Bywell House Care 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 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. We observed staff speaking gently and offering choices during mealtimes, staff were heard saying, “I am going to push the chair under for you, is that ok?” and “Do you need help?” Relatives described the home as calm and welcoming and told us, “What stood out was when I walked in, in the lounge saying hello to people. It was the smiles and the hellos from residents and staff. It’s a happy place, it’s a very happy home and the staff are incredible.” A person said, “The staff are very nice, they are very busy. If you ask them something they are obliging.” Staff care notes reflected respectful language and consent throughout.

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. Peoples care plans included details of their hobbies and life histories, and staff demonstrated knowledge of these. We observed a person visiting the office, speaking another language, and the registered manager responding in the same language which helped them feel listened to and understood. Staff used gestures and flashcards to aid communication with the person. Relatives confirmed people were treated as individuals, a relative said, “They know [person], such as, their favourite meals, [person] is not just a number.” Activities were tailored to interests, including music and arts. A relative said, “The activities are necessary for dementia, there is a lot of singing dancing and music. Monday they have park walks; they also play games. The carers get everyone at the table and play the games too. Yesterday they had the exercises, the carers got involved and it got so silly, they get involved and are so approachable.” We observed a lively Christmas activity session with external entertainers, all people and staff were dancing and singing along, relatives were included too.

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 able to freely move around the home and made decisions about meals and daily routines. A person decided to eat their meal after others had finished, staff respected this and kept their meal warm for them. A person told us, “We wear whatever we like, they give us choices.” A relative commented, “They encourage independence, like if someone wants a little walk, they let them do it and quietly watch to keep an eye. Only intervene when its necessary.” People were able to welcome their visitors at a time to suit them, the registered manager said, “Relatives ask when visiting time is. I say any time. It’s the resident’s home.”

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. Staff offered people drinks and snacks on request and responded quickly when people needed support. A person said, “The staff are good, they don’t keep you waiting, you get what you ask for.” Relatives confirmed timely action when suggestions were made, one said, “I noticed a tiny patch on the ceiling, by the next day maintenance had sorted it.” Staff were alert to changes in health and escalated concerns appropriately, for example, a person’s pain relief was noted to not be effective, staff contacted the prescriber quickly who reviewed the pain relief to the person’s satisfaction.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff described feeling valued, this included, “[Registered manager] is helpful. Things are different for the better.” The cultural needs of staff were respected, with flexible arrangements for religious observances and celebrations. The registered manager respected the staff working at the service and described where reasonable adjustments had been made for the wellbeing of the staff. Some staff had received promotions or had changed their roles within the service; this was due to the registered manager discussing with them their skillsets and aspirations. Staff received regular supervisions, a staff member said, “[Registered manager] will know when I am working so knows when to book my supervisions. I find the meetings helpful and interesting. Recently we had some changes in the care plans, now we use the devices so we were trained on how to use it. [Registered manager] might add on if there is something new.”