Bearwardcote Hall Residential 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. At our last assessment we rated this key question requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has remained requires improvement. This meant people did not always feel well-supported, cared for or treated with dignity and respect.

This service scored 60 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Further improvements were needed to ensure staff consistently promoted people’s dignity when providing support. Whilst staff were generally kind and caring in their interactions, and people appeared comfortable in their presence, staff practice was not always consistently in line with expected standards. Observations during the inspection identified occasions where people were not supported in a way that fully promoted their dignity during mealtimes. Leaders recognised the need to continue strengthening oversight and reinforcing good practice to ensure people consistently experienced dignified, respectful and person-centred care.

Improvements had been made to ensure people’s care and support reflected their individual needs, preferences and life histories. Care plans had been reviewed and updated to provide more personalised information. People’s bedrooms reflected their individuality through personal belongings, photographs and items of importance to them.

Whilst progress had been made, further work was needed to ensure people and, where appropriate, their relatives were consistently involved in the development and review of care plans. As a result, records did not always fully reflect people’s views, preferences and desired outcomes. Leaders had taken steps to improve the quality and oversight of care planning, however, additional time was needed to ensure these improvements became fully embedded and were consistently reflected in practice.

Improvements had been made to the provision of activities, however, people were not always consistently supported to participate in meaningful activities that reflected their individual interests, preferences, and choices.

Feedback from relatives about the availability and variety of activities was mixed, indicating people were not always consistently supported to spend their time in ways that were meaningful to them. One relative told us, “There are no activities and the carers don’t interact with the residents,” while another said, “[Staff] are not engaging with residents as much as they could, they need to step up with the activities.” Although the provider had plans to strengthen activity provision, further improvements were required to ensure people were consistently supported to participate in activities that reflected their individual interests, preferences, and choices.

We also observed occasions where opportunities to promote people's independence, choice and control could have been better supported. For example, during a mealtime we observed a member of staff standing over a person while supporting them to eat. This approach did not encourage a positive dining experience and risked limiting the person's sense of dignity, independence and control.

Further work was needed to ensure all people were consistently supported to make choices about meaningful activities and daily routines that reflected their individual interests, preferences and aspirations. The provider told us they were awaiting the commencement of newly appointed activities staff, which they anticipated would further enhance opportunities for people to engage in activities of their choosing and exercise greater choice and control over how they spent their time.

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. The provider had made improvements to how people’s needs were monitored and responded to since the previous inspection. We observed staff recognising when people required support and responding promptly to meet their needs. A new call bell system had been introduced, enabling people to summon assistance when required. In addition, some people had access to personal pendant alarms, which promoted their independence by allowing them to request help more easily and at a time of their choosing. The provider also monitored care staff response times to help ensure people received timely support and to identify any areas requiring improvement. These measures demonstrated a more proactive approach to monitoring and responding to people's needs and helped people feel safe and supported.

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

The provider had made improvements in supporting staff wellbeing and enabling staff to carry out their roles effectively since the previous inspection. Staff consistently spoke positively about the support provided by the management team and described the registered manager as approachable, responsive, and readily available when needed. Staff told us they felt comfortable raising concerns, discussing issues openly, and seeking advice or guidance. One staff member said, “Managers are really supportive,” while another commented, “I think we are a much more professional team now, previously there was a divided team.” Records showed staff received regular supervision and attended team meetings, providing opportunities to discuss concerns, share feedback, and receive ongoing support.