The Woodlarks Centre

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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with respect.

People and their relatives told us staff were caring in their approach and took time to speak with them. One person told us, “I like the staff. They’re all nice.” One relative said, “The staff are so lovely and always come and talk to me, they are always talking to the residents.”

We observed staff knocking on people’s doors and announcing themselves before entering people’s rooms. When speaking with people, staff sat or knelt next to them and made eye contact. This created a friendly and positive environment for people.

People were able to receive visitors when they wished, and relatives told us they were made to feel welcome. Staff had worked with one relative to plan a celebration for a milestone birthday. We observed decorations being displayed, a party planned and people from the local area invited to join the celebrations.

People were treated as individuals when staff were providing their day-to-day care and support. Staff knew people’s well and understood what support they required. They showed regard for people’s personalities and offered support which was reflective of this. For example, where people preferred to spend time in a quiet environment or in their room, staff visited them regularly to check if there was anything they needed.

Staff promoted people’s independence in many areas which provided people with choice regarding their care and wellbeing. However, not all areas of increasing people’s independence were considered or planned for. For example, the majority of people had limited opportunities to be involved in the daily running of their home such as shopping, cooking, laundry and other household chores. People’s care plans did not reflect if these areas had been explored with them. The provider told us they would look at how people’s involvement could increase going forward and how their choices in these areas could be assessed as part of the planning and review process.

People told us the emotional and health support they had received had enabled them to grow in confidence and make plans for their future. One person told us they were making plans to move to more independent living and were being supported to work towards this.

Staff told us they encouraged people to do as much for themselves as possible when supporting with personal care and mobility. One staff member told us, “We don’t take over the care so they do things themselves as much as they can.” We observed staff supported people to eat as independently as possible and asked them where and how they wished to spend their time around their home.

People had access to an activities centre attached to the service. This was run by an activities team who supported people in interests such as arts and crafts, puzzles and the use of technology.

Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. Staff were attentive to people’s needs and responded to requests for support. Staff spent time with people when they appeared in low mood and understood the support they required. During our visit one person became unwell, distressed and anxious. Staff listened to the person’s concerns whilst providing reassurance and comfort. They took steps to ensure that items which were causing the person distress at the time were replaced which helped to reduce their anxiety.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff. Staff told us they felt the management team listened and acted upon any concerns raised. One staff told us, “They have helped and supported me in so many different ways. I feel blessed for the way I am treated and supported.”

The registered manager told us they valued the support the staff team provided and felt it was important to recognise this. They told us, “I always like to be around when staff are leaving so I can say thank you and check if there is anything they need from me. I want them to know they are appreciated and can come to any (member of the management team) if they have a problem.”