Yew Tree Cottage Residential Home

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect..At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff always treated people with kindness, compassion and respect, and protected their privacy and dignity.

Staff interactions were consistently warm, patient and caring. Comments from people included: “Staff are all nice, gentle with me”, “Not met anything here but kindness” and “Staff are very nice to me. Always kind. Kindness is important.” This reflected what we saw during our visit, where interactions between people and staff were kind and affectionate.

Relatives also praised the compassionate approach of staff. One relative said, “All the staff seem lovely and caring. We've been very happy since [name] moved into the home. She seems very happy, content and well cared for.”

We read compliments which had been sent by relatives which described kind and compassionate care. One thanked staff for their, “Kindness and care looking after dad over those last few years. Lovely he could spend his time in such ideal surroundings."

The provider always treated people as individuals and tailored care to people’s needs, preferences and histories. People’s rooms were personalised and arranged to support comfort and independence, such as keeping mobility aids, snacks, drinks, call bells and other personal items visible and within reach.

People told us staff knew them well and responded to what mattered to them, including supporting routines and interests.

Staff had a detailed knowledge of people and their preferred routines. Care planning information included people’s personal histories provided by family members, alongside assessed risks and monthly reviews.

Relatives were complimentary about how respectful and attentive staff were, and people felt listened to and involved.

Staff always supported people to have choice and control and to be as independent as possible.

People said they made everyday choices about their routines. People also described being able to ask if they needed any help or support. One relative said their family member was, “A very independent person really. He always has been and wants to continue to be, so he chooses what he likes to do. He enjoys walking around the home independently and also likes to walk in the garden. The staff are happy for him to do as much for himself as he can.”

The environment was accessible for people, with adaptations to help people remain independent. Staff supported people to make decisions about their care and wellbeing and involved family members when people needed help to decide.

The provider always responded promptly to people’s immediate needs and sought to anticipate and reduce discomfort or distress.

People described staff being available and responsive, including at night. One person said, “They [staff] come immediately” and people felt reassured that staff were close by when needed. Staff knew people well so picked up quickly on any changes. Staff checked on people regularly if they were in their own rooms and used additional measures for individuals when required, such as a motion sensor to monitor risks for 1 person which the person had agreed to.

People also said staff helped them attend health appointments without delay and worked with other professionals to make sure people’s current or changing care needs were met.

The provider always supported staff to feel valued, enabled and part of a positive team, which helped them deliver consistent, compassionate care.

There was a small, stable and cohesive staff team. Most staff had worked at the home for several years. Staff described morale and teamwork as very good and said they were well supported. One staff member described “Good support” from managers and said the staff were a “Brilliant team”, who worked flexibly to cover shifts and meet people’s needs.

Staff received hands-on, practical training, including being observed before working independently, and knew who to raise any concerns they had with. There was an ‘on-call’ support system for staff provided by the registered manager and deputy manager. One staff member said, “[The registered manager] comes in if needed. [The deputy manager] lives even closer and will come in if you call.”

Overall, staff were extremely positive about the home and would recommend the service as a very good place to work.