Dame Alice Court

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 85 (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. A person told us, “The carers are all very nice. I have no complaints about them, or the building. They help me with the shower, getting dressed and medicines.” Another person told us, “I really like it here. Staff are all very nice, they are kind and caring.”

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. Where people had any religious cultural or religious beliefs these were documented in people’s care plans. People’s care plans provided information about their pasts, interests and preferences.

The provider was exceptional at promoting people's independence, so they knew their rights and had choice and control over their care, treatment and wellbeing. Care plans provided information on what people could do for themselves, which promoted people's independence. A person said, "Staff help me with washing and dressing. They do things at my pace and take their time with me. Without them, I would be lost.”

Where this was part of their care package, people received support to go shopping, to have meals out, visit coffee shops, and go to places of worship. However, there was also evidence that staff went above and beyond their roles to support people and minimise the risk of social isolation by spending time with people outside of their commissioned care packages. For example, staff supported people alongside the housing provider and volunteers with activities such as coffee mornings, raffles, bingo and quizzes. People had taken part in VE Day celebrations the day before our visit.

People felt in control of their lives; A person said, "Staff are not bossy, that means a lot to me. If I ask them to do something differently for me, if they can, they will."

People felt satisfied with the care and support they received. A person said, "I would recommend it to others, A lot of people say it's a nice place to live. We had a barbecue in the summer. As far as I can tell, it's as good as I can expect, really. They will take me out for a spin (referring to a wheelchair) in the garden when I 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. For example, recent records showed staff had appropriately sought medical advice following a person displaying signs of ill health. This had resulted in them going to hospital to receive treatment. A person told us, “The manager comes in and makes sure things are going well.” A staff member said,” If I noticed something different or their moods change, or something is unusual I would report this to the team leader on shift and feel they would be able to manage this.”

The provider consistently promoted the well-being of their staff and excelled at supporting them in delivering person-centred care. All the staff we spoke with praised their leaders for their supportive approach. There was clear evidence that leaders made adjustments to accommodate employees' personal circumstances, such as their health and well-being, enabling them to continue providing person-centred care to those they serve. The service was nominated for "Team of the Year" in recognition of their commitment to compassionate care, particularly for individuals at the end of their lives. Systems were in place for staff to receive support, including counselling. We also saw evidence that any identified performance issues among staff were addressed in a personable manner by leaders, promoting continuity for both the individuals receiving care and the well-being of the staff members. A staff member said, "I have no concerns with raising anything to the management and I feel listened to by them.” And “I’ve never worked in a place where staff are so polite, caring and treated in a really respectful way.” Staff had been supported to gain qualifications that contributed to their continuous professional development, such as diplomas in health and social care and 'train the trainer' courses to enable them to deliver training to staff on supporting people to mobilise.