Archived: Dimensions - 10 Tanners Walk

We found that the service was now compliant with outcome 1 - respecting and involving people who use the service, and outcome 4 - care and welfare of who use services.

We were able to meet three of the four people who were staying at Tanners Walk when we visited. The other person we met briefly before and after his visit to a day care service in the area.

We were able to engage with one of the people well and hear from her about her experience of staying at Tanners Walk. This person told us that she 'liked staying here' and 'staff are friendly and helpful'. We were told that although there were activities at Tanners Walk with which she could take part in, she was recovering from a fracture and therefore needed some rest and 'did not want to go very far at the moment'. We were told that on past visits she had been on picnics, shopping, day trips, and to the cinema. Staying at Tanners Walk meant that she was able to try new food that she might not try at home. We were told that the food was good and part of the day that she enjoyed was discussing what she and the other people would like for lunch and dinner that day.

We were told that no one staying at Tanners Walk is made to do anything that they do not want to do. The only time staff make them get up or wake up when they don't want to is to administer medicine or if they had appointments, but that this is done 'nicely'.

We heard that people who come to stay and staff 'get on very well' and 'are like a family'. We learned also that staff members have 'never shouted at anyone'. We were told that that this person had never seen anyone scared of staff, and she had never been scared of staff or other people living there, even though some service users could be 'hard work'. She said that staff were 'very patient, all the time'.

We asked about privacy and dignity and were told that staff respected people's privacy. In matters such as bathing, staff members were respectful of gender and would ensure that a female member of staff was present for intimate care. We were told also that this was very much appreciated by this person and also 'I am sure by those people who cannot talk to you themselves'.

We found non compliance with the regulations and moderate concerns with some aspects of gaining consent from people who come to stay at the service, and also around staffing levels.

We found non compliance with the regulations and minor concerns with the care and welfare of people who use the service, due to some aspects of care not being recorded. We also found non compliance and some minor concerns over infection control as Tanners Walk was not aware of the most recent Department of Health guidelines for adult social care services. The service also did not have adequate hand-washing facilities in the bathrooms.