Burlington Hall 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 inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection, 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 always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

We consistently observed excellent kindness and compassion from staff when they supported people. People were incredibly relaxed and happy as a result and were clearly at ease being supported by them. In all interactions we observed between staff and people, it was clear staff prioritised being kind and empathetic towards people at all times. One person was struggling to eat their meal. A staff member sat with them, gently holding their hand and speaking with them about their interests and what they thought about their meal. The person said to the staff member, ‘‘I feel so much better now you are here.’’ Another person was visibly anxious and upset. Staff went and spoke with the person almost immediately. They knew precisely what to say and how to say it to help the person feel better. The person smiled at the staff member and said, ‘‘You’ve helped me you have.’’ They were a lot happier as a result of this.

Staff completely understood the importance of treating people with dignity and respect and the importance of respecting their cultural identity and needs. Several people using the service followed a specific religion and staff understood this completely. They referred to the people using a specific term that meant a lot to them in line with their religion. People smiled and reciprocated this engagement very positively. Whilst staff supported people, they were very discreet and enabled people to maintain their own independence and dignity as they went about their daily lives. There were no restrictions on where people went or how they spent their time. One person said, ‘‘Do what you want when you want here. It is the perfect life.’’

Without exception people and their relatives were incredibly positive about the kind and caring nature of the staff team. People’s comments included, ‘‘[Staff] are amazing and wonderful. They are my friends first and staff second.’’ and ‘‘I am so happy here. The staff here are kind, generous and will do anything for you.’’ Relative’s comments included, ‘‘The standard of personal dignity was impeccable. [Family member] was always immaculately dressed, and their needs were attended to immediately. Furthermore, the staff diligently facilitated our daily phone calls. Because [family member’s] communication was largely one-sided, staff members proactively updated me on their day-to-day activities, allowing us to maintain an invaluable bond when we weren't there.’’ and ‘‘The management and staff team are like angels. They see people as people and not as numbers. They care about every little aspect of [family member’s] care and make sure everything is to their liking. They are the most caring and empathetic staff team you could ask for. We owe them everything.’’

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences.

Staff knew people well as individuals. They had regular discussions about how best to support people in line with their likes and preferences with people and their family members. They respected and understood people’s cultural needs, for example supporting them to celebrate specific holidays or making sure they only ate food that met their needs.

We observed staff talking with people about things that interested them. People had been supported to personalise and decorate their rooms, and staff knew what people liked to eat and drink. One person said, ‘‘[Staff] know and treat me like one of their own family.’’ A relative told us, ‘‘The staff see my family member as we do. A truly unique individual and I know every person living at the service gets treated as such.’’

Staff promoted people's independence and asked them to make choices in all day-to-day areas of their support. For example, staff asked people what they wanted to eat and drink, what they wanted to wear and what time they wanted to be supported with personal care. Staff took their time when they supported people, making sure the person was in control of how they were being supported. People were given the choice as to whether they wanted to leave the service and take part in past times and social opportunities in the community. Staff promoted people’s independence in ways such as helping them do as much as they could themselves before supporting them. One person said, ‘‘I like doing everything myself. I am a bit slower than I used to be, but staff don’t mind and I can take my time.’’ A relative told us, ‘‘[Family member] is needing more and more help as time goes but staff are very respectful and tactful. They feel like they are in control as a result.’’

Staff responded to people's needs in the moment or act to minimise any discomfort, concern, or distress. Staff told us how they noted changes in people’s support needs and reported this to the management team to make sure care plans and risk assessments were updated. Staff were attentive to people’s needs throughout the day in relation to personal care or making sure they had something to eat and drink. When people asked for support, they did not have to wait a long time for their needs to be met. One person said, ‘‘All you have to do is ask and staff will help you.’’ A relative told us, ‘‘There are always staff about and a lot of them have worked at the service for a long time which is great for [family member] as they know everyone.’’

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff enjoyed their job roles. They gave consistently good feedback about the support they had from the registered manager and management team. Staff were supported to attend meetings and have discussion about their job roles and any help they may need. The registered manager supported staff to develop their skills and advance in their job roles if they chose to do so. The management team took time to share staff success with them.