All inspections: Chard Manor - Care Quality Commission

We observed care practices, talked to people in the service and staff and viewed care records to help us understand how people viewed this service. This was because some people did not communicate verbally and were therefore, not able to tell us about their experiences.

We saw that people who used this service received good quality of care and support. People were encouraged to express their views and were involved in their care. People's wishes were promoted at all times and staff were knowledgable about their support needs. Everyone had active social lives and appeared happy.

We saw staff treating people with dignity and respect, being supportive and patient. For example, being polite, listening carefully and spending time with people when they asked.

People and their families were encouraged to be involved in how the service was run and how people's person centred plans were developed. Each person's plans clearly reflected their needs and preferences.

Complaints and concerns were listened to and acted upon immediately and the service took all reasonable steps to prevent the possibility of abuse from happening.

People who lived in the home had communication difficulties so we were not able to ask some people about life in the home. People who we were able to speak with told us they were well cared for and that staff asked them about life in the home and listened to their views.

People used different methods of communication such as speech, sign language or picture symbols to help make choices about their day to day lives. They chose a wide variety of activities both inside and out of the home.

People were well cared for. One person said 'I am fine. I'm happy living here.' We asked another person if they were happy living at the home; they said 'Yes, I'm fine thank you.' We saw that people who were unable to express their views verbally appeared relaxed and content.

We read that people discussed their safety at the house meeting in February 2013. Everyone at this meeting felt 'safe' living at the home. None of the staff we spoke with had any concerns about any person being at risk of abuse.

People told us they liked the staff who supported them. One person told us "The staff are really nice to me." We saw that staff were available when people needed them.

The provider had various systems in place designed to monitor the quality of the service provided to people and to ensure people remained safe. These were used effectively.

Some areas of the home needed to be redecorated. This meant that people were not provided with a homely environment.

People who lived in the home told us that staff provided the care and support they needed. They said staff were kind to them and respected their privacy and dignity. One person told us 'I like all of the staff, they are nice to me and are kind'.

People who lived in the home were involved in various activities which they chose. People told us they went horse riding, swimming, for meals out of the home, day trips and attended college courses. One person said 'I have been shopping today to buy things for dinner. I do computers and I go horse riding'.

Another person said 'you can see the pictures of my holiday and you can read my monthly summaries if you like'. They then showed us the photographs of their holiday in June. They explained each picture and that they had enjoyed their holiday and liked the staff who supported them.

Each person who lives in the home was encouraged to make as many choices as possible and make the best use of their own skills and abilities. This was evident through both discussions with people who live in the home, with staff and observation of their communication and interaction.

People who lived in the home told us they felt well cared for and that staff were available when they need them. When we asked people if they had the support they needed one person said 'the staff help me but I can do some things myself'.

People who live in the home were asked if they felt safe during both their monthly meetings with a named member of staff and during house meetings. The records we looked at showed that people said they did feel safe. One person said 'the house is very safe' and another said they were 'happy with safety issues'.

One person told us 'I go out on my own. I like going out on my own, I go everywhere, into town, on the bus, everywhere'. Another person said 'I'm going to college today'. When we asked people if they had the support they needed one person said 'yes, I think so' and another said 'yes I do'. One person told us 'the staff are ok, I like some better than others'.

We saw that people spoke with each other independently of staff. One person asked another 'are you ok' and they replied 'yes I'm ok thanks'. Another person was seen holding another's hand and telling them how much they liked them, they told us 'we're friends'.

People we spoke with told us they liked the food in the home. One person said 'the food is good. I like to choose and I really like chicken'. Another person told us 'I like going shopping, I am very good at it'.

One person said 'I have my own room. I have my own laptop and I go on the internet'. We asked if they had everything they needed in their own room and they said 'yes I think so'. Another person said they 'liked spending time in their room watching DVDs'.

Archived: Chard Manor

All Inspections

27 August 2013

During a routine inspection

4 March 2013

During a routine inspection

4 November 2011

During an inspection looking at part of the service

22, 23 March 2011

During a routine inspection