Archived: Friendship Care & Housing Association - 5 Manor Park Grove

' Is the service safe?

' Is the service effective?

' Is the service caring?

' Is the service responsive?

' Is the service well-led?

This is a summary of what we found '

Is the service safe?

People indicated that they felt safe in this home. They looked relaxed and content in the company of staff. One person told us, 'of course I feel safe and if the staff weren't doing their jobs properly the manager would tell them.'

There were good systems for checking that the environment was safe.

Staff had received training in safeguarding people and there were good arrangements for staff to report colleagues should they suspect that their practice could lead to people being harmed.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, (DoLS), which applies to care homes. We found that proper policies and procedures were in place and the manager demonstrated a good level of awareness of this area.

Is the service effective?

People indicated that they were happy with the care and support and their needs were being met. One person told us how the staff were supporting them to move into more independent accommodation and provided examples of staff advocating on their behalf in this respect.

It was clear from our observations and from speaking with staff that they had a good understanding of the people's care and support needs and that they knew them well. The staff team was settled.

Staff had received relevant training to meet the needs of the people living at the home.

Staff were well supported and they told us that they enjoyed their job.

Is the service caring?

People were supported by kind and attentive staff. We saw that care workers showed patience when communicating with people. We watched as staff reassured people in a gentle way when the expected transport was late,

People told us that they liked the staff and found them helpful.

Staff demonstrated that they knew people's needs and preferences and showed that they took these into account when supporting people.

Is the service responsive?

People's needs had been assessed before care plans had been drawn up. We saw that people's plans took account of their needs and choices and had been updated when these had changed.

Records confirmed that people's preferences, interests, aspirations and diverse needs had been recorded. Staff showed that they were aware of the contents of people's plans. Care and support had been provided in accordance with people's wishes.

People had access to a range of activities in the community and had been supported to maintain relationships with their friends and relatives.

Is the service well-led?

There were good systems for quality assurance.

People in the home and their relatives were consulted about the service.

Staff and relatives told us that the manager was accessible and took account of their comments.

The manager demonstrated a good level of knowledge about the people in the home, the staff and the systems used in the home.

We met three people who lived in this home. They either told us or indicated that they were happy. We saw that people had good opportunities to go out to activities and places of interest to them. The records showed that people made choices about how they lived their lives and staff respected these.

We found that staff made sure that people received appropriate nutrition and hydration. There were detailed instructions for staff about how to meet the nutritional needs of people with specific medical needs. Staff also met people's cultural needs. People were supported to eat in restaurants and pubs in the community.

We found that staff were appropriately qualified, skilled and experienced to support people in the ways they needed and chose. They demonstrated that they were able to communicate with people in the home and they showed great patience. A relative told us, 'They (the staff) are always friendly and we have a drink and a chat.' There were good arrangements for making sure that staff received ongoing opportunities for training.

There were good systems for making sure that risks were assessed and minimised, so that people were safe in the building. We found that there were good arrangements for monitoring the standards and practices in the home. These included seeking the views of people who lived in the home, their relatives and professional visitors.

We saw that people were relaxed and at ease with staff and within the home environment. One person who lived at the home told us 'I like it in this house as all the staff are nice.' Two people were not able to tell us in detail about their experiences. When we met with them they smiled when we asked them how they were. We found that staff knew people as individuals and understood their personal needs and ways of communicating those needs.

We observed positive interactions between the people who used the service and the staff supporting them with their care needs. People's needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan.

One person who lived at the home told us 'Staff knock on my bedroom door, they have to respect my privacy.' The environment was homely with framed photographs displayed of people enjoying their holidays and other activities they did. We found people who used the service had staff support to do the things they enjoyed.

Staff told us they felt supported by the manager and had the skills they needed to deliver the care people using the service needed. Staff and the manager told us that a senior manager in the organisation visited the home on a regular basis to make sure that the home was running smoothly and providing good outcomes for people.