Healey 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.

Staff were observed to be very kind and caring and took the time to speak to people about what was important to them. We received a lot of positive feedback from people and their relatives about staff. When asked if staff were kind and caring, a person living at the service said, “Yes.” Relatives made comments such as, “Staff are absolutely caring,” “The atmosphere is caring and welcoming and staff are so good to [person],” and “The place is quite lovely, staff are good with [person], they are wonderful.”

People’s care plans prompted staff to maintain their modesty and provide privacy when needed. A relative told us, “[Staff] are lovely and treat [person] with a lot of dignity. They will stand outside the bathroom door and give [person] time. They know what works for [person].”

The registered manager and staff team supported people with truly compassionate care during difficult times or bereavements. Staff had helped a person create a memory box and photo album when their mother passed away, providing comfort. They regularly sat with the person to talk about the photos and help them reminisce.

Healthcare partners fed back that they were treated with kindness and respect during visits to the service.

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.

Most staff were long standing and had built positive working relationships with the people they supported; having an excellent understanding of their needs, preferences and idiosyncrasies. A healthcare partner said, “Staff display excellent knowledge of people they support and are able to determine different aspects of care which may be beneficial or difficult for a person.”

Care plans included detailed, person-centred information about people’s communication needs, including what certain gestures, behaviours or sounds meant and the required response. Staff were seen to communicate with people very effectively; during our visits staff were repeating back specific phrases to a person, to show their understanding and provide reassurance.

People were supported to decorate their bedrooms to suit their individual taste. One person had recently had a large mural painted; another had been supported to redecorate their room and buy new furniture which they were really proud of. Renovations to another person’s room had been re-scheduled, considering the impact of the work on their mood and ensuring they were settled before work started.

People’s aspirations for the coming year were captured in care plans, with people being supported to work towards achieving new skills, trying new activities or visiting new places. One person had been shopping more, which they had previously not been able to tolerate, enjoyed a holiday and been supported to improve their communication skills.

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.

The service was extremely proactive at supporting people to maintain relationships with friends and relatives. Some people returned to their family home regularly for visits; others were supported to attend special occasions with friends or relatives or make telephone calls. If relatives struggled with transport, lifts were offered to ensure regular contact could be maintained. A relative said, “Staff help to arrange transport to bring [person] home to visit us every few weeks with supervision.” Another added, “[Staff] help [person] to talk to family on their own tablet.”

The provider had a daycentre and hosted activities and events which several people from Healey House attended regularly. For example, social clubs and water aerobics. People had person-centred activity timetables which included a variety of community activities, with time for spontaneous trips or experiences. A relative told us, “[Person] does activities like swimming, going to the pub, out to lunch and the cinema. They like their trips to the day centre and discos.” A staff member explained the provider actively encouraged and supported new activities, experiences and groups which would benefit people.

During our visits, people and staff were talking about a ‘Stars in their Eyes’ event which was to be held at the daycentre. They were happy to be planning their outfits and spending time with their friends, some who they lived with and some they had met at past social events.

People were actively involved in several committees which were led by staff and people living at the provider’s different services. The ‘Compass group’ met to make decisions and organise upcoming events and fundraisers. Another group had just been established to create service wide newsletters to keep people informed of what was going on. Photos showed people were actively involved in all aspects of the groups.

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, pain or distress.

Staff recognised the different ways people communicated discomfort, pain or distress; including non-verbal cues. People’s care plans included detailed information about changes body language, behaviours or mood that staff should be aware of; and provided guidance about what this may mean and the necessary response.

Staff responded to people’s needs quickly, to avoid preventable discomfort, pain or distress. A relative told us, “Staff are very watchful all the time with [person].” Another added, “[Person] will hit themselves when they are unhappy. They may be unwell or in pain, and the staff can understand what is wrong.”

During our visits, staff were seen to intervene discreetly to changes in people’s mood or behaviour, offering distractions or redirection quickly.

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

The provider’s wellbeing policy stated, "We place a high value on maintaining a healthy and safe working environment for all our staff and recognise that our duty of care extends to the physical and mental wellbeing of the workforce".

Staff had access to a file which signposted them to mental health and wellbeing services, and staff confirmed they felt supported if they were struggling at work. A staff member said, “I’ve just been through a serious bereavement and staff have been amazing with me.” Another added, “Managers will find ways of helping you if you are struggling.”

Staff confirmed managers expressed their gratitude regularly which helped them feel valued and appreciated.