Harwood House

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.

The provider ensured the staff team treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with respect. We observed staff delivered care and support that was caring and person-centred which had a positive effect on people. People responded well to staff, and it showed they enjoyed each other’s company. When people needed support with their personal care, this was done respectfully and by preserving people’s privacy and dignity. People and relatives said, “Everyone is so lovely and responsive, it is so comfortable and I couldn’t say anything wrong”, “Oh yes [staff] are [caring and kind], to everyone here at the home – I talk to most of the residents and the staff are so kind”, “I have only ever had positive interactions with [staff] – [the person] has never said they have been rude or unkind” and “I am happy with staff, they are kind and preserve dignity.”

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. The manager and staff understood how to treat people as individuals and to make sure the care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences. During assessment process, they took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. The manager encouraged a positive and appropriate approach while supporting people and their diverse needs. The provider gathered all the detailed information about potential people such as their abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics, to ensure care and support would be tailored to their needs. Staff demonstrated they knew the needs of the people, offering choices and giving time to respond. Staff said, “I always knock-on [people’s] doors; it’s their home. I address [people] by their preferred title, talk nicely and listen; I maintain dignity doing it in a person-centred approach that shows respect getting the care they want” and “We knock on the door and ask if it is ok to go in and if [people] want us in there. We don’t impose – it’s their space and home.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People’s choices were respected and met, and staff encouraged them to remain independent and be in control of the care they received as much as possible. Staff ensured people were involved with their care, promoting independence whenever possible. Staff explained how they supported people with daily tasks and support providing guidance as and when needed. People were involved in different activities and were supported to maintain local community links. The service had a wellbeing team that supported people to have a meaningful and positive life and help maintain independence and their abilities. Staff were complimentary of the wellbeing team and the positive effect it had supporting people. One staff told us the wellbeing team would discuss with people their life story and wellbeing care plan. People and staff would have weekly plans of different activities that people could get involved. Any specific wishes or interest were also included as much as possible.

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. The manager and the staff listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. They worked together to ensure this was a priority, so staff were able to anticipate any changes. Staff considered and responded to people’s needs in a timely way and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. Staff considered people’s individual needs to provide what they needed and seek timely help if their health or wellbeing deteriorated. Relatives said, “[Staff] have put night light in the corridor now where [the person] is so [the person] can see where they’re going, and that does help” and “Yes, [the person] is quite particular of how things are done and there has never been an issue with staff”.

The provider and the managers cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff spoke positively about the care from the senior team and support they provided to staff when needed. All staff told us they felt valued and spoke positively about the managers and supportive culture in the service. The manager told us how they communicated with staff regularly and encouraged to share any feedback to ensure staff were included in the service. The manager wanted to ensure staff felt supported and appreciated during ongoing changes at the service. The staff told us they enjoyed working at this service. They felt the managers were accessible, open, and supportive. One staff added, “My experience is I have a brilliant relationship with all the nurses and the culture in the home is good…I am settled – happiness comes first.” People and relatives agreed staff were supported and treated well. They said, “[Staff] seem to be very happy with what they do and how they are with the residents, they are all very pleasant and friendly”, “I think there is a very good atmosphere, all the staff are very cheerful”, “Yes, I would say they all do seem very happy at work” and “Yes definitely I think they are all receptive and friendly and seem to enjoy what they do”.