Tynedale House

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 the last inspection we rated this key question outstanding. At this inspection the rating has changed to good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

This service scored 65 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. People described staff as nice, caring, kind and helpful. Relatives were overwhelmingly positive about the care and support their family members received and described staff as kind, respectful and compassionate. We observed staff supporting people in an unhurried and respectful way. Staff were friendly, polite and treated people with empathy and compassion.

Relatives and professionals were positive about the service. A relative told us they always found the staff team treated their family member with respect and as if they were their “family”. Professionals found staff were compassionate, caring and responsive, and highlighted the positive difference support had made to people's lives. A visiting professional said, “I find the care team are very approachable and empathetic toward my client.”

Staff treated people as individuals and delivered care that reflected people's unique needs, preferences and circumstances. The activity coordinator organised a range of community outings. A person said, “We do lots of things and I love our Friday discos.” However, staffing levels did not fully support them to provide individualised care. Assessments contained significant amounts of information but did not always give staff sufficiently personalised guidance about how to put this into practice with each person. The registered manager recognised this and was working with staff to develop a more person-specific approach.

Staff promoted people's independence, choice and control. People were encouraged and supported to make decisions about their daily routines, healthcare, activities, finances and personal goals. People had opportunities to take part in meaningful activities. However, staffing arrangements restricted people’s opportunities to lead ordinary lives and develop their independence. Staff told us additional staffing would enable them to support people to go out and participate in more activities. Some everyday practices also restricted people’s independence. For example, people could not routinely enter the kitchens on their units, which limited opportunities to develop or maintain everyday living skills such as making their own drinks. Night staffing levels had contributed to people becoming accustomed to going to bed before 9pm. The registered manager recognised these shortfalls and was in the process of reviewing staffing levels and staff practices.

Staff always responded to people's immediate needs in a timely and person-centred way. People told us the registered manager and staff were approachable, listened to them and acted on their concerns. Relatives also said they felt involved and were kept informed about the care their family members received. Staff were responsive when people’s needs changed. Healthcare professionals reported that staff responded to changes in people’s conditions in a timely way which met their individual needs. Professionals described staff as proactive in communicating concerns and responsive in providing support, including when people needed emergency respite care. A professional said, “Throughout [person’s name] stay, the staff demonstrated exceptional commitment to meeting their needs. Staff went above and beyond by providing them with clothing, toiletries and jigsaw puzzles, an activity they really enjoy. During one of my visits on arrival I could hear them laughing, which was something I had never heard him do before.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of staff and supported and enabled them to deliver person-centred care. Staff described the new registered manager as visible, approachable and supportive and said they felt increasingly listened to. Staff said they could raise concerns and seek support when needed, and several described positive changes since the registered manager took up post. Staff reported that their work was recognised and praised, which helped them feel valued and supported. A staff member said, “I feel that since the new home manager has been appointed we work better as a team, and views are listened to.”