Housing 21 - Holm Court

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 changed to 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 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.

Without exception, people told us the staff were caring. A person said, “[Registered manager] and the staff all care about me. It helps me a lot.” A relative said, “Staff were kind, respectful and compassionate.” Another relative told us, “The staff were very caring and compassionate towards [family member].” Staff and the management team referred to people in a respectful way.

The provider’s respect and inclusion policy set out the requirements of all individuals working at the service to always treat people with respect. Care plans identified how people’s needs and preferences were met and they were written in a respectful way, as were the daily notes which identified the support provided to people at each care visit. Care plans referred to how people’s privacy was to be respected. A person told us how the staff knocked on their flat door and waited to be invited in before entering.

To show people mattered, at Easter, the service had bought Easter eggs for all people and a staff member’s children had dressed as the Easter bunny and delivered eggs to each person’s flat. Two people told us how they had appreciated this surprise which they were not expecting.

The provider treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. The provider took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Staff we spoke with were extremely knowledgeable about each person who used the service, including how they wished to be treated. People’s care plans included their aims and goals relating to the care provision and identified the risks if people’s needs were not met. People’s aspirations and progress were reviewed regularly to help them recognise their achievements, such as increased independence, and to support them in setting new goals where they wished to do so.

Each person’s care plan included information about their backgrounds and lives prior to them using the service, and the support provided to ensure they were still that person and encouragement to carry on with their interests. People’s care plans included information about people’s specific conditions, such as dementia, and how this impacted them, and what people had identified was a good day and a bad day for them. The care plans were developed so people experienced good days and to reduce the risks of having a bad day.

The service went over and above to adapt care provision to meet people’s individual preferences. A staff member told us how they had amended a person’s care visits when they had been reluctant to accept care. This was carried out in consultation with the person, who had agreed to have their personal care support later in the day rather than the morning which the person preferred, and their usual routines before they started using the service. The staff member told us this was working well and the person was happier. The registered manager told us how a person was provided with a weekly rota, which showed who would be undertaking their care visits and when, this assisted the person’s own wellbeing so they could plan and were aware of what was happening. This was confirmed by the person, who told us this helped them to not worry. This demonstrated people’s individuality and preference was valued and central when planning people’s care.

Weekly coffee meetings were held with volunteers from a place of worship, we saw this was well attended and the registered manager told us people valued having this in place. This supported people’s spiritual needs. During our visit to the service, we saw this coffee morning was well attended. We heard lots of chatting and laughter, demonstrating people were enjoying the event.

Staff working in the service received training in equality and diversity, dementia, learning disabilities and autism. This provided staff with knowledge on how to support people in line with their needs.

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

The provider ensured people’s care plans included their expressed preferences, helping staff to deliver care that aligned with people’s choices, routines, and likes and dislikes. Records showed people were central to their care provision and their preferences were valued in how the care which was planned and delivered. This included regular care reviews undertaken with a staff member, their person and their relative, where appropriate. Where people had requested a change, this was incorporated into their care plan, which demonstrated people were empowered to make decisions about their own lives and their independence and choice were always promoted and respected.

A staff member told us how they had, with consultation with the person and their relatives, changed the support provided to ensure a person’s independence relating to their food preparation was enhanced, because this was a goal they had identified. The registered manager explained that a person expressed a wish to become more independent with their personal care. In response, care visits were reviewed and reduced, in consultation with the person, to support their independence and wishes. This was confirmed by the person, who was happy with the changes made, which they said made them feel more in control of their own life.

People and relatives told us they felt they were listened to and their choices were respected and acted on.

People’s care plans included the areas of their care they could attend to independently and the areas they required support with. People told us their independence was always encouraged and respected. A person told us how the staff had supported them which enabled them to go out in the community independently and to more places than they did before. The person told us they were in control of their own life and the staff supported them. A relative told us staff consistently respected their family member’s privacy and independence. As a result, people received care from a service that always upheld their privacy and independence.

The provider and registered manager recognised the impact isolation and loneliness could have on people’s wellbeing. To enhance to provision of individual person centred care, there was a day centre in the service people could attend if they wished to where they could meet with their peers and enjoy social interactions to improve their wellbeing. People told us they valued the opportunity to use the day centre where they could interact with other people. A relative said, “The day centre is a great asset to Holm Court, helping to combat loneliness and [family member] some stimulation and interaction with others.”In addition, all of the provider’s extra care housing schemes were pet friendly, which supported people to bring their treasured pets into the service when they moved homes.

There was a catering provision in the service which people could choose to use, and also a shared area where people could eat socially. The registered manager told us this was popular and recognised the option of dining in a social environment could encourage people’s dietary intake.

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.

People’s care plans included their likes and dislikes and their preferences regarding their care provision.

The registered manager told us people had call bell pendants which they could use outside of their planned care visits, for example in an emergency. To support quick response times, these calls were diverted to a call centre, if the staff were undertaking a care visit with a person and could not attend. This enabled an assessment to determine if emergency services were needed, and a follow up call made to the service and/or the registered manager. A relative told us staff had called them to advise if, for example, their family member had fallen, and emergency services or 111 had been called. They told us about an occasion, “When I arrived [staff] were with [family member who] had definitely been looked after and everything was calm and organised.”

The notes completed by staff were detailed and evidenced people were listened to at each visit and actions taken to support people where required.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff spoke positively about feeling valued, supported, and cared for within their roles. A staff member told us, “While completing my shadowing sessions I was given a copy of all the policies and procedures for the [service]. I then had a supervision type meeting to ensure I had fully understood them and to discuss anything I wasn't sure on.” Another staff member said, “The ACM are very good, all my checks were completed and more shadow shifts were offered to me to make me feel comfortable as possible.”

Where they wished to, staff were supported to follow the career pathway within the organisation, and the registered manager told us how staff had been supported to develop and promoted in house. In addition, the provider had various systems staff could access in the extra care academy in learning opportunities and gaining skills required in, for example, assistant care manager and assistant housing manager roles.

Staff risk assessments were undertaken and measures taken to reduce the risks to staff when at work. The registered manager told us changes had been made to pay staff monthly. There was a system in place, ‘my view pay now,’ which staff could access if they were facing financial challenges. This demonstrated a supportive workplace culture, as access to financial support reduced anxiety for staff.

The registered manager shared examples of how staff were supported in their roles, including providing emotional support during difficult times such as bereavement, and holding open and supportive discussions about working hours. These conversations helped ensure staff could maintain a healthy work–life balance while continuing to feel valued and supported by the service.

There was a range of support systems staff could access if needed, as well as from the registered manager and assistant care managers (ACM), this included employee assist programme. The registered manager told us these were discussed in staff one to one supervisions to advise of the benefits they could access through the organisation. There were confidential helplines which could be accessed by staff if required, as well as a health programme to assist with long waiting times for treatment.