The Trees

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,dignityand respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key questiongood. At thisassessmentthe rating hasremainedgood.

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 had positive relationships with people and relatives. We observed the staff treated people with kindness and dignity. Each person had a named keyworker who helped to oversee their care. One staff member told us, “I enjoy supporting people to learn new skills and The Trees supports me with this by providing the tools needed to achieve the goal.”

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.

Care plans contained information about individual likes and dislikes. This helped to make sure staff had the information they needed to provide personalised care and support. A relative of a person who regularly uses the service told us, “Staff know about [Person’s] likes and dislikes. Loves colouring, [TV program] and music. The carers are family people, so they understand.” We observed people were able to follow their own routines.

People had access to a range of social activities which met their needs and reflected their preferences. People had access to trips out to various places of interest as well as activities within the home. One relative of a person who regularly uses the service said, “They [staff] do such a lot of things with [person] when [they’re] there. They picked up [person] likes the sound of guitar and found one for [them], but [person] has also been taken to the pub; for a walk; on bonfire night they had hotdogs; has done cooking and when [person] stays longer, they make sure [person] gets to [their] regular day-care groups.”

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

The Trees is a purpose-built building which has been thoughtfully designed for the people who used the service. There was a strong focus at the home on supporting people to rebuild their independence and confidence with daily living tasks. All bedrooms had large ensuite wet rooms, and assistive technology. Corridors and doorways were wide enough to accommodate wheelchair users. There were a variety of large communal spaces, which offered people space to come together, or have time alone. There was also a purpose-built sensory room which was accessible for everyone, and communal kitchens were adaptable for people with physical disabilities.

One professional told us following a visit to the service, “The staff were still getting to know [person] but appeared to treat them with kindness, respect and understanding, including using appropriate means of communication to involve [person] in making decisions about activities of daily living.”

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 supported by detailed Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) care plans and a PBS team that provided guidance and direction to anticipate and respond to people’s anxieties and signs of distress. To anticipate need and respond quickly, these plans identified potential slow and fast triggers, while guiding staff with proactive strategies to reduce the start of any potential anxieties. One professional said about staff approach for 1 person, “They [staff] have gone above and beyond to ensure any escalations of behaviours are kept to a minimum. They have also worked with us to ensure a stable, caring and supportive environment for the person in their care.”

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

There was a wide range of support avenues for staff to access. Staff felt well supported and valued by the registered manager and provider. They said they were happy in their roles. One member of staff said, “The staff have been very warm and welcoming to me, this has helped me settle into my role and is such a friendly place to work.” Another told us, “The Trees is a good place to work, supported people’s needs are prioritised and the management of the service as well as the staff team are good people that care deeply about the work they do. I enjoy working there. I feel like my contribution is valued and I am empowered the same way others in my team are, that is all thanks to the leadership style of the person in charge of the service.”