17 February 2011
During an inspection in response to concerns
People and carers told us that they felt confident to raise any concerns they had with the manager and felt that this would be dealt with promptly. Carers told us that they are also frequently asked their feedback on the services and facilities provided. One carer said that they told the service about their concerns regarding some laundry practices and this was then addressed.
People who use the service told us the times that they were assisted to get up. One person told us that they choose when they want to get up another spoke about how institutional it was. A person who uses the service told us that when they are hoisted out of bed they felt safe and that staff knew what they were doing.
People spoke of having a choice of activities they wish to join. A person said how they particularly liked the singing and the music entertainers that regularly visited. A person told us that they have started to be involved in their care plan and had been asked what entertainment they liked. Others said that they were not interested in seeing their care plan but felt able to ask to see what was written about them.
Carers spoke about their variable experiences of the service with one carer saying that there has been a significant improvement in their relative's health and wellbeing since moving to the service. This they felt was due to regular meals and mental stimulation. A carer spoke of how the service appears to have declined in standards recently due to constant changing of staff and how the service does not appear to be proactive in regard to some health care issues. A carer noted that the home often smells unpleasant and that they were concerned that their relatives risk assessment never seemed to be reviewed.
People who use the service told us how polite staff were. People consistently told us that they felt that was not always sufficient staff on duty to be able to meet their needs. They commented 'I have to ask many times to go to the toilet' and 'They are always in a rush'. People who use the service also said that they consistently had to wait for calls for assistance to be answered. Their comments included 'You can buzz away and nothing happens and nobody comes. I do get annoyed'.
Carers also gave us variable feedback about their experiences with staff. A carer commenting how sometimes staff go beyond the call of duty and how fond some staff are of their relatives. Another carer said that 'Weekends are always really busy cant always find staff, especially nursing staff, but they would always phone if there are any changes'. Carers did consistently feedback that there seemed to be little continuity in staffing. Staff also consistently said that they felt that there was not sufficient staff on duty during the morning period to be able to meet peoples needs in a safe and timely manner. Staff gave us examples of the effect of not having enough staff on duty during peak periods has on their care practices. This included not being able to: provide choice, engage with people during personal care, rushing and cutting corners. A staff member commented on how nice afternoons were as they had the time to spend chatting with people and their relatives.