Archived: Falcon Lodge

Care records contained a detailed admission assessment and included information about the person's needs which included their key information, medical condition, personal care and medication consent. Care records also included information about what was important to the person, their likes and dislikes, their health needs, communication needs and what they enjoyed doing. One person who used the service said: 'I enjoy going out with the staff. They look after me and we have fun'.

Staff we spoke with confirmed that they completed training and an assessment of their competence before they were able to administer medicine to people. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the home's medication procedures and the support that people who used the service needed to take their medicines.

Reasonable steps had been taken to ensure that premises were accessible to all those who need to use them in keeping with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The layout of the premises gave easy access and exit. The inside of the premises was light and well ventilated which promoted people's comfort and wellbeing.

Appropriate checks were undertaken before staff began work. We looked at the personnel records for four members of staff. These confirmed that they had been interviewed, that references had been requested and that the provider had completed appropriate background checks before they started work at the home.

We observed that staff understood people's needs and supported them in a kind, friendly and respectful manner. People we spoke with said they liked living at the home, and felt safe. People's care plans provided detailed information about their needs and preferences and how they liked to be cared for. Staff showed a good understanding of how best to support people, and this was in line with their written care plans. We observed that people behaved in a relaxed way within the home and interacted well with staff. People also accessed a range of activities outside the home, according to their interests.

Staff were supported by having regular supervisions, and had attended mandatory training.

Systems were in place for monitoring the quality of the service, which included asking people for their feedback and carrying out audits of practice. We saw that action was taken to make improvements where these were identified.