Longley Health Care Limited

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 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 told us, “Staff are very nice to me.” And “They [staff] always knock before coming into my room.” A relative told us, “Staff always make me feel welcome. I find all the staff lovely. The staff are very approachable.” And “I am really pleased with the home. [Relative] says, 'it feels like home and that they belong there’. The staff understand my relative’s needs. They [relative] can become agitated sometimes particularly during self-care, but staff are able to manage this and support my relative.”

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. A relative told us their relative was, 'very settled’ at the service and that they had fewer periods of distress since moving to the home. Another relative told us, "[Relative] always likes to be smartly dressed and staff maintain this.” When [relative] needs anything, staff help them to get things and make sure, they are what they like.” People’s care plans identified their specific support needs and guidance was provided for staff in relation to their preferences and wishes in relation to their support. A staff member told us how they promote individuality, “By identifying people’s interests, abilities, and goals and then planning opportunities that match these. Activity staff provide support with travel, mobility, and any equipment or support needed to participate safely. They also plan and schedule activities according to individuals interests such as day trips, attending social events, clubs, exercise, volunteering, or learning opportunities. This is done in a way that encourages independence, confidence, and decision-making.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People were supported to have choice and control over their care, and treatment. Their preferences, goals, and choices were recorded in care plans and respected by staff. People were encouraged to make day to day decisions. Care plans detailed what activities people enjoyed and when they preferred to have their daily support. Where people were unable to make these decisions, staff knew people well and were able to present informed choices to support people in making those decisions. A person told us, “There are always activities going on such as theme days, music and visits by animals to the home.” A relative told us, “Staff took my relative to places such as the airport to watch the planes, to Meadowhall to watch the trains and to have fish and chips. These were all the things my relative had enjoyed when they had lived at 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. The service had a call bell system which people could use to alert staff when they required support. If a person was unable to use the call bell, alternative equipment was used to alert staff which included falls sensor mats. Staff also carried out and documented regular checks to ensure people’s safety. When there had been a change in a person’s needs staff contacted the relevant healthcare professionals to ensure people received the support to meet their needs. Where a fall or other incident occurred, staff followed the reporting procedure to identify if changes were required to a person’s care plan which were implemented.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff told us they felt supported and well-trained for their role. A staff member commented, “I do receive regular supervisions and appraisals, which allow me to discuss my performance, identify areas for development, and raise concerns. During these meetings, I feel listened to and supported by my manager. My manager is approachable and provides guidance when needed, which helps me feel supported in my role.” The service had an employee of the month scheme and held an awards ceremony to support achievements; this supported staff to feel valued and respected by other colleagues and leaders. The service prided itself on their value of ‘teamwork’ and showed us their staff well-being board, which encouraged staff to prioritise well-being and demonstrated how different staff cultures had been celebrated.