Adelphi Residential Care 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.

The provider treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated each other and colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

A bathroom in the lower ground floor of the home had an unpleasant odour which did not protect the dignity of people when they received personal care.

However, we witnessed staff interacting with people in a person-centred way, using preferred names and sharing ‘in’ jokes with people. Staff were knowledgeable in their understanding of people’s likes and dislikes and their needs around support. One member of staff told us, “I treat the residents like I would want to be treated. Talk to them, really get to know them, respect what they have to say and listen to them.”

We observed staff supporting 1 person with their mobility in a considerate and compassionate manner, giving verbal encouragement and talking with the person when it became apparent the person was struggling. A person told us, “I have family, but the staff here are my second family. I am with them all the time and we have a lovely friendship. The staff are kind and caring.”

Staff received training in treating people with dignity and kindness, person centred care, behaviours that challenge and dementia.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure that 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.

Staff knew the people who lived at the home well and had good knowledge about their preferences. Care records were person-centred and contained life history sections in which people shared what was meaningful to them. Some people living at the home had ‘about me’ information on display in their bedrooms allowing staff to have good knowledge and awareness at a glance.

One person living at the home told us, “I think staff know us so well and how to treat each person. We all need something different. I always feel well cared for and respected.” A member of staff told us, “We make sure care plans are person centred and detailed with people's personal beliefs. Everyone is treated equally and with respect, it doesn't matter about age, gender or disability.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

We received mixed feedback about how much people and their relatives were involved with their care planning, although staff encouraged people to make choices and supported them to maintain their independence. People chose what to wear, what time to get up or go to bed, which days to have a shower or bath, and which area of the home to spend time in. A member of staff told us, “We try and involve residents in all aspects of their care by talking to them and finding out what's important. It's their life and they should be able to do what they want. We try to make it as safe as possible, but it's their choice.”

People were given 3 meal choice options at both lunch and dinner times, and further options were available if people wanted. We spoke to 1 person who told us it was their preference to sit in the quiet lounge in the morning to read the newspaper and then retire to her room in the afternoon.

People’s preferences were noted in their care records; we witnessed staff encouraging people to be as independent as possible. One person living at the home told us, “What I do is up to me.” Another person told us, “I love the way the staff chat with me about what I want or need. I make my own choices.” A relative said, “My [relative] likes to be independent, and staff support this whilst keeping a close eye on her. Her medication is overseen by the home.”

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. Staff usually responded to people’s requests for support quickly.

When people’s needs changed, we saw evidence of referrals to other healthcare professionals such as speech and language therapy, dieticians and the district nursing team. The relatives of 1 person living at the home told us, “We had a meeting this morning with the GP which was arranged by the manager to look at mums end-of-life care.”

People living at the home were able to access weekly health visits from an advanced nurse practitioner, and 6-8 weekly appointments from a chiropodist. A local mobile hairdresser also regularly visited the home, and the home received weekly visits from the church to provide pastoral support.

The provider sought the views of people living at the home, and their relatives, by holding resident and relative meetings, and used questionnaires.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to deliver person-centred care.

Although staff told us there were no employee benefits, staff told us they enjoyed their roles and were happy working at the service. A staff member told us, “We really are like a family here and we all support each other, staff and residents together. It's such a nice place to work.”

All levels of staff told us the registered manager was supportive, listened to their views and made reasonable adjustments to their working practices. A member of staff said when the physical requirements of the job became too much, the registered manager made adjustments so they could continue to work. Another member of staff told us working for the service, “Has been a welcome change to previous experiences.”