Archived: Royal Mencap Society - 75-77 Wickstead Avenue

We observed positive engagement between staff and people who used the service, and noted that people's consent was sought before care and support was delivered. People were encouraged and supported to make their own decisions. Where people lacked the capacity to make decisions for themselves, appropriate processes had been followed to ensure best interest decisions were made on their behalf.

We observed people in this home were at ease in the company of the staff that supported them, and people told us the staff were kind. We found the recruitment systems were sufficient to ensure the staff employed were suitable to work in this environment.

There was a complaints procedure in place, and people who used the service knew who they should report any concerns to. However, we noted that although a summary of the complaints policy was displayed in the staff office, it was not readily accessible to people visiting the home.

Robust medication systems ensured people received their prescribed medication on time and in a way that suited their needs.

We observed that people were offered support at a level which encouraged independence and ensured that their individual needs were met. There was a relaxed atmosphere in the home and people were at ease in the company of the staff supporting them. The staff were friendly and polite in their approach and interacted confidently with people.

We noted that people were encouraged to express their views and were involved in planning their care and making decisions about their support and how they spent their time. Some people were out at day centres at the time of our visit, and others were involved in carrying out tasks to support their personal development. One person talked about the range of activities and entertainment that was available to them.

Within the care files we saw that care documentation had been signed by the individual to confirm their involvement and agreement with their particular care needs.