Lanercost House - Carlyle Suite

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.

We undertook a Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI), which is a method used to observe how care is delivered in practice, particularly for people who may not be able to communicate their experiences verbally. During the SOFI, we saw numerous caring and meaningful interactions. Staff were warm, attentive and encouraging, and consistently supported people in a way that upheld their dignity and comfort.
One relative told us, “The staff give [person] appropriate support to make him feel comfortable. There's a lot of gentle talking when he's having personal care and they tell him what they're doing. He enjoys the banter they have with him too. They're really positive.”

Throughout the inspection, there was a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Positive relationships between staff and people using the service were evident, and staff clearly knew people well. They used this knowledge to tailor their approach, enabling them to offer reassurance and compassionate support. Care and support were delivered in line with people’s preferences and wishes.
People’s privacy and dignity were consistently respected. Staff provided support in a discreet and sensitive manner and ensured people could spend time alone when they wished.

Feedback from health professionals was positive. One told us, “Whenever I visit, I only see people being treated with respect. The staff really care. I see them engaging with people and encouraging and assisting them to eat and drink.” Another said, “The staff treat the patients with respect and kindness and are always pleasant and professional when talking with us.”
 

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

Care plans included detailed information about people’s life histories, preferences, and what was important to them. The environment supported people’s independence. For example, bedroom doors had clear, dementia-friendly signage to help people easily recognise their own space.

Staff knew people well and understood their personal histories, daily routines and preferences. They used this knowledge to provide care in a way that reflected people’s individual needs and wishes, including recognising what helped people feel comfortable and what may cause distress.

Staff were respectful of people’s cultural, social and religious needs. A staff member told us, “[members of different churches] come here. Sing hymns and do bible passages.”

Where people had preferences about how their care was provided, these were acknowledged and met wherever possible. One relative told us, “My [relative] always likes her nails done and painted and they still do that for her. Her hair looks lovely and clean too.” People’s rooms were personalised with items such as photographs, supporting their wellbeing and sense of identity.
 

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people or their representatives knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.
Care plans were detailed and reflected people’s individual choices, including how they wished to receive personal care and support with daily routines.

One staff member told us, “We promote people's independence. We respect people’s wishes around whether they would like a shave or to be showered at specific times, we can provide care when it suits them.”
Staff told us that when people chose not to take part in group activities, they were offered one-to-one activities tailored to their interests and preferences. Staff also encouraged people to maintain their independence by supporting their strengths and involving them in everyday activities.

People were supported to maintain relationships with family and friends, which was important to their wellbeing. Information about significant relationships was recorded within care plans to help staff understand what mattered to people.

Not all people had care plans in place relating to sexuality and relationships. The provider told us these were only developed where risks had been identified. This approach is not fully in line with best practice, which promotes supporting all aspects of a person’s identity and relationships, regardless of risk. The registered manager acknowledged this and recognised the need for improvement in this area.
 

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people in a timely way, acting to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.
Staff recognised the different ways people expressed pain, discomfort or distress, including both verbal and non-verbal communication. Where concerns about a person’s health or wellbeing were identified, these were escalated promptly to senior staff or relevant healthcare professionals.

Staff were observant and responsive to changes in people’s condition. They monitored people closely and took time to communicate effectively, ensuring they understood what people needed in the moment.

We observed staff responding to people in a calm, caring and reassuring way. Staff offered immediate support when people appeared unsteady or in need of reassurance. Systems were in place to monitor response times of call bells and other methods of requesting support, which showed staff responded promptly to people’s needs.
 

The provider promoted the wellbeing of staff and supported them to deliver person-centred care. Systems were in place to help staff feel valued, informed and able to carry out their roles effectively.

Staff spoke positively about working at the Carlyle Suite and told us they felt supported by their colleagues and management. One staff member said, “I feel like the workload is manageable. We always help each other out and management are supportive.”

The provider recognised and rewarded staff contributions. For example, staff received awards such as ‘Employee of the Month’, and achievements were celebrated in a monthly newsletter.
The registered manager described an open and supportive culture. They told us, “We've put two nurses through their training here, I have an open-door policy and I see staff daily. I like to think they all feel they can come and speak to me, and they do. We have also supported overseas workers to get their nursing PIN.”

Staff had access to information and support through resources such as a staff handbook and internal communication systems. The registered manager explained, “Staff have a staff handbook with lots of information in it. Barchester have ‘the happy app’ and everything staff need to know is on there, we share information and news on there including staff benefits.”