People in this service express their views about their likes and dislikes in various ways, such as using non-verbal communication, pointing at objects and sounds. Therefore we observed how people were being supported and cared for.The majority of people had lived in the service for some years and several members of staff had worked in the service for many years and were familiar with how to support people appropriately.
People using the service have some opportunities to make choices about what they do in their lives and we saw that staff were aware of people's preferences. Staff were able to support people with these choices as they understood the different ways people communicate.
People have the support of family members or advocates who promote their welfare and rights.
There are times when there are not sufficient numbers of staff working with people to be able to support them in the service or out in the community.