Robert Harvey 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 inspection 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.

There was a strong person-centred culture instilled by the registered manager. This approach supported staff to care for people with kindness and empathy. One person told us, “The staff are genuinely very good to me. We chat, putting the world to right and they are always telling me this is my home and they are here to support me.” A family member told us, “We Iooked at a lot of homes and could not find one we would let [person’s name] stay, until here (Robert Harvey House). As soon as you walked through the door, it felt different to all the others, a lovely, homely atmosphere and everyone was so helpful.”

This caring approach was extended to people’s relatives and friends, who were warmly welcomed and supported to spend meaningful time with their loved ones. On the day of our site visits, there were multiple birthday celebrations, and 1 family were holding a small party for their loved one at the home.

We found the interactions between staff and people was genuine and respectful, creating a welcoming atmosphere throughout the home. Staff were seen to smile while performing their duties. Staff knew and supported people well. We saw 1 person was anxious and wanted to be outside or walk around the home. Every interaction with the person by staff, reflected patience and respect when supporting the person to walk around the home and garden. This culture of kindness and compassion was embedded in everyday practise, ensuring people experienced high quality care, promoting people’s dignity and choice. One staff member explained in written feedback, ‘I’ve been working at Robert Harvey House for a while now and I can honestly say I’m proud to be a part of a home filled with a vibrant and warm atmosphere, which ensures high quality care and always prioritise comfortability of a home where people are truly looked after and are at the heart of every discussion, making tailoring their support and high quality of care around their needs and wishes all while encouraging independence’.

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 and support were tailored to meet people’s needs, preferences and cultural backgrounds, for example in relation to their choice of meals and clothes. People’s religious beliefs were recorded, and people were supported to attend religious services at the home, where this was important to them. Staff knew people well and respected their choices.

We saw staff knew and acted upon people’s preferences. Staff ensured a person’s preferences about both their dining experience and the layout of their dining table, were met, which also supported their independence. People were supported appropriately and in an unhurried way. We saw 1 staff member was supporting a person who had difficulty eating and required lots of encouragement. The staff member was kind, engaging with the person consistently and gently stroking their face to encourage them to eat. The staff member was gentle and did not rush the person. The dining environment was well presented, with tablecloths, flowers on tables, condiments available and drinks regularly replenished. Meals were flexible and tailored to individual preferences, for example vegetarian.

Staff were able to give examples how they supported people to maintain their independence, such as encouraging people to carry out elements of their own personal care where they could.

People’s care plans provided staff with clear guidance about how to communicate with them. Staff had access to guidance in people’s care plans about their communication needs and how to communicate with them, including people who were unable to speak. There was guidance for staff about how to enable communication, using body language, tone of voice and when best to communicate with people.

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

The registered manager explained how the service recognised that outstanding care was not simply about meeting physical needs. It was also about ensuring people continued to experience friendship, companionship, purpose and joy throughout later life. The service intentionally created a culture where relationships were valued as a fundamental aspect of people’s well-being. Staff were encouraged to invest time in understanding each person's life story, interests, values and aspirations, enabling them to support opportunities that mattered most to individuals.

The service’s approach focused on creating an environment where meaningful relationships could develop naturally. The experience of 2 people living at the service demonstrated the impact of this approach. For example, 1 person told us they had spent many years living independently after their spouse died and they knew Robert Harvey House well. They told us, “My (spouse) died in here (Robert Harvey House) (number of years ago). I knew it was ok; it is even better now.” They continued to tell us that after an injury, and knowing the service well, they chose to come and live at Robert Harvey House. During their time at the home, they met someone and found they had shared interests. Over time, their friendship developed into a close companionship, that has transformed both their lives. [Person] said, whilst smiling and holding hands with the person in question, “I am so glad I met and have [person] with me.” At the time of the assessment, we found the 2 people spent much of each day together by choice. They enjoyed meals together, listened to music, watched sporting events, shared conversations and provided emotional support for one another. It was clear, their relationship had become an important source of comfort, purpose and happiness.

This example demonstrates how the culture of the home enabled people to experience outcomes that exceeded traditional expectations of residential care. By understanding people as individuals and creating an environment where meaningful relationships could flourish, the service supported people not to simply live safely, but to continue building lives that were enriching, purposeful and emotionally fulfilling.

People and their relatives consistently told us they had input into the support they received and felt completely involved in decision making on a day-to-day basis. One person said, “If I want, I can try different things and make different choices. The lady who comes to check my care, she asked me if I needed anything, I told her I wanted to have a shave, and she brought my shaver to my chair, plugged it in, brought me a mirror, waited for me to finish without rushing, and when I finished, she put the cap on and left my shaver charging near me.”

Care plans clearly reflected people’s preferred routines, activity choices, and lifestyle preferences. Staff demonstrated a thorough understanding of people’s wishes and supported them to make informed decisions about their day-to-day lives.

The home had taken steps to create an environment that supported people to remain independent. For example, signage was in place to support people to find their way around the home, helping to orientate themselves and navigate independently.

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 and distress.

Everyone we spoke with told us the staff were quick to respond to their support needs. One person said, “I don’t have to wait for staff to come when I’ve pressed my buzzer, they are pretty quick.” Staff responded to people’s needs in a flexible and person-centred way, adapting care throughout the day to ensure people were appropriately supported. This included responding to health concerns and people’s day-to-day support needs.

Staff were supported through their training, including recognising deterioration, as detailed within people’s care plans. This enabled staff to identify early signs of concern, distress and respond promptly to those changes in people’s condition. This meant there was timely intervention and helped mitigate the risks to people.

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

The registered manager was active in promoting support and wellbeing for the staff through a structured and supportive approach. Staff told us they felt valued and were treated with respect. All the staff we spoke with were positive about the registered manager. One staff member said, “I love it here (Robert Harvey House) the environment is friendly and homely, we [staff] will always help each other out. Since being here, it has given me another life and I am so grateful to [registered manager] who is always so supportive, she’s amazing and does a lot for us.”

This positive approach and culture of the home was reflected in the care people received. Staff were seen to be happy, engaged and compassionate. The provider recognised long service through awards. This demonstrated how a strong focus on staff well-being contributed to kind and person-centred care.