Garland 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 changed to 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.

People, relatives and health and social care professionals unanimously told us the service was exceptional in the way it treated people with kindness, compassion and dignity. A person told us, “X (staff member) is like her sister. I like her the best I don’t know why. I like all the other staff. They make me smile.” Another person told us about staff, “They are friendly and kind.” This year we received a compliment about the caring nature: ‘Wonderful and caring very friendly care home.’

Relatives told us it was the friendliness of the staff, their genuine love of caring for people and show of affection that made Garland House stand out. Comments from relatives included, “For dementia people, it is the continuity of staff that made a difference for X. You cannot get a family feeling with changing staff. You do see genuine joy in staff’s faces. They love what they do and they do care”; She settled extremely quickly and is thriving there. She has got dementia and they treat her with respect. She loves staff, she is so smiley and happy”; “Carers are wonderful, you can tell staff are fond of each other. There is real love for the residents: They just care. She is happy, the family is happy. It is the way the carers care for her”; and “The care is their overriding strength. They have lots of patience, like saints. Staff are loving and cuddle people who like a cuddle.”

Comments from health and social care professionals included, “The staff are respectful of people’s needs. The staff have a very friendly and fun relationship with the residents and do give a very high level of care, creating a safe and homely environment”; and “I feel especially very excited before each time I come to work there as I am always welcomed by a friendly staff and gentle personalities of the residents. Staff treat the residents with love and respect."

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 and relatives told us the service enhanced people’s well-being in the way that it treated people as unique individuals. They described a positive culture that ensured people were treated as individuals and their strengths and achievements acknowledged. A relative told us, “The manager is very personable and really respectful. She treats people as individuals, and this comes from the top down”. Another relative said, “Best home in the area. They treat residents like family and treat us family so well too.” A relative said staff took the time to sit down and talk to people and knew about their past experiences and strengths, and another told us, “Staff always sit and chat with him. I know that they like him and this is important”.

A person said how staff had asked them about how they wanted to celebrate a special birthday. They told us how they had an afternoon tea with staff and family at a hotel and proudly showed the inspector all the pictures that staff had taken of the event. Staff explained they had arranged the event for the person, based on their wishes and preferences. Staff chose the event as a ‘golden nugget’ explaining, ‘She has had a blast today. Said it has been the best day and best birthday ever! Even better than her 21st birthday!!! She always wanted an afternoon tea for her birthday and she is so happy her wish came true!!

A relative described how the staff support for their family member was individual to their ‘very difficult’ needs. They described the support given as ‘lovely, ‘patient’ and ‘wonderful’. “First month there she was fine; she was joining in the activities and staff did really well”. The relative explained that the person’s condition worsened and it was jointly agreed that another placement would be more suitable. Despite this the relative told us, “Staff were wonderful. I’ve got nothing bad to say. It was absolutely fabulous. I have recommended it to others and it is like one’s own home.”

A relative described how the chef and staff had made their relatives birthday a special event. They explained how the family of 10 had been given a separate room which had been especially decorated. The chef laid on a Sunday lunch and the person’s favourite vegetarian option. “The chef does what she likes and wants every time!"

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

Staff were guided about what things people could do for themselves and when they needed support in people’s care plans. Staff described how they prompted people with some tasks so they could do them independently and how they physically supported people with other aspects of their care. People who were able to take responsibility for aspects of their health or medicines were enabled to do so. Some people were supported to undertake household tasks that they used to undertake in their own home. Staff explained it benefitted people undertaking familiar tasks and also distracted people if they became anxious.

At lunch time two people told staff separately they did not want dinner as they had only recently got up and had breakfast. Staff checked with these people if they wanted their lunch saved for later, which they both chose to do. When new furniture was needed for the garden, the person who used the garden the most was given the job of choosing what furniture would be most suitable. A health care professional told us, “The service are being proactive on a patient’s behalf. She wants to be independent and get out of bed and not be bed bound. They have sought the OTs advise and got a rise and recline chair."

People told us and their relatives confirmed that staff supported people to maintain relationships with people who were important to them, including regular telephone and video calls and visits. A person told us that they were excited about meeting up with a friend the next day and that they had visited them at their home. A relative told us, “Staff sit with her and facetime me. They get the photo album out to show family photographs. They phone me on their own phones. It is so comforting to me, to I know that they everything under control.”

The staff team 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.

Relatives told us staff knew people well and were therefore quick to recognise if their family member was upset or unwell. Staff described how they recognised the signs when people were nor their usual selves. A staff member told us, “You get to know your residents and what makes them anxious and upsets them. You can reassure people or calm a person to make them feel safe.”

When people became upset or anxious, staff talked to them to distract them and help them experience a more positive part of their live. For example, when one person was upset, staff showed them some photographs of things that they liked. Relatives said staff were good at recognising and responding to changes in people’s health. A relative told us, “When her blood pressure was low there were 3 staff there within moments. The community team were called in”.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff wellbeing was central to the running of the service. Staff told us they were valued, listened to and motivated to do their roles. Comments from staff included, “I can’t express how valued I feel. You really do get valued and appreciated. Nothings you do goes unnoticed”; and “I’m asked every day if I have any problems and when I do something good they (the management team) praise me. I would not work anywhere else.”

The service had a programme that focused on the well-being of staff. They worked with an external provider to external mentoring, coaching and team building sessions. Staff appreciation was shown in a variety of different ways including wellness bags, staff awards and staff events. Wellness bags included treats for staff such as snacks and small gifts. For example, staff had asked for a toothbrush to be added to the night well-being box. There were quarterly staff awards. In addition, at the Kent Integrated Care Alliance (KICA) awards, a staff member had won Young carer of the year award and 2 staff had been runners up other categories.

Staff views were regularly sought about their wellbeing through yearly surveys and a ‘Rate my Day’ tool. This tool enabled staff to reflect on their day, what they had enjoyed and what they would do differently. There were a number of staff events where staff could get together throughout the year. This included going out for fish and chips and a resident and staff quiz whereby, staff and residents got to learn more about each other. Once a month there was a ‘wellness Wednesday’ which offered staff a change to drop in for informal chats or try holistic activities such as meditation or reflexology. Staff said there was excellent communication at the service so they were aware of what was going on and any changes. Information was communicated to them via media, flash meetings and bite sized videos.