National Care Standards: Care Homes for People with Mental Health Problems

7-11 Settling in

7 Moving in
8 Making choices
9 Feeling safe and secure
10 Exercising your rights
11 Expressing your views

Introduction to standards 7 to 11

Moving in

People take time to settle into a new home, particularly if the move is going to be long term. You can expect that the manager and staff will be sensitive to your feelings and worries during this period. They will respect your right to make choices about how your accommodation is provided, and how your support and care needs are met.

Making choices - feeling safe and secure

You have the right to make decisions about your life and care in the home, and you can feel safe and secure while living there. You also have the right to choose the risks you want to take, as long as there is a sensible balance between your individual needs and preferences, and the safety of staff and other people living there.

Exercising your rights - expressing your views

The staff and manager must always respect and actively promote your rights. You keep your rights and you also have a responsibility not to infringe the rights of others. The care home must take your comments, concerns and complaints about the quality of the service and your experience of it seriously. They are your way of contributing to and influencing how the home is run and how the services are delivered.

Moving in

Standard 7
You are welcomed by staff, and they encourage and support you, helping you through the stages of moving in.

1 You have a named member of staff (key worker), who will draw up your personal plan with you, check its progress and stay in regular contact with you and everyone involved in providing your support and care. If you are receiving nursing care, your key worker may be a nurse.

2 You can discuss your needs at all reasonable times with your key worker.

3 If you are not certain about whether you are making the right move, you can speak to the staff or your representative, who will discuss with you the choices that are available to you.

Making choices

Standard 8
You have the right to make decisions and choices about your life, and the support and care you receive.

1 You achieve the aims set out in your personal plan helped by the support and care of skilled staff.

2 You have information about the choices that are available to you while you live in the home, and the effect they will have on you. If you want, you can ask for an independent representative or for specialist advice.

3 You have time to consider your choices without pressure.

4 Unless there are legal reasons for you not to do so, you can carry out your own financial, legal and other personal business at a time that suits you. You can decide who should know about and have access to your personal business.

5 You can keep and control your money and your personal belongings, unless your individual circumstances mean that specific legal arrangements have been made.

6 You can choose to employ your own worker or personal assistant as well as using staff who are employed in the home.

Feeling safe and secure

S tandard 9
You take responsibility for your own actions, secure in the knowledge that the home has proper systems in place to protect your interests.

1 A sensible balance is offered to you in everyday events and activities, between the reasonable risks you want to take and the safety of the staff, other residents and visitors. This results from the home's individual risk assessment approach.

2 You are fully involved in your own risk assessment, as are any other people you may want to be involved, such as a family member or independent representative. You receive a copy of your risk assessment report.

3 You can discuss risks with staff.

4 You can summon assistance easily and quickly, using a reliable and efficient alarm system.

5 You are reassured about your safety from intruders by knowing that the home has a system where all visitors need to get permission before they can enter.

6 Staff record and investigate any accidents or incidents, including any episodes of restraint, telling relatives, carers or other representatives if you want them to.

7 You are confident that you are living in an environment that is free from bullying, harassment and discrimination and any other form of abuse.

8 You are confident that staff will not use restraint at all unless it is permitted by law and even then restraint will not be used until other interventions have failed (unless it is legally required).

9 You are told by staff about the need for insuring your personal belongings.

Exercising your rights

Standard 10
You keep your rights as an individual.

1 You are confident that staff will treat you politely at all times and always respect your individuality.

2 Staff call you by your preferred name or title at all times.

3 If you need help, your request will be dealt with politely and as soon as possible.

4 Confidential information about you is only shared with others if you give permission, unless the law requires otherwise.

5 You will be told why any information cannot be kept confidential and who has the right to look at it.

6 You can be sure that your confidential records are held securely.

7 You can see for yourself that records are kept confidential and access to them will only be permitted in controlled circumstances.

8 If, for any reason, for instance where specific legal provisions apply, you do not have free access to your records or if they cannot be kept confidential, you will be told why this is and who does have the right to look at them.

9 You are supported in keeping your civil rights (for example, in voting at elections).

Expressing your views

Standard 11
You are encouraged to express your views on any aspects of the care home at any time.

1 You can freely discuss any concerns you have with your named worker, other residents or any member of the care home's management.

2 You know how to make a comment or complaint to the home about the service. You are also aware of the procedure for making formal complaints directly to the Care Commission.

3 The home deals with concerns and complaints quickly and sympathetically, and provides full information about what will happen as a result of the complaint.

4 You are encouraged and supported to use an independent and confidential advocacy service that can act for you. Staff will have information about any service that would help you in this way.

5 If you have an independent representative (for example, an independent advocate), staff will listen to what he or she has to say on your behalf, as if you were expressing the views yourself.

6 If you belong to an advocacy group, staff will take seriously suggestions or proposals that come from the group.

7 You can play a part in the Care Commission's inspection of your service.

8 The manager of your care home will make available a copy of each inspection report about the home so that you and your representative can look through it in your own time.