SEL Mind – Bromley MindCare

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• 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 service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

We did not assess all the quality statements within this key question. We did not identify concerns relating to these areas which we judged as being met at our last inspection.

This key question has been rated outstanding. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

This service scored 90 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The registered manager and staff were exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected and upheld people’s privacy and dignity.

People and their relatives told us the support they received was crucial to them, their well-being and their families. One person told us, “[Staff] most used phrases is ‘Can I help you with that’. They [staff] just know when I need help without being condescending.” Another person told us, “I would say everything that [staff] does is above and beyond. I haven’t met anyone from Mind who isn’t kind, caring and compassionate about the challenges we face.” A third person commented, “Everyone that works for Mind is so nice and really compassionate to what people living with dementia are having to face, especially where family are not involved with them.”

People and their relatives shared examples with us of the kind and caring nature of staff and the support they offered. A relative told us, “If there has been anything happening in the sports world that is worth talking about, [staff] will bring a paper along when she comes and her and [loved one] will look at it and maybe watch the sports pundits discussing it on TV if [loved one] wants to. [Loved one] knows we are not into sport so [loved one] looks forward to [staff] coming each week. [Staff] also knows that [loved one] likes the garden, so she might suggest that if it’s safe (not too hot) she will take [loved one] out there. [Staff] has almost become an extended family member over time.”

A person told us, “They [staff] will find things I have misplaced, including a tablet I had dropped once; they will remind me of things on the calendar; keep me updated on shopping I might need; check dates of food in the fridge, little but important things to me. I have never met two more kind or caring people. It’s a pleasure to have them in my home. If there is anything I am fretting about because its overdue, [staff] will do it for me. Like paying the paper bill on their way home or to the next call.”

Staff were very passionate and motivated demonstrating real empathy and compassion understanding people’s needs and desires. The registered manager told us that many staff had worked with people for significant periods of time and had built strong mutual and professional relationships with people and their relatives. A member of staff commented, “I go home feeling that I have achieved something and have been worthwhile, the support we receive is immense.” A relative told us, “Nobody warns you of the stress levels attached to caring for a family member at home, but [staff] supports me and gives me pointers or ideas if we hit something unusual.” Another relative commented, “I don’t think you can be trained to be kind. But [staff] is very kind and will do anything that supports me while she is with us each week. She might empty the washing machine, put on the drier as she has seen me do, then fold it up for me, which saves me a job. I can see [staff] is very respectful towards [loved one] and that goes a long way with me.”

People and their relatives told us of the kindness, thoughtfulness and the opportunities that arose through staff working with them. A person told us, “There are trips out if people want them. Buses to see the Christmas lights; music concerts, that sort of thing. It really makes the difference.” The registered manager told us they had approached and liaised with a London bus company in seeking a day out for people and their informal carers. They told us the bus company was very kind in learning of the service and provided them with a free Christmas light tour in London. The registered manager also told us and showed us the pictures of a staff, client and carers adventure day out they had arranged within woodland, explaining how the experience for one person had helped them to overcome their fear of heights.

People and their relatives also told us of the everyday kindness and empowering support offered by staff. A relative told us, “They [staff] used to help [loved one] with their daily newspaper crossword. They [staff] told me they learned a lot from [loved one]. If they [staff] noticed that [loved one] was a bit restless, they encouraged [loved one] to go for a walk with them. [Loved one] loved it because they were never in a rush and went at [loved ones] speed.

The provider and staff treated people as individuals and were exceptional in how they 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 supported people holistically and treated them as individuals acknowledging and supporting them to pursue their desires and goals. The registered manager told us how they had supported one person in seeking employment within the organisation that was meaningful to them. They told us the person had valuable lived experience and was successful in their application to become the organisations ‘lived experience’ consultant. They said this role was developed to help and support staff to gain a better understanding of how staff can best support people living with dementia and their informal carers.

People received excellent person-centred care that was tailored to their individual needs, preferences, and life experiences. Staff received training on equality and diversity and treated people with respect. Care plans demonstrated staff took a person-centred approach that respected people’s individual needs and preferences.

Staff demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of the people they supported and treated them with kindness and dignity. One person shared, “[Loved one] needs help with feeding but [staff] always tries to make it interesting for them and gets [loved one] involved in choosing things to eat. Mind calls every week are [loved ones] saviour. If [loved one] feels like it, [staff] will take [loved one] down the village in the wheelchair for a coffee and handles all [loved ones] drinks and snacks if they are at home.” A relative told us, “[Staff] has encouraged [loved one] to do some drawing and at her suggestion, we did get hold of a magnetic darts board which was set up at [loved ones] height. Occasionally [loved one] will engage.” Another relative told us, “I have overheard [staff] chatting away to [loved one], even though [staff] doesn’t get much response from [loved one]. She treats her normally which is lovely. If [staff] sees anything in the paper or a magazine that she thinks [loved one] might like to look at or hear about, she will bring it with her.”

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

Staff went above and beyond to support people with skills and practical tasks that enabled them to have more independence and choice in their lives. One person told us, “The service is very flexible and fits totally around my needs at that time. I am so grateful for their [staff] support. Life would be very different without it. If there is anything [staff] have fed back to the office, it is always followed up.” A second person told us, “They [staff] heard me talking about the new library that is opening and offered to take me in their car as they have insurance in place.”

Staff displayed dedication, passion and were deeply committed to the well-being of those they supported. Staff spoke with genuine care about the impact of their work on the people they supported. The registered manager gave us many examples of the work they did with people. One example was a choir that brought together people using the service and young autistic people. They had been working with a local school holding singing rehearsals. They told us they all sang at a London theatre on an annual basis at Christmas and had mince pies. This collaboration ‘the 12-choir project’ had won an award two years in a row and included people from ‘Drumbeat and YODA (Young Onset Dementia Activists) groups. They said, “It’s very festive and everyone enjoys themselves, the choir and the people visiting the theatre.”

The registered manager told us they were also seeking to work with a well-known rap artist and had held a workshop for people and their informal carers where they were able to write what dementia meant to them, using these as a basis for a rap song. The registered manager told us of various workshops and activities held for people on a regular basis. They explained that many people who use the service enjoyed art and produced good pieces of artwork. As a result, they arranged with a local shopping centre for the art group to have a ‘pop up’ art gallery on display and a stall to promote the service and the work they do with people and the local community. We saw photos of people’s artwork on display.

The service supported people to understand their rights by using and providing information in different formats and languages to meet their needs. Staff supported people to access health and social care services and to obtain and use equipment when required that promoted and enhanced their independence

We did not look at Responding to people’s immediate needs during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.

We did not look at Workforce wellbeing and enablement during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.