Care Guaranteed

There were enough staff, who had been safely recruited, available and working to provide live in care and support and to cover staff holidays. Staff suitable to become live in companions were recruited and matched to people. This companionship was to provide emotional support and to ensure people were safe to continue living at home. Staff understood how to protect people from abuse or discrimination and what actions to take if they were concerned. Any risks to people and staff were assessed and medicines were handled safely.

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. Staff were trained to support people effectively and the registered manager provided regular support and guidance to staff. The registered manager worked with health and social care professionals along with family and legal representatives to understand people's needs, health and well-being needs and to ensure these were met. Staff supported people to eat regularly, cooking and preparing meals when required.

Staff were caring and had developed friendly relationships with people and their families. They treated people with respect and ensured their privacy and rights were protected. Staff knew people well and understood the importance of supporting their independence and maintaining their everyday routines. Care plans reflected peoples support needs and how they wanted to spend their time. The emphasis for staff was to support people to live their lives as close as they would if they were living alone. A staff member told us, "My main role is to assist and enable them to do as much as they can for themselves." A complaints procedure was available people, their relatives and legal representatives were listened to with any concern or complaint taken seriously and resolved.

The registered manager was keeping the service small to ensure they maintained a full management overview of all the services provided. In this way they knew people, their relatives and legal representatives well along with the staff provided. Feedback about the registered manager was positive from all contacts

and they were held in high regard for their approach. They maintained an inclusive and open culture where people and staff were listened to and valued. The registered manager was approachable and easily accessible. Regular spot checks and reviews were completed by the registered manager and in this way, they received regular feedback from everyone involved in the service provided.