Dalewood is a respite care home with approximately 50 people who use the service for short periods of time. When we visited only one person was in and they were not able to communicate with us verbally about their experiences, however they interacted well with staff and appeared happy. They were enjoying watching a film on the television. We spoke later with the relatives of two people who use the service. Both told us that their family members enjoyed going to Dalewood. One said 'they have been a massive support; they have been excellent, outstanding'. Another said that they and their relative were 'happy with the service, we just sometimes struggle to get a place when we want one'.We were told by relatives that communication was good. They told us that before their relative went to stay staff checked to make sure any changes in their support needs were recorded. They said they and their relatives were happy with their involvement. They also said the staff at Dalewood supported people to continue with their 'usual' routine such as college as well as encouraging and supporting people to get involved with new activities.
The home was clean and tidy and records were kept to show that infection control measures were in place and followed.
Recruitment procedures were fair and thorough. Appropriate checks were completed on prospective staff members before they started work.
People were aware of the complaints policy and were confident they could raise concerns.