Fornham House 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 inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection 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 80 (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.

Throughout the service, we observed a relaxed atmosphere that reflected a supportive and caring culture. Staff appeared comfortable and confident in their roles and worked well together, which helped create a calm and positive environment for people. Interactions between staff and people were consistently warm and respectful, with staff taking time to communicate kindly and provide care in a compassionate and dignified manner. A relative told us, “Every time I've visited, they always support us as well as my [family member], I would say that's very caring.” Another person’s relative said, “I have been impressed by the compassion shown e.g. a gentle reassuring hand on the shoulder, a 'high five' when something has gone well, patience when a [person living] with dementia was repeatedly asking the same questions.”

Staff told us they consistently respected people’s dignity when they supported them with personal care.A staff member said, “I think the [people] are treated with respect and kindness. They are treated with dignity and privacyduring intimate care.”

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.

Staff treated people as individuals and many were able to tell us in-depth information about people’s care needs and about people’s lives from before they moved into the service, as well as their preferences and interests.People’s care records were person-centred and included information about what was important to them, the important people in their lives and information about their life history and also subjects that staff shouldn’t raise that may cause the person distress. This provided staff with an understanding of the person.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and well-being. People living in the home and their relatives told us they were supported to maintain their independence and had their choices respected over their lives. A relative stated, “I have no concerns here. In fact, I would say they are proactive in encouraging [family member] to get up while respecting their choice to lay in if preferred.”

Staff clearly understood the importance of promoting independence and enabling choice as part of person-centred care. They were able to give clear examples of how this was embedded in everyday practice and tailored to individual preferences. A member of staff told us, “I think [people] do have good choices. They get to choose what they would like for their meals each day. Whether they would like to have a bath or a shower. [People] have the choice if they would like to join in with the activities each day.”

Staff supported people with maintaining their independence and accessing the community according to their preferences to enable them to have choice and control.

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 were attentive and responsive when providing personal care and during mealtimes. Most people and their relatives told us that staff responded quickly when support was needed and described staff as attentive and reassuring. We observed a calm atmosphere at the service, with people appearing relaxed and comfortable in their surroundings. Staff interacted with people in a gentle, respectful manner and responded promptly to requests or signs of distress, which helped maintain a settled and reassuring environment.

The provider placed a strong and consistent emphasis on staff well-being and enablement, recognising that a supported, valued and motivated workforce was central to the delivery of high‑quality, person‑centred care. Leaders demonstrated a clear understanding of the link between staff well-being, staff retention and positive outcomes for people living at the service and embedded this understanding into everyday practice.

The provider cared about and promoted the well-being of their staff and supported and enabled staff to deliver person-centred care. Staff consistently described feeling supported by managers and leaders and told us a range of support was available, and that the service promoted inclusion and regular appraisal within the workplace. Members of staff commented that they felt valued and appreciated every day and highlighted the prompt and responsive approach of the registered manager and deputy manager if issues arose. Feedback from staff indicated that leaders had fostered an open and supportive culture, where staff felt able to speak openly, which in turn supported more personal and meaningful engagement with people using the service.

Leaders consistently acknowledged staff contributions, creating an environment where staff felt genuinely valued rather than simply managed. This sense of appreciation was echoed strongly in staff feedback. A staff member said, “I feel very valued by management and my colleagues… [registered manager] decorated the office and bought me a birthday cake and gift for my birthday to celebrate in the standup meeting which was a lovely surprise.” Another staff member commented, “[Registered manager] and [deputy manager] always thank the staff.” A third member of staff told us, “I feel valued and appreciated every day. I am receiving regular supervision and appraisal.”

Staff across roles described pride in their work and commitment to the people they cared for. A staff member said, “I love it, it’s a real privilege to work here.” The provider had a range of initiatives to support a wellbeing culture which supported consistent, compassionate care for people. This pride and positivity were evident in the way staff interacted with people and with each other.

Leaders took practical and thoughtful steps to support staff well-being, both emotionally and physically. The registered manager was committed to ensuring staff had access to the support they needed. An outbuilding previously used as a COVID-19 visiting pod was now being utilised by staff as a rest area away from the service for their breaks, demonstrating an understanding of the importance of restorative time away from care environments. The registered manager said, “When I first came here, I set up a welfare meeting for staff so they could come to me and talk without anyone knowing. I’m bringing that back as some staff have [support needs] in their lives.” Staff told us how the registered manager was approachable and ran mental health sessions for staff to promote their well-being. The registered manager added, “Staff well-being sessions have taken place in the home where I go to a different area of the building where staff can drop in and see the manager without coming to the office.”

The exceptional focus on workforce well-being and enablement contributed directly to staff stability, confidence and compassion, enabling staff to consistently deliver high‑quality, person‑centred care to people living at the home.