Springkell House Care 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 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. People and their relative told us staff were kind and respectful. One person told us, “They are very kind, and everybody knows me now and looks after me.” One relative said, “They are really lovely. They are also lovely to me and say, go home and have a break. There is not one single bad thing I can say about them.”

People’s privacy was respected. Staff knocked on people’s doors before entering and ensured doors were closed when supporting people with their personal care. Where people required support to eat, staff sat next to them and assisted the person’s pace, checking they were okay and making conversation. Staff we spoke with understood the importance of maintaining people’s privacy and dignity. One staff member told us, “We must make sure their privacy and dignity are protected. For example, respecting their wishes and making sure doors and curtains are closed when helping with personal care. We also must protect confidentiality and not sharing their information inappropriately.”

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. Staff worked alongside people and their relatives to ensure their care was personalised and recognised what was important to them. One relative was no longer able to drive to visit their family member. Staff therefore drove to pick them up each week so they could have lunch together. Staff had also made a special effort to arrange a party for a special occasion which had been very much appreciated by the person and their family.

On a day-to-day level, staff were observed to be respectful of people’s individual needs. Care plans contained person-centred information which included information regarding their life history, family and things which were important to them. Relatives told us staff were aware of this information and used it when supporting their relative. A relative told us, “They do know him, they even had a cushion made with everything about it written on.” One staff member said, “I respect people as individuals and what their choices are. We cannot treat everyone in the same way because everyone is different and likes or needs different things. Our work is guided by what people’s wishes are.”

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

Staff were heard frequently offering people choices and suggestions regarding how to spend their time and what they may wish to do. One relative told us, “The staff know [family member] prefers to spend time in his room and they respect that.” They went on to say staff would still spend time with their family member to ensure they did not feel isolated. People were able to welcome their visitors to the service at any time.

A range of group and individual activities were organised for people such as trips out, gardening, bingo, quizzes and exercise groups. People told us they enjoyed the activities on offer as well as spending time with staff individually.

Staff told us they encouraged people to remain as independent as possible. One staff member told us, “I like to encourage people to walk just those few steps further, this helps their mobility as well as makes them feel more independent. When I do personal care, I hand them things to do as much of their own personal care as they can.” We observed staff encouraging people to mobilise throughout the day and to eat independently where possible.

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 present and able to respond to people’s needs and requests promptly. We observed one person approach a staff member as they were anxious as to if they had eaten breakfast. The staff member assured the person they could have something to eat. They supported them to the dining room and prepared what they had requested. As the dining room was empty, the staff member offered to sit with the person, assuring them they didn’t want them to feel lonely sitting on their own. Throughout the day we observed staff approach people to check how they were and ask if there was anything they needed.

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

Staff told us they felt respected and valued as part of the Springkell House team. One staff member told us, “I think the manager is very thoughtful and makes us all feel very welcome and part of this place. It is like a family here; I love coming to work.” The service had a number of initiatives to thank staff for their work and recognise where they had gone above and beyond to provide person-centred care. This included a ‘Start the Week’ discussion where a staff member was awarded for something they had done to make a difference to someone.

The registered manager told us they had great respect for the staff and wanted them to know they were appreciated. They told us, “They work very hard, we make sure they always have a nice meal when on shift and regular breaks. I always go around and see how staff are through the day and make sure I say goodbye and thank you when I am leaving. I want them to develop, and we will offer different training for them and see how they want to progress. It is very satisfying to see them grow in the career.” Staff we spoke with confirmed this was the case with one staff telling us they had been able to progress in their career and had learnt more than in other environments they had worked in.