Archived: Merrywick Hall

We found that people had their individual support needs met, including their specific nutritional needs. People told us that they liked living at the home and that the staff looked after them. They said that they would tell staff if they were unhappy or worried and that staff would try to help them. We spoke with two relatives; one person told us that they were very satisfied with the care their relative received and that staff kept them informed of important issues.

On the day of the inspection we found that the home was clean and hygienic, and that the premises were well maintained. This ensured that people were cared for in a safe environment.

There were sufficient numbers of staff employed and the staff had received appropriate training to give them the knowledge and skills they needed to carry out their roles effectively.

Quality assurance systems were used to monitor that the service provided met the needs of the people who lived at the home. People who lived at the home and staff were given the opportunity to express their views about the way in which the service operated and their opinions were listened to.

We saw that people were encouraged to make choices about their day to day lives. When people lacked the capacity to make more important decisions, meetings had been held to ensure that the person's best interests had been considered.

We saw that people were supported to be as independent as possible and that staff only assisted people with personal care and other tasks when they could not complete them without support.

People told us that they felt safe living at the home and the discussions we had with staff indicated that they had a good understanding of the policies and procedures about safeguarding adults from abuse.

Only staff who were considered safe to work with vulnerable people had been employed at the home. We saw that staff who had responsibility for the administration of medication had received appropriate training. We observed the administration of medication and saw that staff observed safe working practices.

There was a complaints procedure in place and records indicated that any concerns or complaints had been dealt with satisfactorily.