Clarendon House 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.

This is the first assessment for this service since registration. This key question has been rated 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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Feedback gained from people, relatives and our observations strongly indicated staff were consistently kind, caring and respectful, and people felt safe, supported and treated with dignity. Several staff members were personally praised for their warmth, gentleness and ability to build trusting relationships. Comments from people and their relatives included, [Staff] always goes above and beyond… [they] have almost become a friend”, ”I honestly think they [staff] are caring people,” and “[staff] is impressive and natural in their caring and interest in residents.”

We observed all staff greeting people and ask after their wellbeing throughout the day of the inspection. Staff always knocked on people’s doors before entering bedrooms. People felt safe and at ease with the care staff, with one relative commenting, “I come virtually every day and in that time, I have never heard a carer anything less than polite and kind to residents”.

One relative told us, “Everyone is made to feel welcome here”. Relatives told us they could have access to a larger, private space to use for family visits.

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.

People were supported to be themselves; any protected equality characteristics were truly respected by staff. Staff were aware of potential discrimination and were proactive in identifying and supporting people who faced it.

The provider followed best practice standards which ensured people received privacy, dignity, choice and independence.

People’s personal, cultural, social and religious needs were understood and met. The registered manager told us, “At Clarendon House we recognise the importance of maintaining meaningful relationships for residents and their families.” We noted residents whose spouses did not live at the home were warmly welcomed and encouraged to share lunchtime meals with their family member. We were provided with other examples of how the care home staff had supported family members to attend healthcare appointments. This demonstrated a commitment to the whole family unit, not soley the resident.

People whose first language was not English were supported and their culture was respected. The service had held a celebration of one person’s culture. The manager told us, the day centred around [person’s] unique story, interests and identity. It was shaped by their own memories, recipes and relationships. It was clear from the photographs taken of the event the person and their family had enjoyed it. The event had been extended to other resident’s family members. One family had written to the registered manager to say “Just wanted to congratulate you all for a fantastic event. The food was exceptional and totally enjoyed the whole event.”

People’s room were personalised. It was clear one person had surrounded themself with memories of their worldwide travel. The items gave the person great comfort.

The registered manager shared examples with us on how the home promoted people’s individuality. One person who lived at the home was supported with a bespoke birthday celebration. The same person was supported to continue with their chosen hobby and crafts. It was clear the support provided to them had a positive impact on their wellbeing. The registered manager told us, “It shows how, with encouragement and true person-centred care, a person who sometimes struggles with darkness and low mood can find joy, purpose and pride”.

We saw other examples of how people were supported to maintain skills and roles they had prior to moving into Clarendon House, for instance, supporting people with gardening and sewing.

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 supported to have choice and control over their own care and to make decisions about their care, treatment and wellbeing. One person told us they had a profiling bed, they told us, “It helps me be able to get out of bed myself and go to the toilet at night on my own.” Another person told us, “When I came here, they asked me at what time I would like to be got up.”

People were able to choose where they ate their meal. One person had chosen a particular dining table because of the sunshine and fresh air, they told us, “I have allocated this spot for myself.” People were asked about their preferences for the daytime activities timetable.

People were supported to understand their rights by using different ways to communicate. Their understanding was reviewed throughout their care and treatment. People told us they were addressed by staff with their chosen or preferred name. One person told us “I prefer to be called [chosen name]… I hate being called [not chosen name] and they know that.”

Relatives told us, “We were fully involved and asked all about [person’s] likes and dislikes.” This was especially important for people who were unable to communicate this effectively to staff.

One person who was receiving respite care told us how they enjoyed reading a specific newspaper. This was not what was usually provided though the service had ordered their choice as soon as they were informed.

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 received mixed responses from people and their relatives about responsiveness of staff.

People consistently described staff checking them, reassuring them and arranging hospital transfers when needed. One person told us how they had been supported after a fall. They told us, “They [staff] were very good and three [staff] had to lift me back up”. Another person told us, “The carers came and picked me up, checked there were no broken bones and put me back to bed”.

People told us when the call bell was in reach it mostly got answered quickly. People’s comments included, “I have a call bell, and it is moved to where I am in the room. The call bell always gets a response when I use it. It is usually only a few minutes”. However, one person told us their call bell was not always in reach. They said, “There is a call bell although it is not always in a reachable place, I think it is an issue, I think the carers are usually in a rush when making the bed, not always, but when they are behind and a bit late, they don’t always make sure the call bell is put in the best place”. We have provided this feedback to the registered manager to take action.

People who were deemed at higher risk of falls and were not always able to communicate the need for help had additional equipment in place to alert staff of the need for support. We noted bed and fall sensors were in place.

One relative told us how their [person] had a fall on Christmas eve. Aware of the challenges of accessing emergency care at that time, the registered manager set up a video phone call to the hospital AE department to share information and avoid a longer wait in hospital.

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

The registered manager told us they were able to support staff with a diverse set of needs. “For example, we have adapted shift patterns, simplified task lists, and paired some staff with mentors or buddies to provide ongoing guidance.”

Staff told us they felt supported by the management team. The registered manager told us “We maintain an open-door management approach, encouraging staff to discuss any concerns, health conditions, or personal difficulties confidentially. Managers respond sensitively and promptly, offering support, flexibility, and signposting to external services where appropriate.” the registered manager provided us with examples of how they had supported staff through personal trauma and loss. One member of staff told us, “I feel supported at work, the rota can be adjusted when necessary for support.”

The registered manager told us “At Clarendon House, we are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive workplace where every member of staff feels valued, respected, and able to reach their full potential. Over the past 12 months, we have strengthened our approach to equality and inclusion by focusing on fair recruitment, reasonable adjustments, and compassionate support for staff with diverse needs and circumstances.”

We noted the registered manager had introduced a weekly “open time”, which is when staff could meet informally with them to discuss any concerns affecting their wellbeing. The registered manager told us “The initiative has helped strengthen trust between staff and management and reinforces a culture where team members feel valued not only as an employee but as individuals.”

The provider had an “employee stress helpline” which staff could use confidentially. One member of staff told us, “My wellbeing is promoted, I feel very supported.” In addition, senior staff from the provider also offered face to face opportunities to meet. One member of staff told us, “[name of senior staff] offered me time and always check if I need to speak with them when they visit.”