans and risk assessments. Some people said they were, but others told us they were not involved. Records were not always updated to ensure that staff knew how to safely support people.
Governance systems were not effective in assessing and identifying risk to the people who used the service.
However, staff were supported and received training to respond to people in an emergency.
There were examples of quality improvement initiatives. Restraint was rarely used in the hospital.
People could contact their family and friends, and most people thought permanent staff treated them with kindness and compassion.
People's experience of this service
People had mixed feedback about involvement in their risk assessments and the assessment of their needs. Some said they were involved but other people said they had limited involvement and were not listened to.
People were concerned about staffing levels; they said there were not enough staff which impacted on their leave and activities. People on some wards told us about restrictions on using the garden as they always needed staff to support so they could not access it except at set vape times.
People were not cared for in an environment that was well maintained.
Some people told us they were not supported to live healthier lives however, the provider does have several healthy living initiatives in place that people are supported to access.
People were not always aware of their rights under the Mental Health Act and of their right to consent to treatment.
People had mixed feedback about how staff treated them with compassion and dignity. Some people said that as bank and agency staff did not know them well, they did not engage with them. This made them feel that staff did not care for them.
Some people said staff did not respond to their immediate needs however other people said most staff did respond.
People told us therewere not enough activities because of staffing levels which made them feel bored.
People and their relatives told us they were not involved in their care plans.
People told us they constantly raised the same issues in community meetings, but nothing was done which made them feel like it was wasting their time.
However, people told us they felt safe and knew who to speak with if they had any concerns about their safety.
People told us that restraint was hardly ever used at the hospital.
People were involved in decisions about changing their medicines and the doctor discussed these with them.
People’s relatives said that staff were kind and caring to them.
People were supported to keep in contact with their family and friends if they wanted to.