Wisteria House (Woolwell) Dementia Care Ltd

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 service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

This is the first inspection for this service. This key question has been rated 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.

The ethos of providing quality of life through relationship care put kindness, compassion and dignity at the centre of staff practice. One of the three full time registered managers at the service focussed almost entirely on quality of life, supported by two ‘quality of life’ staff on duty 12 hours a day over seven days a week. These staff were in addition to the care team, and focussed on social interaction, activities and supporting peoples emotional wellbeing. Staff had completed training in the principles of person-centred care and dignity and respect. They responded to people’s need quickly and spent quality time with people. Staff involved people in special occasions. For example, one staff member involved people in preparations for their wedding. On the day, staff supported people to attend the service via a video link and enjoyed a celebration together afterwards. This gave people se sense of belonging, and community. One staff member said, “I am proud to work at Wisteria House because I feel that I see the residents as part of my family.” Staff with small children routinely bought them to visit and involved people in their care. One person, who used to work as a midwife, supported the staff member with a ‘bedtime routine’, which was incredibly meaningful for them. Another person was ‘engrossed’, reading the child a bedtime story, which in turn relaxed and calmed their own anxiety.

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 service took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Staff tailored care and activities to people’s individual needs and were responsive and creative in providing support. For example, one person wanted to dye their hair but was unable to go to a salon. Staff purchased a box dye and created a salon experience for the person within the home. Afterwards, the person proudly showed their new hair colour to their relative and to staff. Another person was supported to go on a trip to the Moors to see the Shetland ponies. This was something they had wanted to do for some time, but they had been unable to leave the service due to their anxiety. Staff worked with the person over a long period of time to gain their trust and work up to the outing, which they thoroughly enjoyed. One person’s relative told us about the freedom their relative had, they said, “Staff encourage her to go to the activities, she chooses her own food and where to eat, she has a choice of where to sit and spend her days. She can go where she wants.”

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

People’s level of ability was continuously assessed and care plans contained information to help staff support people to maintain their independence. For example, ‘can do’ assessments gave a detailed overview of what people were able to do for themselves, and what they needed more support with. People were frequently offered buffet meals to encourage independence and choice as well as being supported to make their own drinks and snacks in the resident kitchens.

The provider was exceptional in how they listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff respond to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff were able to respond to people’s needs quickly, and most call bells were answered without delay. Staff were creative in responding to people’s needs. For example, one person was particularly anxious. To distract them, a staff member created a scenario for them to be actively involved in, including them supporting the staff member to apply make up and do their hair. This diverted the persons attention, gave them a positive role and significantly reduced their anxiety, leaving them feeling calm, happy and full of confidence. Another person wanted to leave the building on a frequent basis, regularly pacing the garden looking for ways to get out, becoming more and more anxious. Staff carefully planned a first outing, mindful that risks involved in this needed to be well managed. Because this was successfully managed, staff were able to increase the frequency and spontaneity of outings, and soon the person was enjoying regular trips to the local shops and other outings. This had significantly reduced their desire to leave the premises at other times, and as a result they were happier and calmer.

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

They told us that ensuring staff felt ‘proud and worthy’ was a core part of the ethos of Wisteria House (Woolwell) Dementia Care Ltd and encouraged reciprocal care to support a culture of kindness between people and staff. For example, one person applied make-up for a staff member, helping them get ready for a big night out. Managers promoted a good work life balance and ensured staff didn’t work too many hours. Many staff had worked for the provider for many years and recommended it as a good place to work to family and friends. One staff member told us, “I love coming to work. It is always a really nice atmosphere, and you can have a laugh and a joke with the residents, and it is really positive.” Another staff member said, “I really like it here. It is very person-centred. I love that and there is no routine and I love that people can do what they like. I just I love my job.”