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

People told us staff were kind, caring and they had good relationships with them. One person said, “They speak to me and have a good laugh when they administer personal care to me. They have a sense of humour.” Another person told us, “The staff are very caring.” A third said, “They close my curtains [before delivering personal care], and they treat me with respect.”

Relatives told us there was a good atmosphere in the home, and comments included, “They (staff) are very caring, very loving. I haven't got one bad word. I've known other homes and they wouldn’t compare,” and “The staff seem to know people well Interactions are always positive.”

Staff were observed to be thoughtful, cheerful and caring around people. Staff told us they enjoyed being with the people who lived at Arden House and spending time with them. One staff member told us, “The residents are friendly. I know my professional boundaries, but we talk to them and laugh with them." Another staff member said, "I have got a good relationship with the residents and time to talk to them." A third staff member told us they had chosen a career in care because, "I wanted to be that person who made a difference.”

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.

People told us they were given choices about their day-to-day life and their choices were respected. One person told us, “I choose not to have a male carer, and it is acknowledged.” Another person said, “I am able to make my own decisions, I choose not to go downstairs.”

Staff at all levels appeared to know people well and took time to chat with people about things that were important to them. Staff were able to tell us about people’s history, what was important to them, their preferred routines and their needs. We observed 1 staff member chatting with a person about their school days. The staff member listened carefully, prompting memories and facilitating a conversation that was meaningful to the person, connecting them to their past. Another staff member explained, “I feel like I can have a proper joke, laugh and conversation (with people). It is listening to them about their stories. It is quality of life and a reminiscence for them. We look at their photos, and we go back in time with them."

Activities were planned to take account of individual’s needs. One person enjoyed playing chess, and staff in the home had arranged for ‘a skilled competitor’ to regularly visit the home to play with them. Another person had been identified as a keen gardener. This person had been allocated the greenhouse to grow plants and helped maintain the home’s garden. They had won an external award for their contribution to the gardening in the home.

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

People told us staff encouraged them to be independent and said they had autonomy over the support they received. One person told us, “I make my own decisions here and they support me to be independent.” Another person said, “I am able to make my own decisions. I tell them what to do, they are respectful.”

People were supported to do a wide range of activities to support their physical, mental, social, and religious needs These included exercise classes, craft activities, celebrating important calendar events and social opportunities to help ensure people did not become isolated.

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.

People and their relatives told us staff were available and responsive if they needed support. Staff asked people how and where they wanted to spend their time and responded to requests for support promptly. People’s communication needs were recorded in their care plan.

We observed staff responding to call bell alarms in a timely way. Call bell response times were monitored by the management in the home, and action taken if responses exceeded the provider’s expectations.

Referrals to external healthcare professionals were made promptly to ensure people received the care they needed without delay.

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

People were supported by staff who worked well together. People and their relatives told us that staff teams got along and there was a good atmosphere in the home.

The provider had processes to support staff wellbeing, and the registered manager was described as accessible if staff needed advice and support. Comments included: "We have got an App we can go to for mental health and counselling. They do look after us and the managers are good, if there is anything, they listen”, and "The support we have got within the home and within the trust is very good. We have always got people we can talk to and there is an app we can use for staff wellbeing"

One staff member told us, “As a carer, we are all really heard. I'm so proud of the system. I'm proud of my manager. She is so supportive."

Policies were available to staff through an online portal, and the provider could ensure they had been read and that staff had received the most up to date information.