Archived: Avesbury House

People who use the service told us that staff treated them with respect and dignity. One person commented, 'I respect the staff and the staff respect me.' People were being involved in setting up and reviewing their care plans with staff. One person told us 'I feel OK about asking for support.' Staff understood the importance of following people's care plans in order to ensure that individuals maintained their independence as much as possible.

A person we spoke with said he appreciated the 'chilled' atmosphere at the service. He added 'I'm settled. I'm not anxious.' Risk assessments acknowledged the risks faced by people using the service and included strategies for minimising those potential risks. This included knowledge of individual's relapse indicators which meant that staff were aware if a person was becoming unwell.

A person told us 'I feel safe, definitely.' He told us that 'there are posters up about how to make a complaint. I would speak to staff directly.' Another person told us they would speak to the manager if they had any concerns. They added 'she listens to you.'

People we spoke with were positive about the staff who supported them. One person commented 'you can always talk to the staff; they really seem to enjoy their job.' The manager told us that people using the service were involved in the recruitment of new staff and undertook a separate interview and chose the questions they wanted to ask.

People were positive about the quality of service provision and confirmed that the management and staff often asked them for their views about the quality of care they received and if there were any suggestions for improvements.

People were involved in setting up and reviewing their care plans and risk assessments with staff. People confirmed that they were aware of their rights and that staff explained their rights to them regularly. One person commented, 'I met someone to talk to about my rights.'

People commented that the environment was calm and they felt safe at the service. One person told us the environment was, 'mellow' and that he appreciated the way the staff ensured the safety and welfare of people using the service.

Staff told us they felt supported by the management and that there were good training opportunities available. We saw that the manager carried out regular checks at the home including health and safety audits to make sure people were being supported in a safe environment. The provider had a quality assurance system in place to ensure people were receiving the support they needed.