Merthyr Tydfil Service Shines in First Ever Inspection

A care service for women in Merthyr Tydfil was praised by Care Inspectorate Wales in its first ever inspection after opening just six months ago.

Ty Alarch, on Park Terrace, received a positive inspection report by the regulator, Care Inspectorate Wales, with inspectors praising staff for providing a high standard of care.  The service, part of the Cygnet Health Care division, opened in June 2023 and offers a community rehabilitation service for women who have a diagnosed mental health condition. The inspectors completed an unannounced inspection in November 2023 with no areas of non-compliance identified during the visit.

In the new report, inspectors concluded that the staff team was committed to providing a high standard of care to patients.

Paula Evans, Hospital Manager for Cygnet Health Care, said: “I am delighted that Ty Alarch has received such a positive inspection report from Care Inspectorate Wales in our first ever inspection. It shows how much hard work and effort the team has put in to embed the service and receive outstanding feedback from the regulator.

“Since we opened last summer we have strived to offer a safe, comfortable and homely setting that enables women to focus on their continued recovery and transition back into a successful and more independent lifestyle. I would like to thank all the staff for their continued hard work and dedication.”

The inspectors spoke with patients, their relatives, representatives, and advocates and found that the staff treated patients with dignity and respect.

Inspectors noted: “People are treated with dignity and respect and receive support to make choices about aspects of their day to day lives.

“A person centred approach helps the service to understand and support people’s personal outcomes. People receive support to occupy their day engaging in meaningful activities and care staff respect individual preferences and routines.”

The report highlighted the “warm, homely, secure and clean” environment and said residents are kept “as safe and well as they can be”. It said policies and procedures are in place to promote people’s safety and wellbeing, that medicines are managed effectively and staff receive regular training and supervision.

Praising the care and support offered by staff, the report said: “Staff treat people in a kind manner and interactions are supportive and friendly. The staff team have a good understanding of people’s individual needs and behaviours which may present risk.

“Care staff monitor people’s health and encourage them to remain as well as they can be. People’s concept of identity is fully considered, respected, and supported. We noted people are encouraged to become as independent as possible and staff support participation in cooking and housekeeping tasks. We observed residents being supported by staff who were patient and understanding.”

Inspectors noted that care plans outline peoples physical and emotional care needs, social, community and educational goals and aspirations. The report also highlighted the high quality of management and leadership at the service. It said: “People benefit from good leadership and management.

“People can be assured they are supported by staff who are trained and receive ongoing supervision. Staff tell us they receive adequate training and feel sufficiently skilled to undertake their roles.

“Staff feel valued and those we spoke with tell us that they are happy working at the service and feel well supported by the management team. Care staff describe the team as supportive and the manager as approachable and available. Comments include “it’s a lovely place to work” and “there’s lots of support; good training and regular supervision.”