Archived: Area A Mencap - Rochdale

We were introduced to the all people who were at home and to the staff on duty. We observed a friendly and relaxed atmosphere within the homes and it was evident that good relationships had been made between people living there and the staff.

We asked the consent of people living at both homes if it was acceptable to look around their homes and to look at some of their care records. People living at the homes showed us round and told us about how things were managed.

People we spoke with told us, 'I like my room; I picked the wallpaper and all the ornaments, the pictures and the lights'. Another person told us 'I have everything I need here, it's comfy'.

We spoke with two relatives who were positive about the care and support provide. One said, 'Any concerns I may have, I can talk to the staff about and it is dealt with as soon as possible.

The premises were clean, warm and well maintained. All people had their own bedrooms, these had been personalised with their choice of fixtures and fittings.

We looked at the care records of two people and found they included relevant health and personal information. Documentation was up to date with any changes recorded.

There were adequate numbers of staff on duty and they had received appropriate induction and training for their employment.

We saw that people were settled and comfortable in their homes. We saw that people responded positively to staff. One person told us that they were happy living within the home. They told us about the things that were important to them and they showed us their support plan, explaining to us what each part of the plan meant to them.

We were shown photographs of holidays some of the people had been on with staff.

One person told us about the difficulties they had encountered previously in care environments and that with the support of Mencap and their staff they were becoming increasingly independent. They told us their supported hours had been reduced by nearly half. They told us that they had made a number of complaints about the service they received at first and these had been dealt with well by the agency. They told us that they were happy with their life at the moment.

People told us: "I am very happy here, I enjoy living here". "I am getting my independence and can do most things now". "I am going to the pictures with X today she looks after me well".