Priors Mead 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 70 (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 colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People told us they were treated with kindness, compassion and dignity and we observed this during our visit. The staff were kind and caring and responded to people’s needs promptly and discreetly. We observed the staff to be patient, caring, and displaying genuine affection and respect for people.

However, one person felt this was not always the case and said, “Most of the staff are always in a hurry and you can sense they can’t wait to get off at the end of their day.” They gave an example, “If I’m on the loo when they deliver my lunch they just leave it and run. And if I am there, as soon as something is delivered, they’re off.”

We fed this back to the registered manager who told us, “I will be speaking with the team to address the issue raised and to remind them of the importance of being fully present during interactions with residents, even during busy periods. It’s crucial that residents do not feel rushed or dismissed. Additionally, I will be incorporating a refresher with the team on our standards of compassionate care and person-centred service. As I am currently conducting staff supervisions, this topic will be included as a key discussion point, and I will also be observing care practices during peak times to support continuous improvement."

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 registered manager and staff knew people as individuals and were committed to ensuring people were treated as individuals.This included in relation to their faith and sexuality. One person told us, “I see all the faiths and nationalities represented” and another said, “I am a Buddhist but I can relax and meditate in the privacy of my room and my Buddhist friends are free to come and meet me here, and they have done.”

Care plans detailed people’s wishes and preferences and we saw evidence the staff knew and respected these. For example, one person’s care plan stated they liked to read a certain daily newspaper, and they were reading this on the day of our visit.

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 and independence were encouraged and promoted. Their personal, cultural, social and religious needs were understood and respected. There was a range of activities on offer which were varied and included external entertainers such as a harpist and an opera singer.

People’s aspirations were identified and respected. People’s care plans included their biography, preferred activities and what made them happy and fulfilled. The registered manager told us, “Our residents are always at the centre of every decision made in the home…. We pride ourselves on delivering care with kindness, dignity and empathy.” They added, “The residents are supported to continue doing things they can do and we support them in a dignified way when they are not able.”

Relatives told us there was a culture of community, and a homely atmosphere. Their comments included, “I am always able to talk to all staff. It is always lovely to be here” and “I am very happy with the home, happy [family member] is here."

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.

We observed staff supported people in a timely manner. People told us call bells were usually answered promptly, and staff would always take the time to check they were okay and offer assistance. One person said, “[Night care worker] is a delight, [they] want to know all about you and it is lovely to see [them]."

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

The provider and registered manager spoke positively about the staff team. There were systems in place to identify if staff had any specific health or wellbeing needs.

Staff felt supported and spoke of being a good team. Their comments included, “This is good place to work”, “I am proud to work here” and “The owners of the home are absolutely brilliant. They are like an extended family."