Edgar Street Residential 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 outstanding. At this assessment the rating has remained outstanding. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service
 

This service scored 90 (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 was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

There was a strong person-centred culture instilled by the manager, which helped enable staff to care for people with genuine kindness and empathy. As people were supported by core staff teams, staff had the time to get to know people and to understand their care and support needs, wishes and choices. The home had an assigned wellbeing champion, to oversee birthdays, celebratory events, and other occasions that were meaningful to people living at the home, such as inviting relatives into the home to celebrate their birthdays with people. One person’s family followed Judaism, and the home had celebrated Hannukah, prepared and shared food that reflected this culture, and held a culture night to learn more about the Jewish faith. People at the home enjoyed a range of culture nights, eating food from around the world and learning about different faiths and fashions. When arranging these culture nights, people’s personal connections and interests had been considered, such as places they had been to on holiday, and countries where family members had been born. People at the home also showed their support of a staff member, by holding a culture night based around their religion.

During our assessment visit we witnessed staff adapting their support and communication styles when responding to different people. One person at the service was receiving 1:1 care and support and when agitated, staff indicated this by saying the person was feeling a ‘bit red’. This indicated to other staff the person required space to express themselves freely. Managers and staff had considered the phrase used to communicate this, as the person had a liking for the colour red, and therefore this word was comforting to them.

We saw evidence that following a bereavement a person was supported by staff to access and engage with a grief counselling service. This in turn prompted conversations with others on how to best support others experiencing bereavement, and lead to further conversations around their own funeral plans. When appropriate, people at the home were educated around safety, dignity and privacy when engaging in sexual relationships with themselves and others.
 

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

People received personalised support that reflected their lived experiences, preferred routines, their likes and dislikes, and what mattered to them. One person was able to tell us how staff had supported them to rebuild their confidence and overcome their fear of using stairs, following a previous accident that had left them traumatised.

Care plans contained detailed, robust and accurate information, and were meaningful and person-centred. They captured people’s preferred ways of communicating, their interests, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, and physical health needs. People had ‘key workers’ and staff were able to use their knowledge of each person to deliver support that helped people feel valued, respected and understood.

People were treated with dignity and respect, free from discrimination, and in ways that celebrated people’s unique characteristics and individual personalities. There were multiple examples of people’s wishes being made a reality. For instance, holidays abroad, swimming with dolphins, sky dives, concerts and sporting activities. People shared these stories with us with pride, and told us how they felt they could achieve anything they wanted to.

Staff routinely went ‘the extra mile’ to help people live fuller, richer lives with recognised improvements in independence, social confidence improved wellbeing. Relatives told us about the confidence that staff and managers had developed and instilled in people. One relative told us, “My [relative] is celebrated for who [person] is, they never experienced that at their last home.” A professional told us how multiple staff had supported a person to attend a medical appointment, even though they received no additional funding for this.
 

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

Staff consistently delivered support that upheld people’s autonomy and respected their preferences. Care plans were highly personalised and aligned with individual routines, strengths and goals. They placed strong emphasis on independence, dignity and active involvement in decision making. The manager provider demonstrated an outstanding commitment to empowerment, which led to noticeable improvements in people’s wellbeing, confidence and overall quality of life.

People were supported to maintain and develop their relationships with those who mattered to them. A person was supported by staff to maintain contact with their spouse, who lived some distance away. People were both encouraged and supported to contribute to their communities, and pursue activities that reflected their interests and ambitions. This included people engaging with voluntary and paid work, fundraising, taking part in initiatives to promote the inclusion of people with a learning disability in sport, and delivering Oliver McGowan training in the wider community. The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism (Oliver's Training) aims to provide the social care and health workforce with the right skills and knowledge to provide safe, compassionate, and informed care to autistic people and people with a learning disability. These opportunities helped people develop confidence, grow their self-esteem, gain new skills and enhanced their sense of purpose.

People told us they loved living at the home and were able to do what they wanted, when they wanted. Relatives told us the commitment and dedication of management and staff to promote people’s independence, empower them and champion them, meant their loved ones led full lives. One person’s relative told us, “I never imagined I would see my [person] so happy and being part of the community.”

When appropriate, people’s relatives were included so decisions were collaborative, and consistent with promoting people’s independence, rights and preferences. We saw evidence staff had recorded occasions when people’s relatives did not agree with the actions or decision that people made. Staff promoted the person’s right to choice, supported the relative to understand this, and explained the positive outcomes people exercising their right to choice experienced.

One person’s relative told us, “I was concerned that [they] were spending too much time on their phone. They took my concern seriously and addressed it, but [staff] also reminded me it was [the person’s] choice.”

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.

Managers and staff were suitably trained to assess, manage and respond to people’s needs effectively. Staff understood people’s needs well and we observed staff being able to anticipate people’s needs, often without the person needing to express this. Positive behavioural plans identified what early signs of distress may look like for people, and guided staff on providing early interactions to minimise the risk of behaviours escalating.

We observed staff responding to people in a timely manner, responding to both verbal and non-verbal clues. Staff were able were able to adapt their communication style so it was appropriate for the person they were supporting.
 

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

The provider had policies, procedures and protocols in place that monitored and supported staff wellbeing. Staff who had been unwell were supported with reasonable adjustments, if required, on their return to work.

Staff supervisions considered staff wellbeing. Following absences ‘return to work’ forms were completed to make sure staff were fully fit before returning to work and to identify what support, if any, staff may require when in work.

Staff told us they felt valued in the workplace, and the provider recognised their hard work by providing gift vouchers and tokens of appreciation at recognised times throughout the year.