Archived: Coombe Lodge

We observed gentle interactions between staff and people using the service. For example, one person was agitated and we heard staff spend time speaking with the person, trying to find what had caused the agitation. Staff used appropriate touch and spoke in a calm, reassuring voice, which the person responded to. This showed that staff were able to manage agitation effectively.

We heard staff offering people choices of drinks and providing their choices for them. One person asked for more sugar and this was provided straight away, so that the person's drink was to their liking.

Staff asked people if they would like a clothes protector and/or a napkin at lunchtime. We saw staff making sure that a table of the correct height was provided for someone who chose to eat lunch in the lounge, to make sure they were comfortable whilst eating.

People were given a choice of two hot meal options at lunchtime, one a vegetarian option. Each person was asked what they would like and staff plated their choices accordingly. Plate guards and adapted cutlery were provided where necessary, to help people manage independently.

We saw staff assisting people to eat their meal. They sat down to do this, chatted to them and offered food at a gentle pace, checking that people were ready for more. This gave people time to enjoy their meal and prevented them from choking.

We heard people make positive comments about the lunchtime meal. One person was pleased at the selection and amount of vegetables they had been given, another described the chocolate pudding as 'gorgeous'.