Crossroads Care - Forest of Dean and Herefordshire

People felt safe and were assured their needs would be met with respect and dignity. They were confident in the staff who supported them, some of whom they told us went, "above and beyond" and who they described as "friends". Risks to people were managed through the timely involvement of health professionals when needed and through reviews of people's needs when these changed.

People were cared for by staff who felt supported and valued in their role, were trained to meet their needs and had been recruited according to the values they held. Staff knew people well and understood their needs, they were able to use their knowledge to assist in developing the service as their ideas were welcomed and encouraged.

People's rights were upheld and the service was proactive in developing services that reduced barriers to people with disabilities. 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.

The service was proactive in catering to the holistic care and support needs of people (and their relatives) living in the rural community it served. Services had been developed, in partnership with other agencies and providers, to support people to remain living at home while improving their quality of life, to avoid hospital admissions and to enable people with support needs to be discharged quickly from hospital. Through the services provided, people and their relatives had developed their knowledge, friendships and support networks and could access activities they enjoyed, were meaningful and had positive health benefits for them.

People described a service they could rely upon and speak openly with, when their expectations were not met. People were able to contact the office easily and knew they would be listened to without fear of judgement or reprisal. Action was taken to improve the service in response to people's feedback. This gave people and their relatives peace of mind and allowed them to focus on the more enjoyable aspects of their lives and relationships.