User Survey’s and Views of the Home

We are committed to maintaining and improving the quality of our service. We have a comprehensive Quality Policies and Procedures Manual, which is constantly under review and revision. All significant policies are contained here including our complaints procedure. An important part of our approach to quality assurance is to obtain the views of all our stakeholders, particularly those of residents, relatives and their representatives. We do this by our regular reviews with individual residents and, on more general matters, through separate meetings with residents and relatives.

Our Service

Castlehead strives to create an enabling environment which assists in promoting a person centred approach to meeting care needs. Residents are encouraged to maintain control over their lives by expressing their individual need, choice and preference. Appropriate assistance and support in fulfilling each resident’s care needs is given in a manner which always aims to ensure comfort and well being. Our staff are educated in the importance of the above and implement these principles throughout their interactions with residents. Our person centered care seeks to view each individual as a whole and how each person is influenced by factors beyond their physical changes; such as changes to the brain for the person with dementia. Our approach subscribes to the following principles: Individuality: All people are unique regardless of their illness Complexity: People are complex beings who are influenced by many factors such as personality, physical health, neurological impairment, as well as the social and physical world surrounding them. Enabling: We recognise the strengths and abilities of our Residents and we ensure that opportunities exist for residents to utilise their skills. Self Awareness: We recognise that each individual has a sense of self (who we are & what place we hold in our world). We place emphasis on the positive effects of daily interaction with other people. Value of others: We recognise the benefits of person-centered care for everyone. Castlehead’s organisational values embrace the principles of person centered care and in so doing we value the important roles of our staff, we embed the principles of person centered care in our policies and procedures and we use the same principles not only to support our residents but to support our staff and our residents’ relatives as well.

Complaints

Castlehead has a complaints policy, which is displayed in the entrance to the Home. All Residents are given a copy on admission and relatives are made aware of it. Staff new to Castlehead are made aware of our procedures. Records are kept of all complaints made and includes the details of any investigations and actions taken. Under the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 and the Children's Act 1989, you have the right to make a complaint and the management at the Castlehead Nursing Home have a duty to respond promptly and fairly. You can use the following to help improve the Homes' services to you. All comments, complaints and suggestions are welcome. This is in order to help us to ensure that Castlehead delivers the best possible service to both Residents and staff.

Who can complain?
	Any user of Castlehead's facilities, it includes Residents, relatives, visitors and staff.

How can you complain?
	Talk to the person in charge at the time of the cause of your complaint. Alternatively speak to the Manager/Matron or Nurse-in-Charge at your earliest opportunity. Your complaint may be verbal or in writing.

Who might help you besides your relatives or friends?
	• Voluntary organisations • Citizens Advice Bureaux • Disability groups • Advocacy groups • Community Health Council • Nursing Home Inspection Unit

What will happen next?
	The Manager/Matron or Nurse-in-Charge will contact you to discuss your complaint. You may have someone with you at all times for support, such as a relative, friend or advocate. Your complaint will be investigated by the Manager/Matron or Nurse-in-Charge, but if it cannot be resolved it will be passed onto the Directors of the Nursing Home.

Protection

The Home uses a range of mechanisms to protect residents' well-being. All entry and exit doors are alarmed to alert us to unauthorised access. The entrance door is operated by a coded keypad to ensure the safety of those residents who like to wander. We have a range of nurse call options that will suit most of our residents' needs. All staff are thoroughly vetted and once appointed are trained and developed to enhance their performance and the quality of the care they deliver. All Residents can be assured that they will be protected from abuse or mistreatment. Management maintains a policy of zero tolerance to all acts of abuse/mistreatment whether it is deliberate, through negligence or ignorance on behalf of the staff. Every allegation of abuse/violence and mistreatment will be promptly investigated by the Manager/Matron. If proven appropriate action will be taken and in some instances the dismissal of the person(s) may result. All details of the incident and investigation and evidence will be documented. Where necessary, any member of staff dismissed and thought to be unsuitable to work with vulnerable elders will be referred to the Protection of Vulnerable Adults Register for consideration that they be black-listed.

Safe Working Practices

The Home ensures as far as is reasonably practicable the health, safety and welfare of all persons entering the Nursing Home and its grounds. The Management recognises its responsibilities under the Health and Safety Act Work Act 1974 and subsequent Regulations. Briefly these are: • The need to provide for all employees, Residents and visitors and environment that is as healthy and safe as is reasonably practicable. • The responsibility for creating and maintaining such an environment • To arrange and give adequate training to all employees to ensure they know what they must contribute All activities under Management's control are continually assessed and reviewed with regards to health and safety criteria. Our Management consider the statutory requirements as the minimum acceptable and will strive to achieve standards superior to those required by law.