Archived: Albany Slimming Centre

On 06 March 2015 we revisited the service to check if improvements had been carried out. We also looked at other regulations relating to staffing, including pre-employment requirements and suitability and sufficiency of staffing. We did not speak with people who used the service since our inspection was limited to staffing issues only. Instead we reviewed all four employees' staff records and spoke with the manager.

We found that the service had made necessary improvements in relation to supporting workers. The provider had introduced an online training system and we saw each member of staff had a training plan in place. Topics included fire awareness, safeguarding and first aid. Records confirmed that staff had made suitable progress to ensure compliance with such training. All staff had also recently received a robust appraisal.

Staff records demonstrated that the provider operated an effective recruitment and selection procedure, which included relevant checks when they employed staff. Records also confirmed that the provider regularly checked that medical staff were registered with the relevant regulatory body and that they were allowed to work for that body.

People's care records we examined confirmed that valid consent was obtained from people before they received treatment. People had their medical history, Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight assessed at every appointment, and their blood pressure was checked regularly. We were therefore assured that people's needs were assessed appropriately and found that care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with these assessments.

People were protected against the risks associated with medicines because the provider had appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines. People we spoke with told us they were provided with adequate information about the use of their medicines.

There were systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of service. We observed that various audits had been undertaken. Feedback was regularly obtained from people who used the service and there was evidence that this information was used to improve service quality.

We also found some concerns which related to supporting workers. This was because there was a lack of appraisals, training and personal development support for staff. Therefore we were not assured that people who used the service were cared for by staff who were supported to deliver care and treatment safely and to an appropriate standard.

We reviewed people's records and saw that people's medical history was discussed as part of the consultation and that people were provided with appropriate information. We noted that the provider had implemented a screening tool to ensure people only above a certain body mass index (BMI) were accepted for treatment. We saw that when people saw the doctor their weight, blood pressure and BMI were reviewed.

We did not speak with anyone who used the service about the way medicines were managed as there were no service users at the service during our inspection. We found there were appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines suitably and these were prescribed by a suitably qualified doctor.

We saw from records we looked at that staff were subject to satisfactory employment checks.

We found that the provider sought people's views on the service they received and conducted regular audits with regard their management of medicines and accuracy of patient records.

The records we looked at relating to the delivery and management of the service were accurate and reviewed regularly.

People were not protected against the risks associated with medicines because the provider did not have appropriate arrangements in place for the management of medicines.

The provider did not record and hold sufficient information to show that they employed people who were suitable to carry out their roles.

The provider did not have an effective system in place to identify, assess and manage the risks to the health, safety and welfare of people using the service and others.

We found that people were not protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care and treatment because accurate and appropriate records were not maintained.