The Chestnuts

People's experience of using this service: ● Staff had real care and empathy and knew people well. Staff were extremely caring, kind and compassionate. They also conveyed they really valued working with people at the home. ● The team worked hard to focus on providing an atmosphere like a family home. Staff were calm and unobtrusive, allowing the person to be the focus of attention and promoting equality for all. ●Staff were knowledgeable and confident in ensuring better outcomes for people. The staff had a clear understanding of their role and how to best support people. ●People really benefited because the registered manager led with a clear vision to enable people to live fulfilled lives as independently as possible. ●There was a transparent culture where staff felt able to discuss issues or incidents in an open way. This in turn promoted improvement. Positive teamwork and communication was embedded in the team. ●People were at the heart of the service and there were many celebrated positive outcomes for people. ●Care records reflected people's needs thoroughly and in a person-centred way. For example, each person had their own unique pictures used alongside their care plan. This was to help them understand what was written. ● People were supported to take positive risks and be as independent as possible. People were enabled through encouragement to be independent and undertake as much as possible for themselves. ● Risk assessments were detailed and ensured people experienced minimal restriction. There were many ways people were supported out of their usual routines and encouraged to try new experiences. ●People benefited because a range of initiatives were used to assist people to communicate their preferences, choices and make decisions. ●Staff went to great lengths to support people who lacked capacity to express their wishes, and staff were unhurried and patient. The communication plan stated reasons why a person might want to communicate and how certain behaviours may indicate a specific way of expressing a need.

Rating at last inspection: The service was rated Good