Penley Grange

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 as required improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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.

There was a strong culture that ensured people were treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. The services mission set out by the team was “Improving residents experience”.

Staff understood people’s past experiences and were skilled in anticipating potential triggers to avoid distress. Where people needed reassurance staff responded immediately, listened and worked to find a solution. What we found very apparent was the team’s ability and perseverance to try various solutions to improve people’s lives. The team’s passion to do so shone through.

We had numerous examples of how people were empowered to spend their time in a way they wanted including giving them privacy by putting the ‘do not disturb’ sign on their door.

It was apparent the service delivery was led by the people and their needs, the team at Penley Grange ensured the presence of the inspection team did not impact people’s established routines. Staff showed they understood the importance of ‘chit chat’, we observed how they responded to one person’s repetitive questions recognising it was important to the person as a way of seeking reassurance and feeling valued and listened to.

We observed very caring and kind interactions between the people and the staff including the leadership team. It was clear people found the management team very approachable as their interactions included invitations into people’s personal space and we saw examples of hugs which people enjoyed.

Staff treated peers and colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. We observed very respectful interactions between the staff including lots of support and thanking one another.

Staff were very positive about the leadership team and how they set the tone and led by example. One staff member said, “The management team [director’s name], [registered manager’s name] and [team leader’s name] are absolutely brilliant.” Another staff member shared how the registered manager supported them during a difficult experience in their personal life. They said, “She supported me in every way, [manager’s name] was there to give me strength and was there for me.” Other feedback from staff about the registered manager included that she was ‘marvellous’, ‘compassionate’ and that her ‘bubbly’ personality was driving the positive atmosphere at the service.

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’s care plans reflected their abilities, strengths and protected characteristics. People were supported by their preferred staff gender, and staff took account of people’s backgrounds to identify activities and interests for people to try out. For example, one person was regularly supported to visit an airfield due to their love of aircrafts and another person was supported to attend church.

An external professional said, “All interactions between staff and service users that I have observed demonstrated mindfulness of each service user’s individual differences.”

People did not have the option to lock their own bedroom doors to protect their privacy and security of personal belongings. We found an isolated incident where a person had entered another person’s bedroom at night and staff responded straight away to prevent any disturbance. After our visit the registered manager provided an update that they had reviewed bedroom privacy with people and updated care plans to reflect people’s choices.

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

Staff encouraged people’s independence, choice and control over their own care. We observed where people required support with eating and drinking staff provided opportunities for people to eat independently at their own pace.

A staff member told us, “Empowering individuals to make their own choices is central to our approach. For example, I offer choices during mealtimes, respecting individual preferences. I believe this enable’s their independence by including their thoughts and feelings.”

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.

The service used equipment such as an epilepsy sensor to enable staff to respond to people’s needs immediately. We observed staff were consistently attentive to people’s needs; they understood what support a person needed after a visit to their family home and provided reassurance.

Where the staff had noticed a change in people’s physical health, they promptly arranged GP appointment and followed the medical advice provided. An external professional told us, “(Staff) show good understanding of how and when to make appropriate referrals to our team.”

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

Staff were very positive about the leadership team. One staff member said, “Managers are approachable and visible on the floor. They take time to listen to staff and people we support and act on feedback. They promote a positive and inclusive environment. Managers do not only give moral support but also ensure that we are feeling happy.”

The provider ensured staff received one-to-one support from external health professionals to ensure they were fully familiar how to plan and deliver care to people with complex needs, these included meaningful activities and how to best support people who may be at risk of developing behaviours that challenge.

The provider prioritised staff’s wellbeing by, for example ensuring health risk assessments for night staff had been carried out to monitor their wellbeing and safe working practices. There was a staff recognition scheme through an Employee of the Month award that aimed to celebrate and praise staff for going ‘the extra mile’.

Staff’s individual circumstances had been considered when planning the duty rota, this was to ensure staff with for example caring responsibilities were able to balance their home and work life.

Staff told us they were listened to and their views mattered. One staff member told us how they were empowered to make improvements. They said they raised ideas a couple of times and each time had feedback and the solution. For example, one time they raised that a door guard of a resident’s bedroom was making noise, and they were concerned it could affect resident’s sleep. They reported it and said the very next day when they arrived at work, they saw the door guard issue has been promptly sorted.