Archived: Life Opportunities Trust - 2 Little Road

We found that people were supported to be involved in their care and make decisions where they were able. People told us that they were supported to go out into the community and we saw in the records that people went out to the shops, to restaurants, college and music and drumming sessions. People had also recently been on holiday to Butlins and been on a day trip to Brighton.

We found that people's needs were assessed and a care plan developed guiding staff in how to meet people's needs and minimise any risks to their welfare. People had a health action plan in place to ensure that their health needs were identified and addressed.

People told us they liked the food at the home. One person said, "I go out to eat sometimes and the food here is very nice." We found that people's dietary needs were catered for.

The home was clean and generally well maintained. However, we found that the hallway carpet was stained and there was rubbish in the garden that had not been disposed of. We found that checks were taking place to ensure that the premises were kept safe for the people using the service and staff. However, one of the bedroom automatic door release guards was not working.

Records were up to date and in good order.

People were involved in deciding how they spent their time. We observed staff interacting positively with people and catering to their needs. People could go on holiday with people they had developed good relationships with and staff supported people to be as independent as possible. Several staff had worked in the home for many years and one relative told us the home had "good staff who know people's needs".

People were supported to express their views about the service and were helped to answer questions in an annual satisfaction questionnaire. Relatives also said they were asked for their views about the service. Regular meetings were also held in the home so that staff could hear people's suggestions about what they wanted to do.