Archived: The Old Manse

We saw that there were arrangements in place to act in accordance with the wishes of people who used the service. We saw that people could refuse care if they wished.

We saw that people and their families were involved in decisions about the care provided and details of their needs and interests were included in their care records. Care plans and risk assessments were in place to ensure people received the care they needed. People seemed content to be at the home. One person said they liked their room it was, 'Warm.'

We saw that the home was clean and tidy. There was a rota for cleaning and people who used the service were able to help if they wished. Staff received appropriate training and showed a good knowledge of how they would prevent infection spreading if people became unwell.

There were suitable recruitment systems in place and staff were supported with appropriate training by the provider. So people were supported by staff who had skills to meet their needs. Staff we spoke with said they liked working there. One relative we spoke with said, 'The staff make it a home.'

There were no recent complaints but there was a suitable system in place to report complaints. We saw that people were supported to make complaints if needed. Relatives we spoke with said the managers were very approachable if they had concerns.

People with autism are not always able to tell us about their experiences so we looked at records relating to their care and observed staff caring for them.

We saw that choices were offered and that people's views were sought and acted upon. Staff spoken with were able to tell us about people's needs and how they ensured that people received care in a way that they preferred. Both relatives told us they were consulted about their relative's care and were kept informed about their relative's health needs so they felt involved in their care. One relative told us 'I am very involved in X care planning'

We saw that people were relaxed in their environment and that systems were in place to keep people safe from harm. A range of training was provided to staff so that they had up to date knowledge and skills in order to support the people who lived in the home. There were systems in place to monitor how the home was run, to ensure people received a quality service. A relative said ' they go out of their way to give X a full day'