Community Places

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 85 (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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People and family members all said they felt staff were exceptionally kind and caring. They described examples of when staff had gone the extra mile to support people. One relative said, “I wouldn't want [person] anywhere else. Staff have been amazing. [Person] hasn't been well over the last few years, and staff work extra to take [person] to the hospital. They have gone above and beyond with [person]. They are well-trained in [persons] health condition, and I really trust them. They keep me well informed and ring me even if it is only for a chat. They [staff] are like gold. When [person] was in hospital the staff fought [person’s] corner.” Another relative commented, “Theres not just one thing that's good about this home its everything and when you walk in it feels like a big hug. It's warm and welcoming. All the staff who open the door are always smiling. Its lovely there.”

Interactions between staff and people were consistently warm and friendly. People were relaxed in the presence of staff and laughed and joked with them and staff took the time to listen to people and understand them.

The provider was committed to respecting people, families and staffs’ emotional needs when experiencing grief or ill health. Supporting families with shared acts of kindness and empathy was embedded across the culture of the service.Where people showed signs of upset or distress staff tried to understand why and worked with the person to reduce their anxieties, until they were settled. There was constant reassurance and encouragement from staff.

The provider monitored staff wellbeing. This fostered high levels of resilience, with staff enabling them to respond calmly and compassionately even in the most difficult situations. The service promoted a strong work–life balance and supported staff both personally and within teams.

People’s privacy and dignity was protected as staff ensured confidential personal information was discussed in a private environment, and staff knocked on private bedroom doors before entering. Staff spent time with people individually, observing them discreetly or supporting them to engage if they were not involved in some activity.

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.

People were truly respected and valued as individuals and empowered to be partners in their care with a strong, visible person-centred culture lead by the provider and implemented by care staff.

People's care records were individualised and reflected their interests and preferences. Care plans provided detailed accounts of how people displayed specific behaviours, and management techniques of these including why some people had protected furnishings in their room. References were made to what people enjoyed doing and who was important to them. We saw where people liked to undertake particular activities, these were planned for in their weekly schedule and included trips to places of interest as well as leisure activities. People's usual daily routines were documented to ensure stability and consistency where people wereunable to verbally communicate their needs. This detail helped lessen incidents as staff promoted people's feelings of safety and reassurance.

Staff we spoke with were able to tell us about people who lived at the home, their likes and dislikes and any interests they had. Staff told us about people’s lives, what people enjoyed doing and people’s routines or habits. This demonstrated staff knew the people they supported well. One staff member spoke with us about how they communicated with one person and recognised their individual signs, gestures and actions along with picture cards and other prompts.

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

People and their relatives contributed to the development of their care records and worked collaboratively with staff to tailor the care in line with individual preferences.

People were seen to be engaged in activities throughout the day. Several people had their own vehicles which were used to support access to meaningful leisure activities. Staff knew about people’s health needs and personal preferences and gave them as much choice and control 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.

During the assessment we observed many positive interactions between people and staff. For example, we saw staff took time to meaningfully engage with people prior to a social activity taking place. We saw how some staff comforted and redirected people when they became emotionally distressed or helped sensitively when people needed support to maintain their personal care.

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

The leadership of the service promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptionally supportive and enabling of staff to always deliver person-centred care. An equality, diversity and human rights approach to supporting people and staff was embedded in the service. The service ensured staff were highly motivated to offer compassionate and kind care and support. All care staff confirmed the service supported their wellbeing to make sure they could give their best to people when at work.

Staff received regular supervision sessions and attended staff meetings. They told us they were well supported and encouraged with their professional development if that was important to them. One member of staff told us, “We bounce ideas of each other literally. We are not colleagues we are family and if we are upset, there is always someone to rely on or help us.”

The provider had implemented a range of initiatives to promote staff wellbeing and recognise contributions across the team. These included a confidential mental health support line, a women’s health champion that provided staff with access to health information. The provider organised a cultural celebration event to promote inclusion and diversity within the staff team and among the people we support. A staff member took the lead in sharing aspects of their cultural heritage by preparing traditional dishes for everyone. They introduced the team and supported individuals to the food, customs, and traditions of their culture, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation across the group.