Archived: Lorne House

We watched staff as they cared for people. People who had been able had given consent for care and staff always asked for permission before providing care. Other people had been supported by their relatives to make decisions about their care and support. We found records that showed what care people had consented to.

Staff provided care and support that met people's needs. We found that staff knew about the needs of the people they cared for. We looked at care records for three people and found that these contained guidance for staff on how to meet their needs. We saw that people's needs had been reviewed regularly.

People told us that they were happy with the food that they had been given and that they had been offered choices. Healthy food options had been included and people's health had been considered when meals had been planned.

The registered manager had taken reasonable steps to ensure that suitable people had been employed to work at the home. Records had been maintained appropriately and stored securely.

Everyone we spoke with was complimentary about the service and the way staff cared for people. People who used the service told us they liked the staff that cared for them. One person said, 'It's nice here. They (the staff) are nice to you'.

The atmosphere within the home appeared calm and relaxed and we saw staff interacting with the people who lived in the home in a warm and friendly manner.

People's individual needs had been assessed and support plans had been developed which provided information to staff about the care people would like from them. This ensured their needs would be met by staff and that they received appropriate care.

We saw that staff encouraged people to be independent and to make decisions about how they wanted to be treated and how they would like to spend their time.

When we spoke with staff we found they had a good understanding of the individual needs and preferences of the people they cared for. They told us that training was made available to them which enabled them to have the skills and knowledge to care for people appropriately. In addition to this we found that staff had a good understanding about what constituted abuse and the action they should take if they had any concerns about the people they cared for.