The Old Vicarage

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,dignityand respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key questiongood. At thisassessmentthe rating hasremainedthe same.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 observed interactions between staff and people to be kind and warm. There was a caring atmosphere at the service, and we saw people to look relaxed and comfortable.A visiting healthcare professional told us, “I really like coming here”, and said that staff were “really lovely and helpful”.

We spoke to people who told us staff were kind to them. Speaking of the way staff treat them, one person said, “I think it is excellent”.

We spoke to people’s relatives, who all said they found staff and leaders to be kind and caring. Relatives gave us examples of where staff had built relationships with their loved ones which had a positive impact on their wellbeing. One relative told us, “What I like is that [relatives] face lights up when they see the carers, there’s more reaction to them than seeing family!”.

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 and leaders at the service knew people well and could speak with ease about people's individual preferences and life histories. Staff told us they talk with people to get to know their likes and dislikes. A staff member told us they speak to people whilst providing care, because it is important for them to know if “something is right or not”.

Whilst staff and leaders knew people very well, and could confidently tell us people’s individual preferences, further work is required to ensure peoples individual needs are also reflected within care records. The management team told us their plans to achieve this.

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

People were encouraged to stay as independent as possible and had control over their care. One person we spoke with had full confidence in working with the care team to ensure the care they received met their individual needs. They told us, “I make sure everything is okay, and if we have any problems, I make sure I deal with them”.

We spoke to relatives about whether their loved ones are treated as individuals. All relatives spoke highly of how the service respects people’s individuality. One told us the service were “flexible to [relatives] needs and change things as needed”. Another told us how their relatives prefer to not socialise with others, and that staff respected this.

Staff and leaders understood people as individuals and all staff we spoke with shared the same ethos. The manager told us they respect people’s choices about how they lived their lives, and that people are “not on a schedule” when discussing daily routines within the service.

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.

Throughout our inspection, staff and leaders demonstrated genuine compassion for people. Most people at the service were living with dementia and required emotional support at times of distress. Our observations of these interactions were mostly positive, and people received support for their immediate needs in a timely way.

Where people presented with behaviours which can challenge, details of how best to support people were not always recorded within care records, and further work is required to develop this.

Where people were deteriorating, or their needs changing, timely referrals were made to healthcare professions and other external services. The service worked collaboratively with services to ensure people received the right care.

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

Staff and leaders at the service spoke positively of the support they received in their roles. In particular, staff spoke highly of the direct support they received from the management team and the providers Quality Manager, who was previously the registered manager for The Old Vicarage. Staff said there was a no-blame culture, with one saying “Even if I have made a mistake, [managers say] what can we do to fix it. They support us. That is done really well here.”

Another staff member said, “They always support us on the floor and give a hand; they don’t sit in office they always come and help”.

Staff were provided with a range of training to enhance their practice, including opportunities to undertake industry recognised diplomas.

The manager promoted an inclusive working environment and made appropriate reasonable adjustments for autistic staff. These adjustments helped staff work to the best of their ability, undertake their roles effectively, and contribute to the delivery of consistent care and support for people.