Belle Vue Country House

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. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff spoke with people in a calm and respectful way; we saw staff supported people at their own pace. People and their relatives spoke positively about staff, comments from people included, “The staff are very good they're nice and they're experienced I've never had an issue, and I've been here for about 10 years.” And, “Some go the extra mile as a matter of course and do the job properly.” A relative shared, “The carers are all responsive, polite and caring. [Person’s] needs are so complicated and carers do understand them."

An appointed ‘dignity champion’ completed checks and supported staff if improvement actions were noted. We observed staff knocking before entering rooms, explaining care as they delivered it and supporting people discreetly. A dignity screen was available for staff to protect people’s privacy if they needed to be supported to move in communal spaces.
 

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 adapted their approach to reflect people’s individual personalities and preferences. Where people preferred to be referred to by their nicknames, this was respected. When people declined support, staff gave them time and returned later when they were ready. Interactions were familiar and relaxed, and staff adjusted communication styles to suit each person. For example, some people required gestures and visual cues to make decisions, we saw staff holding up alternative drinks for people to choose.

We observed some ball games were adapted to suit people’s abilities, this included the choice of 2 different sized balls. An activity worker had been newly appointed; they had completed some work to expand on the ‘about me’ section of people’s care plans. We saw some examples where further detail had been included in people’s care records.

Activity sessions were varied and included external entertainment. We observed people enjoying entertainment from a singer and keyboardist. Staff record keeping of people’s participation had improved so quality and enjoyment could be monitored.
 

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

People were offered choice by staff throughout the day, including what they wished to do, eat, drink and wear. We observed people were enabled to remain independent where possible and staff respected this. For example, a person wished not to use cutlery when eating, staff supported them to clean their hands before and during their meal.

Aids and adaptions were available around the service; this included a range of equipment to promote mobility and safe movement. A person told us they had a stand aid but would sometimes ask staff to support them with a hoist instead.

Activities were centred more about people’s choice, some people liked quieter activities. One person was working on an art book and told us, “I like colouring.” Another said, “I value peace and it's very peaceful here right out in the countryside.”
 

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.

We observed times where people expressed emotions and required staff to support them. Staff quickly responded to changes in people’s demeanour, and we saw people became relaxed after speaking with staff.

Staff were present to support people when needed, they also anticipated people’s needs. A relative commented, “Staff are very friendly and helpful. There’s always enough staff. I visit daily and there’s always 4 staff in the sitting room. When [person] needs help, then at least 2 staff assist them.”
People’s call bells were promptly answered throughout the assessment. When some people were unable to use their bells, a risk assessment was conducted, and staff would check in with them to make sure they had what they needed.
 

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

Staff remained content working at the service. Their comments included, “I do feel valued by the team and manager.” And, “Yes, the service treats me well and I am happy about the way I am treated and valued. The working pattern suits me perfectly and whenever I need adjustments the management accommodates them.”

Some staff had been enabled to achieve additional qualifications to further their careers. A recently qualified staff member told us, “I’m very happy with how I was supported with this by [registered manager].”

The provider had upgraded some of the staff facilities, so they had a pleasant environment to take breaks in. The staff board displayed birthdays and celebrated achievements such as the recent 5/5 food hygiene rating. There was a staff member of the month initiative to motivate staff to deliver quality care. A relative commented on this and said, “I want to say the manager has made a great effort to recognise both carers and nurses. Every month the home has an employee of the month. There’re photos of staff whose birthday is coming that month. Valuing staff improves the service.”