Gloucestershire House - Care Home with Nursing Physical Disabilities

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 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 treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

There was a friendly and welcoming atmosphere at the service. Staff were calling people by their first names, and this was reciprocated. We saw and heard staff laughing appropriately and joking with people. One person told us, “I’m happy here. The staff are alright.” Another one said; “The carers are very good, you can tell by their expression, and they are kind when they speak.”

Staff understood the importance of maintaining people’s dignity. One staff member told us, “Our residents are so special, but they are adults and don’t like to be treated like children. We maintain their dignity.”

A healthcare professional told us, “I can only say that I have found the staff at (this service) welcoming, professional, caring and willing to take on board any advice I have offered.”

Most relatives said they were happy with the staff, although some highlighted concerns about responsiveness, as outlined earlier in this report.

People’s life stories were recorded and information about what was important to them was documented. Care plans included information about what times people preferred to get up and go to bed, and records showed this was respected. We observed that some people chose to stay in their bedrooms, and staff respected this.

Some people at the service had chosen to take on ‘lead’ roles in areas such as infection control, and health and safety. This was clearly identified in communal areas. There was a residents’ ambassador in post, who told us how their role positively impacted on people living at the service. They said; “I am the chair of residents committee; I got voted in. I see what all the residents want and then I bring it to the meeting for them. I'm their speaker. The meetings are every month.” People were also involved in staff interviews.

People had access to activities and were supported to develop and maintain meaningful personal relationships. For example, one person liked to go and support their local sporting team, and other people went on trips to see shows, shopping or to work. People’s spiritual needs were respected and records showed people attended church when they wanted to. People kept pets and the service had adopted rabbits for everyone to jointly look after.

The garden areas were being upgraded, and we saw that some areas were accessible to people now, with shaded areas available.

Most people’s relatives were satisfied with the activity provision for their loved ones, while some suggested they would like to see people do more activities, like they did in the past and considered staffing constraints had an impact on this.

People were being supported to set personal goals and to record progress of these in their personal books.

Staff supported people with assistive technology to increase their independence. For example, one person was supported to purchase a gaming console which was adapted for them, which not only supported independence, but increased their enjoyment. Another person was supported and encouraged to create and design a device which allowed them to play their favourite sport. They were supported to engage with a local company who produced this for the person, who was then enabled to participate in competitions within the service and the community.

To increase confidence and independence in the community, staff introduced a wheelchair driving school to help people using powered wheelchairs develop new skills and feel more comfortable navigating their local area.

People using the service engaged in yoga, and wheelchair dance classes, promoting independence, wellbeing, social inclusion, and meaningful engagement.

One person told us; “We can choose the colour we want in our bedrooms. The painter came and I helped do some of the painting. I can choose what I do, where I go in the building. I can tell my PA (personal assistant) what I want to do and where I want to go. I like to be independent. I do have a life here; we make our own decisions. I have to rely on the staff here, but I can get around by myself.”

People’s relatives shared with us concerns regarding the closure of the provider’s hydrotherapy pool and reduction of physiotherapy support in the service. The provider was taking action to address this.

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.

Care plans for people who might experience periods of low mood provided guidance for staff on known triggers, how to recognise signs of anxiety and the steps they should take to relieve this. Staff we spoke with knew people well and were able to describe in detail how they would support people during these periods

People and their relatives confirmed staff’s responsiveness to their medical needs. One person told us; “They [staff] always react quickly if I tell them I’m not feeling well. The nurse checks me over and we can see the doctor.” Another person said; “Yes if I’m not well the nurse will get a GP in or an ambulance.”

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

Staff felt listened to and supported. One staff member told us they had access to mental health support line if they needed this.

The service provided evidence of initiatives they offered to staff to promote an open and supportive culture. They ran an ‘Employee of the month’ scheme through which staff were nominated and celebrated for their contributions. They organised safe space sessions where staff could speak, raise concerns or make suggestions. The provider’s human resources team organised staff listening days.

We saw other examples such as a staff meeting focusing on staff morale and culture in the workplace and a memo about how to support new staff feel part of the team. Staff testimonials were share with us highlighting positive and rewarding experiences of working in the service.

Development opportunities were being offered to staff such as access to National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), apprenticeships and internal career progression.