Archived: Eagle Cottages

- Is the service safe?

- Is the service effective?

- Is the service caring?

- Is the service responsive?

- Is the service well-led?

This is the summary of what we found.

Is the service safe?

An assessment of people's care and support needs was carried out before people started to use the service. This was to ensure staff had the skills in order to meet the person's support requirements.

Risk assessments were in place to help protect people and keep them safe but at the same time promote their independence.

Is the service effective?

We found staff were very knowledgeable about people's care and support needs and through consistent working helped to calm and reassure people with some complex care and support needs. They encouraged the involvement of people by offering them choices in ways that were appropriate to the person. One relative commented; "I know the staff well, they're a great bunch of people."

Is the service caring?

We observed staff were kind and caring. They were enthusiastic and were keen to help people develop and become more independent in aspects of daily living. One relative commented; "Due to the positive support in encouraging independence and promoting social inclusion by staff at Eagle Cottages, "X's" life has been greatly enriched." Records showed staff kept people's relatives up to date with what was happening with their relative's care.

People's individual needs were taken into account and they, or their representative if they were not able, were involved in all decision making with regard to their care. They were kept informed and given information to help them understand the care and choices available to them.

Is the service responsive?

Information was collected by the service with regard to the person's ability and level of independence before they started to use the service. Various assessments were completed by the manager of the service with the person and/or their family to help make sure staff could meet their needs. Regular reviews were carried out with the person who used the service and their representative to make sure the person's care and support needs had not changed. This helped ensure staff supplied the correct amount of care and support.

Referrals for specialist advice were made when staff needed guidance to ensure the health needs of people were met.

People who used the service were introduced to new experiences and activities to help them develop and provide them with stimulation and interests.

Is the service well-led?

Recent management changes had helped to ensure the service was managed by staff who promoted the ethos of individual care rather than institutional care. The emphasis was upon more person centred care and people being involved in decision making about their daily living requirements. This meant there was now a focus from management on the provision of individual care and support to people who use the service.

Regular meetings took place with staff and people who used the service to discuss the running of the service and to ensure it was responsive in meeting the changing needs of people.

People did not experience care, treatment and support that met their needs and protected their rights.

people had complex needs, which meant they were not able to tell us their experiences.

However, people were seen to be relaxed and comfortable with staff. Staff were observed

asking people about their day and offering them choices of food and drinks.

We were supported in this inspection by an expert by experience. An expert by experience

is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this

type of care service. We asked the expert by experience to spend time with the people

using the service to find out their views about what it was like to live there.

The expert by experience thought that they would trust the staff team to care for their family member. They went on to tell us that from their own observations and discussions with people's family members they thought people were safe and happy at the service.

The expert by experience told us that they thought the premises was decorated and

furnished to a high standard and everywhere was clean and tidy. They thought that the

overall feel to the home was good but some parts had an institutional feel for example, very few pictures on the walls.

We found that the care and treatment was not always planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare as we found one person's needs had not been fully assessed and some care plans were not in place.

During the inspection, the staff members on duty were observed speaking to people in a

kind and respectful way. We also observed that the people were clean and well groomed.