Longmead 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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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.

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

People told us staff were kind and courteous. One person said of staff, "We have good staff here. They are all very pleasant and polite, they always say please and thank you."

Relatives told us staff were caring and respectful towards their family members. One relative said, “We are very happy with the care given to [family member]. I have seen nothing but kindness and respect from the staff towards him.” Another relative told us, “The staff I meet are lovely, very friendly and helpful; they want to care for the residents.”

We observed that people had developed close relationships with the staff who supported them, and this was confirmed by the people we spoke with and staff. One member of staff told us, “The staff are really caring towards the residents. We are close with all of them.” Another member of staff said, "We are not like staff and residents, we are like a family."

Relatives commented on the homely atmosphere of the service, which they said suited their family members' needs. One relative said, "It is a nice, homely place. You can feel it is family-oriented." Another relative told us, “It is always warm and welcoming when we arrive. I am happy [family member] is there, it suits her.”

Staff treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care and support met their needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, backgrounds, and protected characteristics.

People told us staff knew their likes and dislikes, and how they preferred their care to be provided. Relatives said their family members were cared for by staff who were familiar to them and who understood their needs and preferences. One relative told us, “The staff knows [family member’s] likes and dislikes.”

The manager and staff promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care. People told us they had choice and control over their lives.

People told us staff encouraged them to be independent and to manage aspects of their own care where possible. One person said, "They are very good at trying to help people keep their independence. They try and get you to help yourself."

Relatives confirmed that staff encouraged their family members to do things for themselves where they could. One relative said of staff, “They encourage independence. [Family member] is encouraged to wash and dress herself.”

The manager and staff 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.

One person told us a healthcare condition meant their care needs varied from day-to-day. The person said staff adapted the support they provided depending on their support needs each day.

Relatives said staff were always available to meet their family members’ immediate needs when required. One relative told us, “I can turn up at any time and there is always someone around or looking in on [family member].”

We observed during our visits that staff were attentive to people’s needs, including if they became distressed or anxious.

The manager cared about and promoted the wellbeing of staff, and supported and enabled staff to deliver person-centred care. The rota and shifts and were planned to ensure staff had manageable workloads and adequate breaks.

Staff told us they felt supported and valued by the manager. They said they enjoyed working at the home and were treated fairly. One member of staff said, "I am happy and satisfied to work here. [Manager] is very supportive to staff. He pays attention to everything."