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

People appeared comfortable with staff and sought them out for support and affection. We observed warm, relaxed and supportive interactions between people and staff. Staff knew people well, noticed changes in their mood and adjusted their approach to reduce anxiety or distress. For example, when 1 person became low in mood, staff immediately changed the conversation and helped them feel more positive.

Staff offered reassurance and praise to people. They supported people in ways that reflected their individual communication needs. Staff explained what they were doing, involved people in personal care and respected their preferences. For example, staff asked a person which hair accessories they wanted while supporting them with their hair.

A person said, “They have been there with me [through] all the things that I have been through.” A relative described staff as approachable and friendly and said their family member appeared comfortable around them. A health and social care professional told us staff related well to people.

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.

The service reflected the principles of Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture by adapting support around each person rather than expecting people to fit a standard routine.

Care planning included individual routines, preferred activities, relationships, health needs, goals and personalised guidance to support staff to provide individualised care. For example, a person’s care plan broke down tasks into manageable steps for the person to support their understanding and increase their independence. Staff supported another person to complete an online college course linked to their ambition to work with children. Staff also supported people to maintain family relationships. We observed staff supporting people with their phone calls to those important to them.

People’s bedrooms reflected their interests and personal relationships, with photographs, artwork and personal possessions chosen by them.

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

Staff encouraged people to complete tasks for themselves they were able to and provided support proportionate to people’s abilities and risks when needed. People with varying degrees of support planned meals, shopped, prepared food, cleaned their rooms, completed laundry and managed personal budgets. Staff supported people to build skills gradually such as slowly increasing independence and reducing staff support or supervision for example, during meal preparation or going out including the use of public transport, road safety and money management. A person showed us their weekly meal plan and we observed they took part in checking and identifying their medicines. A professional gave an example of the service gradually tailoring 1-to-1 support as a person developed their skills and greater responsibility for their wellbeing.

People chose how to spend their time. They accessed a range of activities based on preferences including shopping, swimming, pottery, dancing, college work, cafés, parks and visiting friends. People could maintain family and social relationships, and there were no general restrictions on visitors.

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 recognised people’s individual signs of anxiety and knew the approaches that helped them. We observed staff responding promptly when people’s needs changed. When a person became upset and swore at a staff member, staff gave them space and later used calm conversation and humour to help them regulate their emotions. The person subsequently smiled, accepted support and apologised.

People’s support plans included preventative and responsive strategies for people’s well-being and risks. Staff knew people well and could explain people’s triggers and preferred coping approaches. A professional confirmed staff knew people well and adjusted their interactions depending on how each person was presenting.

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

Staff received supervision that considered their wellbeing, practice, training and development needs. They also discussed workload, professional boundaries, confidentiality, staff conduct and how to support people consistently. Managers identified areas for development and agreed actions, including completing training and strengthening staff involvement during shifts.

Staff had access to guidance about people’s individual risks and coping strategies. They told us they felt able to approach managers for support and that colleagues helped each other.