The Boltons

The premises are two interconnected houses and people live across three separate floors. There are single bedrooms, most of which have their own ensuite toilet and bathroom. There are some communal bathrooms, two communal dining rooms and a communal lounge. There is a large garden to the rear of the building.

People's likes, preferences and dislikes were considered. Staff had the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to support people. Staff had a good knowledge of people's needs. People received enough food and fluids to prevent malnutrition and dehydration. People's care was provided in conjunction with local and community-based health and social care professionals. The service was compliant with the provisions set out in the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The service was appropriately decorated and refurbished.

The staff were kind and caring. People and relatives were complimentary about support provided by the staff at The Boltons. People's rights were respected, and their dignity and privacy maintained. People's independence was promoted. People were involved, as far as possible, in their care planning and reviews.

Care plans were individualised. The daily notes were satisfactory. Some improvement in documenting people's emotional and psychological health was required. The service worked to prevent social isolation during the pandemic and lockdowns. There was a satisfactory complaints mechanism in place. There was good planning for people's end of life care.

The management team had correctly notified us of incidents required by the regulations. Improvements were made to the governance of the service. Audits and other quality assurance processes were better used to gauge, monitor and report on the quality and safety of care. Appropriate actions were taken when issues were identified. There was a positive workplace environment. The management team were knowledgeable, skilled and experienced and were able to lead the service well. The service showed transparency and accountability in reporting matters when things went wrong. We made a recommendation about reviewing the duty of candour process.

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 did not support this practice.