We saw that whilst some people do not have capacity to make informed decisions, staff still take time with them and explain things to them.People who use the service told us staff treat them with dignity and respect. They told us they take with them and help them with personal tasks. One person told us, 'they can't do enough for us, they are very patient'.
" We always make sure people are up to date with their health checks"
"I am due to have a follow up at the hospital soon, the staff remind me when its due"
" They don't do anything before they ask me about it, and I am the one who makes the decisions".
" They talk to me about my relatives condition and keep me updated".
'We have training to support people with dementia'
"It can be a strain at times when there are fewer staff on duty".
" We do get stretched at times".
People told us they liked the choice of activities and that the activity co-ordinator was "very good at her job".
"They have a good choice of things going on, if you want to join in you can but if you don't they leave you alone".
Staff told us they like the new filing system as they can find current information at a glance and know it is up to date for that person. Staff said they are encouraged to look at the information regularly so that they are up to date with any current event affecting that person.
We spoke to the cook who has many years experience, they told us they have many years experience in preparing meals for people in residential care and has a good understanding of the nutritional needs of people.
" I have been doing this for a long time".
"I get all the information I need from the manager and staff, some people are on special diets and I manage those".
"The meals always look nice"
"We have a good choice"
Staff we spoke to told us they have a good relationship with the local doctors, district nurses, and social workers. " We use a local surgery but sometimes people still have their own doctor especially if they are only here for a short period of time".
" Social Workers regularly come in and see their clients, we have a good relationship with them and they are always there for advice".
Staff we spoke to told us they have received training in safeguarding people. "We all get the training, its part of the induction, but then there is more formal training later on" Other staff told us they have received training in safeguarding people and managing challenging behaviour, however they felt they would benefit from training in restraint, as this is sometimes an issue in the dementia unit. " We have a policy to say we can't restrain people, but sometimes its needed especially when residents hit out".
Other information we received told us some people are not happy with the way individual safeguarding issues have been managed and that there has been a lack of communication and notification of information in some instances.
People we spoke to told us they thought the home was very clean and did not have any offensive odours. "They have a lot to do but its always very clean", "I like to flick a duster around my room".
Staff we spoke to told us they have specific duties to carry out in respect of maintaining the homes cleanliness. " I have had training in infection control and we have the policies and procedures to follow".
"We share the cleaning between each floor"
We saw people being given their medication. Staff were following safe practices in the way they administer and record medication.
"I have my tablets given to me by the staff. They wait with me until I've taken them all"
Staff we spoke to told us they have received training in medication practices before they were allowed to administer medication.
People we spoke to told us they like the home, and the way its laid out
" I like my room, I have got everything I need"
" It's very spacious, I can move around easily"
Staff we spoke to said they find it a nice environment in which to work, especially now most of the refurbishment work has been done.
" It's really pleasant to work in, its bright and the furniture is really nice"
Staff we spoke to told us they receive training in the use of various pieces of equipment as part of the induction programme, so that they can use them safely. They also told us they receive training in health and safety.
" We get the training in using the adaptations when we start working here"
People we spoke to said the staff were very courteous and helpful.
"they try and do the best they can", "Some of them have been here for a long time", "I think they are a lovely lot, they are so helpful".
We spoke to some of the staff, they told us they thought in general it was a good place to work. They told us they like the variety of work in the home.
The staff spoke to told us they went through a thorough recruitment check before starting work in the home. They told us they had been interviewed before working in the home and that their previous experience in care had been taken into account.
" I had all the checks done before I started working her"
"we have good access to training and we are encouraged to go on courses"
Staff we spoke to said they felt in general there is a good staff team who work well together. They said each shift has a good skills mix, and that the communication between them is good. "we are told of any changes when we come on shift".
Some staff told us they feel they can be 'stretched' at times.
" Its hard to make sure peoples needs are being met, when we are short staffed"
" Sometimes we have to rush things, and we can't be everywhere at the same time".
People told us they thought the staff team knew what they were doing. They told us they had confidence in the staff, and felt they had the skills to carry out their roles.
We observed instances where staff were engaging with people and saw they had good communication, were sensitive to peoples needs and treated them with respect.
Staff we spoke to told us they felt supported by the management team, and that they received regular supervision and appraisal.
"I had a good induction, which was overseen by the manager at the time"
"I have supervision with the manager and it all gets recorded, I feel really supported"
"We are encouraged to talk to the manager about things".
The staff told us they informally get the views of people just by talking to them. " People usually tell us what they think about the service, sometimes it comes from the relatives"
"Residents with dementia can't express their thoughts, but you get to know when they aren't happy about something, usually by their behaviour"
People we spoke to told us they felt confident they could raise an issue of concern or complaint to the manager if they felt they needed to. "I think if I wasn't happy with something it would get sorted out"
"I have a copy of the complaints procedure, which I would use if I needed to"
Staff told us they are aware of the complaints procedure and make sure people know about it.
Information we received told us some people have not been satisfied with the way the home has investigated complaints and how they have communicated with people.
People we spoke to were aware they had care plans and written information about them.
"the staff talk to me about my care and they write it up so they know what I need"
" We are involved in writing up care plans and other records and we make sure they are confidential so the information is not available to anyone".