Gough House

Gough House is spread over three floors. The ground floor is made up of a lounge, dining room and bedrooms. The first and second floors are made up of bedrooms. There are communal bathing and toilet facilities on each floor. All floors can be accessed using a stairlift. The registered manager's office is located on the first floor and there is a garden accessible to people. There is parking available to the front and rear of the building.

People's needs were assessed, and care plans reflected these. People told us they were involved with planning their care. People were supported to eat and drink in ways that suited their individual needs and people spoke positively about the food provided by the service. When required, people were supported to access healthcare services and the staff worked effectively with these services to ensure good outcomes for people. People were encouraged to personalise their rooms, equipment was available if and when people required it. People's consent was sought before they were supported by staff. People were supported to access activities that were relevant and meaningful for them.

People's needs were responded to and people confirmed this. People told us they felt comfortable to complain but people we spoke with told us they didn't need to complain. No-one using the service was receiving end of life care during our inspection.

People, relatives and staff spoke positively about the registered manager, the registered manager was visible in the home and accessible to people. People and relatives felt listened to and said communication with the service was good. Staff told us they worked as a team to achieve good outcomes for people and that people received good care. The registered manager used a programme of quality audits and checks to maintain oversight of the service. The registered manager was proud to have been nominated for an award and updated us after the inspection that a further five nominations had made it through to the 'semi-finals'

People felt safe and told us they received care and support from competent staff in a safe way, people said there were sufficient levels of staff to meet their needs. People were protected from the risk of potential harm and abuse because staff were confident about understanding what abuse was, what it looked like and actions they would take if abuse was suspected. Risks were assessed and managed to ensure people were

not placed at risk of avoidable harm. Medicines and creams were managed safely, this included the use of body maps for creams. People were protected from the spread of infection because staff wore personal protective equipment, the environment was clean and free from malodours. The provider learned from mistakes when things went wrong.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.