Moorhead Rest 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 service 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.

The service 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 and their relatives praised the service and how well they were treated. Comments included, “[Person] is always co-ordinated with their clothes and that didn’t used to happen. It is all about dignity and respect these little touches make a difference. They know [person] better” and “We are always made to feel welcome. The home has such a caring warm feel about it.” One relative commented on how all staff were kind and caring including the management team and the chef. All staff were observed to show kindness when communicating with people and staff adjusted their approach depending on who they were speaking to which evidenced they knew people well.

Staff told us they ensured people were treated well. They said, “People are always treated with dignity. We make sure we respect people’s privacy and wishes and keep their private information private.” The registered manager told us they oversee staff practice through observations, spot checks and feedback forms. Family and relatives felt staff were kind and treated people well. Comments included, “I am always treated with kindness and respect from the provider, care home (registered) manager and the entire team in the care home.”

The service 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. One relative said, “The carers (staff) are great. I can’t fault them. Put it this way if I thought [person] wasn’t getting the right care, they wouldn’t be here now.” Another relative said, “There has been some real improvement. I can honestly say that a care home is a good description if ever there was at Moorhead now.” Staff told us how they promoted people’s individual characteristics. They said, “We had a residents meeting and some people asked for more religious services. We now have a Vicar that comes in regularly. Most people love it. The people that don’t do not attend. We update care plans, so it reflects people’s wishes.” The registered manager told us staff were trained in recognising people’s strengths, preferences and aspirations and care plans reflected people’s desired goals.

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. We observed activities taking place during our site visits. When people were in communal areas they had an item of interest including books, games or sensory fidget items. An activity champion was employed at this service and all staff undertook activities. The activity planner appeared to be being followed, and we observed floor games taking place which people were engaged with. We also observed staff chatting to people on a 1-1 basis. Some people told us they had no interest in joining activities but enjoyed watching quiz shows or listening to music. Care plans detailed what people liked to do and records evidenced this was being followed.

Staff spoke highly of the activities on offer and could name people’s preferred activities or ways people liked to spend their time. It was clear staff knew people’s preferences well. For people with more advanced dementia who may not be able to engage in all activities, staff provided them with tasks such as folding blankets. Staff told us this provided stimulation to people and made the person feel included. Staff also spoke of promoting independence. They said, “We encourage people to brush their own teeth and (tend to) personal care. We encourage people to walk, even just a couple of steps.”

The service 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. Relatives commented on how this service has improved and is running more effectively. They said, “In the last 3 to 4 months I have noticed a remarkable change for the better. It feels lighter, the staff are more organised, and things are running to a better effect.” Staff told us how they would anticipate a persons needs that may not be able to verbally communicate. They said, “If people are in pain they communicate in other ways such as wincing, tapping or facial expressions. We assess each person individually.” We observed staff responding to people in the moment to minimise distress. When people chose to sit in another room, staff regularly came in to check on the person to make sure they were safe and had everything they needed. We did not hear nurse call bells sounding for long periods.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff told us they were treated well and happy at work. They said, “The workload is manageable. I am happy with the rota and it is flexible. There is no pressure applied to pick up extra shifts, and I have never had any issues with wages.” Staf also spoke of how the provider had arranged further courses to enhance their skills and knowledge including health and social care courses. The registered manager told us how staff wellbeing was promoted. They said, “Staff have access to a handbook covering policies, annual leave and wellbeing. We promote wellbeing through supervision and support system.”