Archived: Mount Denys

We spent some time in the lounge areas of both units to observe how staff interacted with people and how people interacted with each other. We found that there was a calm atmosphere in the unit, and people were mostly in a positive or quiet mood.

The environment and furnishings had been arranged in a way that created a more relaxed and pleasant place for people to spend time.

Safe systems were in place for safeguarding people from harm and for the management of medicines. Staff spoke confidently about working with the people in the service to keep them and others safe. We saw that staff responded appropriately to incidents of aggression and these remained low, ensuring that people remained safe.

Staffing levels were risk assessed daily to reflect the support needs of people in the service and could respond quickly to changes in people's behaviour.

We found that systems for quality monitoring of the service were maintained. The concerns of people who used the service or their relatives were taken seriously and efforts made to resolve issues quickly.

We observed that staff engaged regularly with the people in the lounge. They were seen to walk with people, chat with others and responded positively and calmly to those people whose behaviour at times was challenging.

At this inspection we found that the general environment and atmosphere of the home was much improved and provided a more personalised and homely setting.

Staff were seen to be confident and effective in their handling of situations and in their general practice. They were in sufficient numbers to be able to spend quality time with the people they supported. This had significantly reduced the occurrence of aggressive incidents between the people living in the home toward each other, and had created a safer, calmer environment for them to live in.