Dewar Close

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 80 (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 were relaxed and happy in the company of staff and gave positive feedback about the care they received. One person told us, “All the staff are brilliant. I have never heard them being unkind to anyone, they treat us all with respect.” Another person told us, “Staff treat me in a very dignified way.” A relative commented, “The staff are lovely, and the atmosphere is great. They (staff) are very caring and helpful.”

We saw staff supporting people with kindness and understanding. During our inspection, 1 person became anxious and asked to return to their bedroom. A member of staff took the person’s hand and walked back to their room with them. The staff member sat with the person and gently encouraged them to talk about what was upsetting them. They gave the person time to speak, listened carefully and then provided comfort and reassurance which had a positive impact on the person. A visiting professional to the home told us, “Dewar Close is a very caring home. The staff know the individual needs of the residents really well, including actively supporting friendships within the home.”

Staff told us they enjoyed working in the home and being able to spend time with people to make their day better. One staff member told us, “Staff do interact with the residents and a lot of them have got very good relationships with the residents. You can see the residents respond to the staff." Another staff member told us a positive day at work was when, “They (people) are all smiling and it has been a good day, and they are happy. I am happy they have had a day they have enjoyed."

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.

Staff respected each person’s individuality and always acknowledged people by name as they passed them in communal areas. They took time to understand people’s preferences and routines which were reflected in their care plans. One person told us, “They do know me, they use my name all the time.” One staff member explained the importance of knowing people’s backgrounds and personal history. They told us, “It grounds you in reality and helps you remember there is a whole life here and a whole history. If you were in the same situation, you would still want the best out of your life." Another staff member commented, “It is their life, their history and who they are. It is everything about them.”

Managers and staff considered different ways of celebrating people’s strengths to promote positive outcomes for them. One person had been supported to rekindle their interest in writing poetry and had recently written a poem about their positive experiences of life at Dewar Close. Another person had taken responsibility for stocking the new café area with cups and snacks each day. This had enhanced their sense of purpose and positively impacted on their social engagement with others in the home. A third person had demonstrated anxiety looking for their children. Doll therapy had given this person a meaningful way of expressing their caring instincts.

Staff supported people to maintain their religious and spiritual beliefs. A community team attended the home every week to provide people with opportunities to engage in spiritual activities, including prayer and reflection. One person was accompanied by staff to attend services at the church they had worshipped at for many years. This had enabled the person to reconnect with old friends from the church community and ensured their spiritual needs were met in a way that aligned with their beliefs. Another person’s beliefs meant they preferred support from staff of the same gender. This was known and respected.

The provider’s director of quality and compliance told us they always considered the individual needs of people already living in the home when considering potential new admissions. They explained, “If we think it could impact the equilibrium of the other residents, then we would not accept them."

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

Staff understood the importance of encouraging independence to support emotional and mental well-being. One staff member explained, “The last thing we want to do is take away their independence so we encourage them to do as much as they can for themselves. It helps with their confidence and their mental health, and it keeps them physically fit as well. If you go in and do everything for them, it is not very dignified." Another staff member told us people chose when they wanted to get up or go to bed and when they required assistance from staff and commented, “I wouldn’t go into a room because it’s convenient for me; it’s their choice.” Where people required equipment to support their independence, we saw this was in place.

People were given a variety of opportunities for engagement and activity such as movie afternoons, physical exercise sessions, wellness walks and games afternoons. Information about planned activities was displayed within the home and people could choose what they wanted to participate in. One person told us, “They have lots of activities, I choose what I want to do. I do a bit of gardening; the staff help me.”

The provider employed therapists to support and encourage people to express themselves and reminisce through music. A member of the therapy team told us their aim was to bring, “A bit of joy and an enjoyable session. I get to know the residents 121 and find out what sort of musical taste they have got and about their backgrounds. I try and connect with them in that way with a recognition of their memories and bring them into the moment." During our inspection we saw the therapists playing for people in the communal café area. This gave people from different households an opportunity to spend time together and clearly gave people pleasure and enjoyment.

People could have visits from friends or relatives whenever they liked to. Relatives were invited to join their family members on planned trips into the community to enjoy the occasion and continue making memories together.

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.

People told us staff were generally available when they needed them. One person told us, “Staff are obliging, caring and well-trained.” Other comments included: “I have a bell on my bed, it takes about 10 minutes if I ring it” and “The carers are quick when I use my bell.”

Staff knew how to respond when people were anxious and promptly supported people when they were confused or distressed. Records confirmed staff had successfully reassured people during periods of anxiety and medication was only used as a last resort. Where a need was identified, staff promptly called for emergency healthcare support.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

The provider consistently considered their staff team and was proactive in introducing processes and policies to promote their well-being at work and at home. The Potting Shed was a committee created within the provider group focussed on supporting staff wellbeing. This included organising social events, sharing well-being tips and improving staff areas within the home. Staff also had access to a provider ‘app’ which gave them financial information, mental health support and other benefits to support their well-being. This was available to both staff and their families. Staff were supported if they were struggling at work. They had access to a mental health first aider and plans were in place to increase this offering so staff could reach out for emotional support when they needed it. The provider monitored staff to ensure they took adequate breaks and there was equity in workloads. A rota ‘app’ allowed staff to select their preferred shifts and pick up overtime if they wished to. The provider regularly reviewed their overtime practices to ensure compliance with working time regulations and to ensure individual staff did not do excessive overtime and had regular periods off work. Staff described flexibility in their working patterns to support their personal and caring responsibilities. One staff member with caring responsibilities at home told us, “Management have been supportive and offered me time off when needed.”

Staff were given opportunities to provide feedback on the service and suggest ways of improving their experiences. In response to feedback given, the provider had introduced ‘Wage Stream’ which provided budgeting tips and enabled staff to access their overtime payments and a portion of their salary prior to their designated pay day. This had provided greater financial flexibility for staff with 1 staff member commenting, “Having access to my wages early has been life changing. I feel more in control of my finances and less stressed about unexpected bills.”

Long serving staff were recognised with certificates and personalised messages of thanks from the provider and their colleagues. The registered manager told us they greatly valued their staff and said, “At Christmas I will be buy all the staff a little present. It is only a little token, but it is something to say thank you.” One senior staff member explained the importance of focusing on staff wellbeing and commented, “It is important to let them (staff) know they are valued by us. If they think they are not valued, they will end up leaving. Here, all the staff members are friends and know each other but we also know we have got a job to do."