Royal Windsor 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. This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated 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.

People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect. People and their relatives consistently spoke positively about the care they received and the way staff interacted with them. One person said, “I love all the carers. They are lovely,” and another said, “The carers are very good.” There was continuity within the staff team and staff had built long standing relationships with people. This meant they understood people's preferences and were able to provide care that reflected what was important to them. One relative told us, “[My family member] enjoys a really positive relationship with the staff. They’re all friendly, outgoing and have ‘proper’ conversations.” Relatives described staff as welcoming and attentive and said staff took time to get to know people and their families. One relative told us, "The staff make you feel that you are a guest in a high-quality family home.”

Care was delivered in a way that promoted dignity. During the inspection we observed staff interacting with people in a calm and respectful manner, using people’s preferred names and taking time to engage with them. A relative told us, “They’re all lovely with [my family member]. [Staff] get their attention before starting anything and involving them wherever possible.”

Staff spent time with people to reduce isolation and support their wellbeing. For example, a staff member described sitting with a person who preferred to remain in their room and spending time with them, helping them feel connected and supported.

Care and attention were given to important moments in people’s lives. For example, the kitchen prepared fresh birthday cakes and celebrations were organised to recognise people’s birthdays and significant milestones. This supported people to feel valued and celebrated.

People were treated as individuals and care was tailored to reflect what was important to them. Care plans contained detailed information about people’s life histories and experiences, which supported staff to understand people beyond their immediate care needs.

People were supported to remain engaged in hobbies and interests that reflected their individuality, such as taking part in activities like bridge and social events or choosing how they spent their time. This helped people maintain their identity and connection to things that were important to them. People who chose quieter or more private routines were still supported to have meaningful interaction, which helped to reduce isolation while respecting their choices.

Staff showed understanding of what was important to people and took steps to support their emotional wellbeing. For example, a person had a teddy containing a recording of a relative’s heartbeat which had not worked for some time. This was repaired by the maintenance staff, which was meaningful for the person and supported their emotional wellbeing.

People were supported to maintain independence, choice and control over their daily lives. Care was provided in a way that encouraged people to make decisions and remain involved in how they spent their time. People were supported to make day to day choices about their care, including how they spent their time and engaged in activities. Activity coordinators worked closely with people to understand what was important to them, supported by a strong knowledge of each person’s abilities, interests and past experiences. This ensured activities reflected people’s preferences rather than a one size approach. One person said, “I do the bingo, quizzes and singing, and walk round the grounds.” This showed people were able to make choices about how they spent their time.

Staff encouraged people to do as much as possible for themselves and provided support in a way that promoted independence. This included offering prompts and reassurance where needed while respecting people’s choices and level of independence, enabling them to maintain their routines and remain in control of their daily lives.

People were supported to maintain relationships and remain connected to those important to them. We observed family members and their pets visiting and engaging with people, and relatives told us they felt welcomed and involved in their loved one’s care.

People’s immediate needs were responded to in a timely and appropriate way. People and their relatives told us staff were attentive and acted when support was required. One person said, "The staff are good; they respond positively to my problems.” This reflected confidence in how staff responded to their needs.

Staff demonstrated an understanding of how to recognise when people may be in pain or discomfort, including when people were not able to communicate this verbally. Staff described using visual cues and changes in behaviour to identify when people may require support. This information was reflected within care plans, which provided guidance to support consistent responses.

During the inspection we observed staff being attentive to people and responding to requests for support. Staff were aware of people’s needs and acted promptly to provide care and reassurance where required.

Most people told us they received support when they needed it and staff demonstrated an understanding of how to respond to people’s immediate needs in a way that maintained their safety and wellbeing.

There was a positive approach to supporting staff wellbeing and enabling them to carry out their roles. Staff had access to support where needed, including access to independent counselling services for mental health, which supported their wellbeing.

Managers told us they worked with staff to provide flexibility and support work life balance. This included accommodating personal commitments, offering varied shift patterns and agreeing reduced or flexible hours where possible.

There were systems in place to support staff through supervision and appraisal. These provided opportunities for staff to discuss their performance and development. Managers described an open approach, with staff encouraged to raise concerns and seek support when needed.

Recognition of staff contributions was being developed. There were plans to introduce recognition schemes, including employee of the month to acknowledge good practice.