Acorn Residential 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.

People were treated well by staff who worked at the care home. We received only positive comments about the managers and staff from people living in the care home, their relatives and external care professionals. People typically described staff as caring and kind. Comments included, “I like the staff. They knock on my bedroom door before they come in”, “My favourite is [name of staff member]. I like them the best” and “Staff interactions we have witnessed with our clients whenever we visit the care home are always warm, respectful and dignified. Communication between staff and residents is positive and supportive.”

People looked at ease and comfortable in the presence of staff. Staff treated people with compassion, dignity and respect. We observed staff interactions throughout our site visit were characterised by warmth and kindness. Staff were always attentive and reassuring to people and listened to what they had to say. For example, we observed people living in the care home always wanted to sit and interact with the staff. This indicated staff had built trusting and valued relationships with people living in the care home. Staff also spoke about people they supported in a respectful and positive manner.

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 received care and support from staff according to their individually assessed needs and wishes. People told us staff treated them or their family member as individuals and understood what their specific personal care needs, preferences and daily routines were. Care plans were personalised and contained detailed information about people’s strengths, likes and dislikes, spiritual and cultural needs, and how they preferred staff to meet their personal care and support needs and wishes. Staff knew how to protect people from discriminatory behaviours and practices.

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

Staff supported people to make informed choices about how they lived their lives and to be as independent as possible. One person told us, “I have my own walking stick so I can get around on my own and a mobile phone so I can call people whenever I want.” An external care professional added, “Staff consistently step back to allow the people they support to make their own decisions and choices, offering support only where needed rather than directing or overpowering them. This reflects an understanding of promoting independence and autonomy in line with good practice.” People could move freely around the care home and spent their time as they wished, with no unnecessary restrictions. We observed one person put on their own tie which they had chosen to wear that morning because they were going out for lunch that day. Care plans reflected people’s choices and decisions and gave staff a good overview of people’s differing dependency levels which meant they knew what people were willing and capable of doing safely for themselves. Care records were reviewed at regular intervals to make sure these remained up to date and current about people’s care and support needs.

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 supported people to access external health and medical care services as and when required. Staff were aware of people’s health care needs and how to respond to any immediate health care emergencies to minimise the risk of people becoming distressed or unwell, emotionally and/or physically.

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

A member of staff told us, “Most of the staff who work here are related by blood or marriage which means there’s a real family feel about the home.” Staff said they felt happy and safe at work.