Bridge House

“We undertook an assessment of Bridge House between 20 and 21 May 2024. Bridge House provides accommodation for up to 6 people with mental health needs. The service comprises of three domestic properties, two on Bridge Street and one on Bridge Gardens. The houses are close to each other in a residential area within walking distance of the town centre of Barnsley. The inspection was prompted by concerns received about safe care and support and management of the service.People told us they felt safe living at Bridge House. Systems were in place to safeguard people from abuse, and staff knew their responsibilities in keeping people from harm. There were enough staff to meet people's needs, and the same staff supported people, which ensured continuity of care. Risks to people were assessed and managed, and medicines were managed safely. Accidents and incidents were managed appropriately. Staff spoke passionately about the people they supported and worked to uphold their rights. The service achieved positive outcomes for people through attentive care, understanding, and responsiveness to the needs people communicated to them. The provider completed a range of pre-employment checks to assure themselves that staff were suitable to work at the service. Some of these checks needed to be more robust; however, the manager agreed to address this issue. Staff received suitable training and supervision to ensure they had the right skills to care for people. However, there were some gaps in mandatory training. The manager said they were in the process of introducing improved training, consisting of online and face to face training. The provider assured us, and records reviewed confirmed training and competency assessments had been planned. Parts of the service needed some repair and re-decoration, which meant cleaning these areas was more difficult. We discussed these concerns, and the provider said they would take immediate action to address them.”