Norlands Nursing 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 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 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 was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff responded promptly to people's needs and supported them to maintain their appearance, comfort and wellbeing. Throughout the assessment, we observed staff interacting with people in a kind, patient and compassionate manner. Staff consistently explained what they were doing and sought to reassure people. During a mealtime, we observed a member of staff supporting a person to eat and explaining each mouthful by saying, “this spoon is meat and potato…this spoon is carrots”. We also observed a nurse communicating with another person in their first language, singing with them and providing reassurance. Staff adapted their approach to reflect each person's individual needs, communication style and preferred pace of interaction.

Staff spoke about people with genuine affection, compassion and understanding. One staff member described how a person who was new to the service was “struggling emotionally… it’s a big change for (name)”. The staff member explained how they had taken time to get to know the person, understand their interests and worries, and tailor support accordingly. This included purchasing adapted activity equipment and providing additional reassurance to help the person settle into their new home.

We saw examples of staff and managers making themselves available to provide practical and emotional support to people and their families during difficult periods and significant life events. This demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting people when they needed it most.

We observed staff supporting one person, who could at times be verbally aggressive, with patience, kindness and understanding. Staff remained calm and respectful throughout their interactions. The person later spoke very positively about the care and support they had received over a number of years.

All relatives spoke positively about the caring approach of staff. Relatives consistently described staff as kind, respectful and compassionate. One relative told us, “The staff have a range of personalities and qualities, but they are all lovely caring and kind people….” Another relative said, “The staff are kind, respectful, very considerate and communicative and you can tell they enjoy their jobs.”

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.

Managers and staff knew people and their families well. They understood people's backgrounds, life experiences, preferences and routines and how these influenced their wellbeing and care needs. Staff understood the impact of cognitive impairment and adapted their approach to meet people's changing needs.

Staff supported people to make choices about how they lived their lives and delivered care in line with their preferences. One person told us, “I fit in here, I eat dinner at teatime, I choose when I want to eat. I get up as late as I like too, as per my choice. They fit in with me; I don’t fit in with them.”

Staff understood and respected people's religious and cultural needs. Care plans included information about people's beliefs, backgrounds and preferences, and staff explained how they supported people to maintain their faith and cultural identities. One relative told us, “I’ve seen copies of (relative) care plans and we discuss any changes. They noted that (relative) is religious…and they got a (cleric) round to see them.”

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 maintain their independence and make choices about their daily lives. One person told us they continued to shave independently and only received support from staff when needed. Care plans clearly identified areas where people could remain independent and guided staff on how to encourage and maintain these skills. For example, one care plan instructed staff to encourage a person to wash themselves where possible.

People chose how they spent their time and how they wished to be supported. Staff adapted activities to people's preferences, interests and wishes, and supported participation in activities that were meaningful to them. They also respected people's decisions not to take part.

The registered manager promoted a strong person-centred culture and consistently referred to the service as people's home. They told us staff adapted support around people's needs, choices and preferences rather than expecting people to fit around service routines. This approach promoted choice, independence and control and was reflected in everyday practice.

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.

The service benefited from a small, stable and experienced staff team. Staff knew people well and understood their needs, preferences and routines. This helped them anticipate and respond to people's needs in a timely, person-centred way.

There were enough staff to meet people's needs promptly. During mealtimes, staff worked together to support people to eat and drink safely while maintaining a calm and inclusive environment.

People who chose to remain in their bedrooms received regular support and welfare checks, including during the night. Care records confirmed these checks were completed consistently.

Staff recognised changes in people's health, wellbeing and emotional needs and knew when concerns needed escalating. Staff also had access to management support through a 24-hour on-call system.

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

Staff consistently described managers as supportive, approachable and visible within the service. They gave examples of managers providing practical and emotional support during difficult circumstances and said any concerns were addressed “straight away”. Staff expressed confidence in the leadership team and felt valued in their roles. They told us managers listened to their views, responded promptly to concerns and created a positive culture within the service.

Staff had access to the training, guidance and support they needed to provide safe and effective care. They said managers were available for advice and encouraged them to seek help and raise concerns when needed.