Highwood Mill Extra Care Scheme

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 65 (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 did not always treat people with kindness, empathy and compassion, or respect their privacy and dignity.

A person told us , “Staff spoke in a language not understood by the person they were supporting while providing care.” This did not promote dignity or inclusive communication.

This meant some could not understand what staff were saying and may have felt excluded or unsure about their care. We fed these issues back to the registered manager, and we were to told that this was going to be addressed with the staff team.

Other people told us carers of the opposite gender were sent to support with care calls when they had asked the office to ensure their referenced carers were sent. One person told us, “I didn’t like that, I felt that wasn’t very dignified for me.”

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.

During people’s initial assessment people’s ambitions were explored with them and plans were made. Generally, a key goal for people was being supported to remain at Highwood Mill and remain as independent as they could in their own homes. The registered manager said people were allocated times which they wanted. One person told us, “Times can vary and they can upset plans for the day, but they have been addressed so hopefully, this will improve.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Daily notes recorded staff giving people choices and always seeking consent, giving people control over their support. Staff supported people with physiotherapy exercises to improve their mobility and independence in the long term.

Staff spoke positively about promoting people’s independence with feedback including, “There is a strong focus on promoting independence and helping people to achieve their personal goals”, and “I support independence by actively listening and respecting people’s choices.”

The provider did not always listen to and understand people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff did not always respond to people’s needs in the moment or act to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

While most people said care was timely and staff were attentive, some reported delays and poor communication about changes to visit times, particularly at weekends. One person told us, “They come any time at night… and if they are late, they do not tell you why.” This impacted people’s ability to attend planned activities and maintain routines. The provider had introduced shift leads and improved handover processes to address these concerns. However, these processes need to time to embed.

Another person told us, “They felt anxious when carers didn’t turn up when arranged. This was sometime hours after the timetabled visit.”

The provider always supported staff wellbeing and development. Staff described a positive culture where they felt listened to and could raise concerns openly. Regular supervision included wellbeing checks, and staff had access to mentors and specialist support, such as menopause guidance. Training was delivered through a mix of online modules and face-to-face sessions, and competency checks were in place for key tasks like medication administration. Staff told us, “If I have any issues, I know I can go and speak to the office staff and they’ll always support.