We spoke with the majority of people who used the service and were on the premises at the time of our visit. We spoke with staff of all grades and experience and the manager.We spent the morning sitting with people in the communal areas, chatting with them and observing the interactions between people and staff. We looked at a selection of care records including risk assessments and support plans.
People told us that generally the staff were good and that they felt at ease and comfortable talking with the staff. People told us they have regular meetings and discussions with staff about the care and support they need. They told us that they have their own copy of their support plan. Staff told us of the support they offer to people each day. The information we saw recorded in the support plans was consistent with what staff and people had told us.
People told us the food was good and there was a choice available. Kitchen facilities are provided for people who wish to cook for themselves. We observed the lunchtime meal to be a lively and busy period.
Some people require one to one support from staff to help reduce the risk of harm to themselves and others. We saw staff providing this level of support in a calm and effective way. We did not see anyone waiting for help and support when it was needed.
The manager and staff told us they feel that the current staffing levels are sufficient to meet the needs of people. The manager told us of the contingency plans for other staff to be available if there are any changes to the level of support people need.
Staff told us of the training programme that is arranged for them. All staff we spoke with told us they felt the training was sufficient for them to do their job.