Archived: Gloucester Road

Comments from people using the service included "very good, I get on well with staff and the other residents", "everything is ok, they look after me", "very good, everything is fine" and "I like the atmosphere here".

The people spoken to were positive about the staff who worked with them saying "they are always polite and very helpful", "the staff are alright" and "the staff are friendly". Each individual said they felt able to talk to staff or the manager if they were unhappy about the care or support being provided. Some people using the service said they would welcome more activities and things to do.

Staff spoken to were positive about the care being provided however all of them referred to the challenges of meeting the diverse needs of a group of people currently aged between 19 and 83. They also felt that the service would benefit from a closer working relationship with placing care managers to enable "a consistent approach".

We saw that the provider ensured that people understood the care, treatment and support choices available to them and supported them to express their views. This was achieved through the written information and guidance available as well as through individual assessment and care planning.

We saw examples of personal files which contained assessments, contract, care plan and regular updates on the progress or issues relating to people. Records were written in a respectful manner and in a person-centred way, and considered all aspects of people's individual circumstances and their immediate and longer-term needs.

We saw that food contained a good balance of meat and vegetables and that staff followed appropriate food hygiene guidelines.

All staff underwent Criminal Records Bureau checks and had received safeguarding training. The manager confirmed she followed the Pan-London protection procedures and linked with the local authority in any safeguarding matters.

We saw that people who used the service had regular updates entered in their care records and that regular reviews were carried out. This enabled family members and external agencies such as health or social services to have an input into the discussions around how the home was run.