Pottles Court

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 Outstanding. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 and staff treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity.

The staff group recognised maintaining people's dignity was linked to them feeling valued, respected and genuinely cared for. Staff practice demonstrated they understood the importance of physical comfort to people, especially those who could no longer express their feelings in words. Staff were affectionate, using a gentle touch to reassure people and to communicate with them. They took time to make eye contact to connect with people. We saw people choosing to hold staff members’ hands or cuddling into them.

When equipment was used, people’s clothing was adjusted by staff to maintain their dignity. People looked well cared for; 2 relatives told us their mum always looked good, wearing their own clothes with staff making sure they had their glasses on and hearing aids in.

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.

When people living with dementia struggled to make themselves understood, skilled staff showed compassion in supporting them to express their wishes and responded appropriately to people’s underlying mood. Staff showed patience and empathy, taking time to engage with people who found it difficult to express their thoughts and feelings. Care plans showed person centred information, such as “When I’m upset, I like a cup of tea with no sugar.”

Staff took time to ensure everybody living at the home felt part of the home's community. They recognised several people did not respond well to community living through their actions towards others. Therefore, they spent time in lounge areas where they could observe the life of the home but not be in direct contact with others. This meant they were still part of the home’s community.

We saw another person liked to walk around the ground floor and greet people as they passed. Their sociability showed their well-being. They told us, “Oh, it’s beautiful here.” Staff reacted in a welcoming manner and expressed pleasure at seeing them. The registered manager was a good role model as she welcomed people who liked to join them in the office.

Another person enjoyed their view of the garden and the bird feeder from their preferred seat. It was clear they had developed a bond with a staff member who spoke with them about the birds and filled the bird feeders under their supervision and instruction.

A person told us, “You’ll find nice people everywhere you go.” People's faces lit up when staff spoke with them about their favourite topics, such as farming. Staff knew people's history and their family connections. They spoke with people about those they cared about. Relatives said there was strong family involvement and described working in partnership with staff.

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

Staff recognised meal choice was an area people could control in their lives, and they had the right to change their minds. For example, staff showed patience when people made changes to their meal or where they sat. Four people sat together as they all liked to chat as they ate. Staff sat beside people if they needed assistance, making sure they were in their line of vision if they had a visual impairment.

A staff member explained how they took time to observe people’s interactions with each other. This enabled the staff group to plan where people sat and who they shared a table with. However, they recognised the impact of people’s changing moods or pain levels which meant staff needed to be flexible in their approach.

Staff also considered people’s expectations of others regarding table manners and the potential for criticism to impact negatively on other’s well-being. This influenced how they paired people as well as people’s natural affinity to different members of the community.

Throughout our inspection, people were encouraged to have a drink of their choice. This was offered in an informal manner and relatives said they were always welcomed and offered a drink. Staff in the kitchen worked alongside care staff to find food to meet people's preferences and choices. Discussions took place if a person's appetite had declined, and what alternatives could be offered that might tempt them to eat.

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.

Most people were unable to use the call bell to request help. Staff were vigilant and quick to respond to people’s requests or when their choices put them at risk. For example, walking alongside people when they were restless or providing a subtle prompt if they had forgotten their walking aid.

Staff recognised the importance of maintaining the dignity of people living with dementia, for example returning to people at different times with different staff when people were reluctant to have assistance with personal care. The registered manager described how the staff team took time to gain the trust and confidence of people who had recently moved in. They recognised they had to move at the person’s pace, particularly with personal care.

Relatives praised the staff group because they understood the different care needs of people and adapted their approach to each individual. One person had been unsettled for several nights, so the registered manager had come in to support night staff and spent 1 to 1 time with the person colouring, which calmed 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 invested in staff development to promote staff motivation and confidence. This in turn encouraged staff to provide a high standard of care which promoted people's wellbeing and meant they had a meaningful life. Staff were proud of the standard of care people received and generally felt they worked well together. For example, one said, "We are a really good team here, I include everyone in that, we have some international staff, they're all lovely and we all work well together."

Some staff reported there could be delays in addressing staff concerns and felt maybe this was because the registered manager was juggling so many jobs. This could be frustrating for staff. While we were inspecting, we saw how busy the registered manager was in meeting with families, people and liaising with health professionals, as well as updating records and governance. The plan was for them to be provided with support from an experienced manager and the nominated individual to manage their workload and delegate tasks.