Archived: The Acorns

We spoke with the registered manager, one member of staff and all three of the people who currently use the service. We also observed the interactions between staff and the people and found that they were all treated with respect and kindness. The atmosphere was a happy and relaxed one. All those we spoke to said they liked living or working there.

We looked through people's care records and found that comprehensive assessments and care plans were in place. We saw evidence that the people who use the service and their families were actively involved in their care.

We observed a meal time during which the people who use the service required various levels of support. We spoke to staff and people who use the service about the food served. They told us how they enjoyed a wide variety of meals.

We talked to staff and looked at policies and staff records and found that systems were in place to safeguard the people who use the service.

We found that employees were supported in carrying out their roles effectively and those we spoke with stated that they were happy and felt well supported.

The staff were skilled at reading the body language of the people who lived at the home and were able to judgement when people agreed or disagreed with requests from staff. Staff knew the people who lived at the home well and had a good understanding of their needs.

Staff we spoke with told us that there were sufficient staff in place to be able to give the care and support that people needed and to a good standard. We looked at staffing rotas which evidenced that there was an appropriate level of staffing in place.

We found the home had a good system in place to manage medication, with clear guidance to staff to ensure that medicines were managed appropriately and consistently. We looked at staff records and other records relevant to the management of the home and found them to be accurate and fit for purpose.