Milverton Nursing 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.

The provider always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity.

During the inspection, staff were observed speaking to people in a friendly and respectful manner and supporting them with drinks and comfort in a discreet way. People and relatives gave positive feedback about the caring approach of staff. One person told us, “They are all very kind”, whilst another said, “I would say the care is dignified”. A relative confirmed, “The care workers are respectful… my relative looks cared for.” Staff were also observed knocking on doors before entering rooms, supporting people’s privacy and dignity.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, and support met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

The provider always treated people as individuals and recognised their diverse needs and preferences. There was clear evidence that staff knew people well and used this understanding to deliver personalised care. Care records contained detailed information about people’s histories, preferences and communication needs, and staff used this information to support people effectively.

Individual interests and preferences were promoted. For example, staff supported activities based on people’s likes, such as watching Wimbledon or participating in tailored activities, and used personal interests to support people to settle into the home.

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

Staff encouraged people to make daily decisions about their care, including what they wore, where they spent time and how they engaged in activities. Staff also aimed to allocate preferred staff to individuals and respected people’s wishes, including preferences around gender of care staff.

Care planning and daily practice reflected a focus on independence. Staff described supporting people to do as much as they could for themselves, for example encouraging people to eat independently with reassurance and guidance.

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.

The provider always responded to people’s immediate needs in a timely way. Observations and feedback showed that staff were attentive and responsive, including answering call bells promptly and supporting people when they required assistance. One person told us, “When I use [the call bell] the staff come along quickly.”

Staff worked together to ensure people’s needs were met throughout the day. During the inspection, there were sufficient staff visible who were supporting people with their care routines, offering drinks and monitoring wellbeing.

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

The provider supported staff wellbeing and enabled them to provide good quality care. There had been a strong focus on improving staff culture, communication and support, with structured supervision, appraisals and team meetings in place.

Staff spoke positively about the changes introduced by the management team. One member of staff described good communication and support within the staff group. Another staff member said, “There is passion for the job… the care team are very compassionate.” Initiatives such as staff recognition, wellbeing roles and opportunities for training and career progression helped to motivate staff and improve morale.

The registered manager ensured their staff felt valued. New staff recognition schemes had been introduced internally including staff member of the month awards. In addition, the service participated in the Local Authority’s care awards where a member of the nursing team won clinician of the year, and another member of the staff team came second in the resident’s choice award.