Thornage Hall Independent Living

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.

This was an aged, rated inspection for Thornage Hall At our last inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection,the rating for this key question 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.

Staff spoken with were respectful and polite and we observed staff and the relationship they had established with people using the service.

We observed people moving around freely and being supported and where necessary redirected by staff. One person was unwell and supported and comforted by staff, another became visibly upset and staff supported them privately to establish the problem and to help them resolve it. Another person was upset by staff forgetting to complete their notes and this was resolved. We were advised 1 person could be upset by our visit and may not wish to speak to us and staff demonstrated an understanding of people’s individual needs. Staff supported people with their assessed needs and were good in identifying and responding to distress behaviours.

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 and family members spoken with were happy with the service provided. One person and their relative told us, “Someone recommended this service to me and feel very lucky that [person] got to live here. Very organised. [Person] is happy here. Staff are nice and help them if they need anything.

People’s needs were known and staff had built strong relationships with people and people trusted staff to meet their needs. People told us if they needed anything they could go to any of the staff even through the night and request support. The pre-admission process was thorough and took into account people’s needs, wishes and aspirations for the future. People were supported to develop their skills and live healthy, active lives. There was a clear focus on what people could do for themselves and opportunity to celebrate their successes and showcase what the service could offer. There were examples of people going to church, singing in a choir, going to martial arts and attending events both for disabled people and non-disabled people.

A staff member told us there was enough guidance in peoples care plans which included a background history and guidance around people’s needs, and emotion. They said people could get distressed,but this could be avoided by getting to know the person well and reducing their anxiety. Staff talked about coping strategies and supporting people in a relaxed, unhurried way

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 were observed being supported by staff to remain independent and be in control of the care they received.

People had a lot of control over their lives and were supported to make decisions with staff familiar with their needs and staff used communication tools where appropriate.

People told us how much they enjoyed their time living there, with some being able to travel to and from the day services and the community and having a choice of activities around their interests.

Some people were responsible for their medicines and kept them locked away safely, whilst others were supported by staff but knew what the routines were. Some people budgeted and managed their own monies; others needed more support.

Some people went to different activities independently by walking, going on the bus or getting a taxi, this included trips to visit their relatives.

People were asked in the individual houses when they wanted a main meal and how they wanted to do their shopping. Some houses had chosen to shop online, whilst others did their shopping in person.

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.

Continuity of staff was important in helping ensure that people’s needs were understood and responded to. People were valued and put first with clear communication between them and their key-worker to support and decided what they would like to do and how they were going to achieve this.

Care plans documented changes in people's needs and actions necessary.

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

A staff member said, “They show you, you are valued by listening to me and taking on board my feedback. They say thank you.” Staff told us they felt safe coming to work and rarely lone worked and were supported through on-call procedures and accessible management. A staff member said, “The team leads from shift leads to management are all very approachable,so you never feel like you can’t ask them for support with any element related to working for this service. Staff rewards were commonplace, for example refreshment week where staff were treated to fresh baked produce as a thank you. There was a well-being staff hub and different events to promote and recognise the contribution carers make including mental health and 1st first aider's to support carers.

Staff well-being was promoted through good pre-employment processes, induction,training,and opportunities for progression including shift lead, champions, train the trainer and key worker roles. The annual appraisals focused on staffs’ skills and achievements and where they saw themselves in their career. The employer worked lawfully to ensure staff had the support they needed and shifts could be adjusted. There were opportunities for regular staff supervision and staff meetings were planned for weekends to try and give more opportunity for staff to attend. Surveys were used to capture feedback and decide of service priorities.