Elm Tree House

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. People described staff as “nice” and “approachable.” One person told us their bedroom space was private, they said, “staff are good about this and will always knock.” One relative said, “I have met the staff we do chat. I can't fault them they are very friendly and respectful. What they do well is give good support. [Relative’s name] gets anxiety and they calm [Relative] down well.”

We observed staff were respectful, for example knocking before entering people’s rooms and helping a person to manage their anxiety.

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. Care plans we reviewed were personalised to meet people’s individual needs. For example, one person’s care was tailored to their epilepsy and falls risk and explained how they liked to choose their weekly meals. Another person’s care plan included how they participated in family events, with staff support.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. One person said they were being supported by staff to become independent and eventually get their own place to live. We observed people were encouraged and supported to keep their rooms tidy, do their own laundry or join in with meal preparations. One person said they go out to town on the bus when they want to.

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.

People told us staff were available when they needed support. One person said, “Staff are nice and come when needed.”

During the visit, we observed staff responding appropriately to people and providing reassurance when required. For example, staff recognised that one person was becoming anxious because they had nail polish on their hands. Staff encouraged and supported the person to remove the nail polish, which helped reduce their anxiety and improve their wellbeing.

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

Staff spoke positively about working for the organisation and told us they felt supported in their roles. They described a range of employee benefits and wellbeing initiatives including access to mental health and wellbeing support, Staff also told us they were encouraged to develop their skills and had opportunities to progress their careers if they wished. The provider recognised the importance of supporting staff following challenging incidents. Staff wellbeing was monitored and checked after incidents, and reasonable adjustments were made where needed to help staff carry out their roles effectively.