27 September 2011
During an inspection in response to concerns
They told us that they could choose what to do and were being helped to gain more independence. Some people told us of recent progress they had made in managing difficult situations and in gaining independence. One person said, 'I can now do my own medication and write in down. They (the staff) are with me when I do this but I do it all myself. It's good.' They also told us how much more confident they were to go out into the community. This person said, 'I go out to the library and to the shops. I can have a drink when I'm out. I do this by myself'.
Another person told us how they had been able to find out more about their ethnic background in the last few months. This person said, 'I went out yesterday and had a drink (a drink that was connected with their ethnicity) from where I come from'. This person also told us about their goal to one day take a holiday in the land where their family came from.
People told us they had plenty of choice. They said that they had been able to personalise their rooms and that they had the things they liked around them. One person showed us their room. They showed us their favourite things and photographs of their family and friends. They said, 'I like it' and expressed happiness in a non-verbal way. With the help of staff they were able to tell us that they had chosen paint colours and were going to work with support staff to decorate their room soon.