St Bonaventures

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 80 (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 was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect and followed their advice.

We spoke to, communicated with, and observed all people who lived at the home. We observed a warm, friendly, and kind environment. All the people who could communicate verbally told us staff were “kind” and “nice”. Those who could not communicate verbally were seen engaging with staff and displaying positive body language, gestures or facial expressions.

Staff knew people very well and understood what, and who, was important to them. They genuinely cared for people, showed interest in their lives, and worked to ensure individuals had the same choices as everyone else and the best possible quality of life.

We observed staff being sensitive to people’s needs and offering care and support compassionately and discreetly to maintain dignity. Privacy was protected, and staff explained which people needed reminders to close bathroom and toilet doors. Staff knew who preferred more privacy and explained how they respected those preferences. Care plans clearly identified personal care tasks people managed independently, and when they needed support, which promoted privacy, dignity and boundaries.

Staff described the home as one big family. All staff we spoke to were happy at work, sharing comments such as “I love my job,” “It’s so fulfilling,” “I am very happy at work,” and “It gives me a buzz to know I am supporting these people.” People living in the home benefitted from experienced, caring, and motivated staff.

Every relative we spoke to praised staff saying they were caring and kind. Their comments included, “The staff are very caring”, “The staff are kind and approachable”, and “They are like family, very approachable”.

Two professionals provided feedback, both were positive, one told us” My experiences in working with St Bonaventure’s has always been positive”. Another professional told us that the manager and staff “are very supportive of the residents”.

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.

The small and consistent staff team knew people extremely well. Staff discussed in detail people’s likes, dislikes, and how their support should be delivered. One staff member had worked with a person for 40 years (in different roles). This depth of knowledge meant staff understood people’s needs, wishes, and aspirations, and treated them as unique individuals.

Care and support plans were highly personalised and included potential triggers and strategies to support people. People’s bedrooms were individualised and decorated according to their preferences.

Discussions with people and staff demonstrated the differing needs of individuals and how these were supported, such as attending rock concerts and meet and greets with their favourite artists.

Staff received training in Equality and Diversity, and combined with their knowledge of people, this ensured they were equipped to support individual needs.

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

Staff supported and helped increase people’s independence. Care plans clearly outlined what support people needed and how it should be delivered. Staff understood people’s abilities and worked to maintain or improve them. A relative said, “They support and remind (name) to keep their independence for example putting their own jumper on.”

People were supported to make their own decisions and choices. One person required either a modified diet or additional monitoring and prompts from staff. This was discussed with the person, and they were safely supported to make their own decision. One person attended voluntary work, and all accessed the community with staff to take part in activities of their choosing.

Staff supported people to maintain friendships and family relationships. Relatives told us they were free to visit the home whenever they wished and were made to feel welcome. Some people regularly used iPads to contact friends or family.

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.

We observed that people’s needs were prioritised. Staff anticipated, predicted and responded to those needs, paying close attention to the signs and subtle clues from people unable to communicate verbally.

Staff explained the signs indicating when someone might become unwell or agitated and knew when to escalate concerns. They had access to experienced colleagues and managers through a 24-hour on-call system. One relative said, “Yes they know (person) so well, they act very quickly” (if becoming unwell).

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

Managers were supportive, approachable and concerned about staff wellbeing. They were fully involved in the home, performing the same role as others and leading by example. The manager told us “We do not hideaway in an office, we do all the support too”

People benefitted from excellent staff retention and long serving employees. All staff we spoke to praised management and felt supported to do their jobs well. When asked why they remained in their roles for so long, staff told us they were very happy in their roles, they felt valued and part of a team and all referred to the care home as being a “Family”.

One staff member told us “We are unified, all sing to the same hymn sheet... My colleagues are with you, and support you, the manager is fantastic, been great. I could (leave work). I choose not to.”

Another staff member told us “No one here is stressed (people supported and staff), they treat me and everyone like a family unit and I love my job”. Another told us “This home is totally different than anywhere else I have worked. It is a home from home and means a real home not a care home. Here it's one big family, everybody gets on great, its safe, people are well cared for, they have good choices, the management are approachable and friendly. And it's well run.”

Staff confirmed they work standard hours and there were enough staff.