Highfields

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.

People were treated with kindness, empathy, compassion, and staff respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People had positive relationships with the staff, who were attentive to their emotional and physical well-being. People were addressed by their preferred names. Staff showed an interest in people and their preferences. Relatives confirmed staff were kind and caring. One relative told us, “The staff are extremely caring and supportive. There is a real caring team atmosphere in the home and all staff work together very well to provide outstanding care.”

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

People’s individuality was respected and staff made efforts to accommodate people’s personal preferences and communication styles. People were encouraged to participate in activities of their own choosing, such as trips out into the local community to local eateries and other establishments. One relative told us, “My relative has a very varied life at the home and accesses social activities through the community, like visiting cafe's or going to the barbers or a pantomime on a regular basis.”

People were supported to personalise their bedrooms in accordance with their tastes and interests. People were supported to make choices about their daily lives, including meals, clothing, and activities, and were encouraged to maintain independence. Staff did not wear uniforms to maintain a homely, relaxed, and non-institutional environment.

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

People were supported to understand their rights and be involved in the development of their own care. Representatives involved in the development of people’s care was documented appropriately. Support plans identified preferences, goals and aspirations and these integrated with their day to day life.

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 had developed a strong rapport and a good understanding of people’s communication needs. An inclusive communication plan was in place and provided information about people’s receptive and expressive communication. This supported staff to understand about people’s preferred preferences and routines. Staff had a good understanding of people’s anxieties and how to support them in managing these.

Relatives told us that staff acted quickly to minimise any discomfort or concerns and contacted GP’s and other relevant healthcare professionals in a timely manner. A Distress and Discomfort Assessment tool (DisDAT) was used. The tool supports staff to identify distress cues in people who have severe limited communication. The service communicated effectively with other agencies, providing communication and care passports, to ensure continuity of care and a shared understanding of each person’s needs.

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

Staff told us they enjoyed working at the service and were treated fairly. Staff were invited to give their feedback on the service and felt included by management.

There was a positive workplace culture where mutual support was encouraged. Shadowing opportunities enabled staff to fully understand a person’s needs before providing care and support. Staff were supported to achieve a good work life balance.