8 December 2011
During an inspection looking at part of the service
On the day of the visit on 8 December 2011, we spoke with the manager and care staff on duty and those people living in the home who were able to verbally communicate.
We used a range of methods to gather evidence about how well the service met the needs of people living there. We spent time sitting with people in the lounge watching to see how they were supported, how staff spoke with them to ensure that they were treated with dignity, that they were able to stay as independent as possible and if they were offered privacy.
These observations were used alongside other information. We also looked at the environment and facilities and equipment provided and checked records such as care plans and risk assessments.
We found that staff treated people with kindness; they knew people as individuals and understood their personal needs and ways of communicating those needs.
We saw that there was a 'family' atmosphere in the home with a lot of joking and people taking part in day to day routines. One person told us.' I like it here because people joke' and 'I like to help them out and be independent.' The home was decorated for Christmas and one person told us how they had helped with the decorations.
We saw that the home provided a small, homely living environment for the six people that lived there. There was a well kept garden area, but some areas internally were in need of decoration and updating.
We looked at the care planning documentation to see what guidance was given to staff, to ensure that people received their care as they required to meet their needs. We looked to see if systems were in place to offer this in a safe way. We found that care plans were detailed and contained the kind of information that would ensure staff understood aspects of each person as an individual and would be able to meet their needs effectively and safely.
Risk areas were identified, with plans in place and guidance to staff on how to minimise and manage these.
We looked at records maintained and spoke to staff about how people's health needs were managed and if they received care from a range of health care professionals. Staff and people living in the home told us about the other people involved in their care. We saw that they received their medication as prescribed.
We spoke with staff about training to ensure that they had the skills to meet the needs of people living in the home. Staff spoken with told us that they were well supported by the manager and other staff. 'We are a good team.' They felt that they received a good level of training to ensure that they knew how to deal with incidents and understood how to protect people from the potential of abuse and keep people safe in emergencies.
We looked at the quality of the food provided, how staff ensured that people received correct nutrition and how preferences were taken into consideration in menu planning. One person told us ' I like the healthy stuff so I live longer, but I also like chips.'