Archived: Belmont

People told us there were no rigid routines they were expected to follow such as the time they went to bed. They usually pleased themselves what they wanted to do. Staff took into account their views and respected their right to privacy and independence. One person told us she could use the kitchen provided for resident use to make her meals. Staff helped her.

We saw staff communicated well and appropriately with people. They responded to all requests for assistance in a timely manner.

During our visit we observed one care practice that compromised peoples' dignity. Several people who were showered or bathed before tea were dressed in their night clothes. This had an impact on peoples' vulnerability where they lacked capacity to make informed choices. As a result one person was quite distressed as she could not understand why she was dressed for bed so early.

There were arrangements in place to safeguard people and staff had been trained. People told us they were not always confident to raise issues of concern with the manager.

People lived in a clean and tidy environment. They told us they liked their bedrooms and were able to furnish them with their own belongings and possessions. People told they did not always feel safe in their bedrooms. They had no locks on the doors.

People told us they had problems using the telephone. This was because it was the office phone and sometimes staff wanted to use it.

We found there were no window restrictors fitted to bedroom windows. This meant the security of the premises was not guaranteed. We also found the driveway was very unsafe with large potholes.