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• 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 70 (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 treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

One visiting professional told us, “All the staff to be caring, compassionate and responsive to residents, family and to myself as a health care practitioner. During each visit I have witnessed staff interacting well with the residents, offering choices and options - promoting them to be involved in their own care. I have also witnessedthe staff to sit and chat with them, encourage them to engage in various activities. The staff know their [people] well.”

A relative told us, “They are so kind to my [relative], and kind to me.” A person told us, “All the staff are lovely and treat me with dignity.”

Staff sometimes volunteered their own time to support special events and activities, such as driving people to various events, such as the garden centre or seaside. Although the provider did not pay for additional time, staff were compensated for the cost that they might incur.

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.

One person had a lifelong commitment to their religion and had always woken early to pray. Staff supported this practice to continue, making sure that care was provided in line to support the person.

A member of staff spoke of one person who was quietly engaging an activity independently, “[Person] likes their own space and quiet. They will choose when they want to speak to others.” whichshowed staff understood and respected the person’s preferences, supporting their independence, comfort and emotional wellbeing.

The provider promoted people’s independence in relation to personal care needs, and people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care and treatment. However, there were areas for improvement needed to promote meaningful activity and engagement to support people’s wellbeing.

A number of people told us they were bored and there was often a lack of activities for them to undertake. One person said, “Most the staff are nice, but there is nothing to do.” When asked what could be better, they told us, “I don’t know, but they don’t ask.”

Staff were observed sitting and talking with people and painting ladies’ fingernails, but a number of people told us there was often little to do. One person told us, “I used to like watching the TV, but if I want to watch it now, I have to go to my bedroom as I cannot see the television properly in [the lounge] and the volume is never loud enough.”

The registered manager told us they had recently lost the member of part time staff responsible for arranging activities, although some larger activities were planned into the diary. The provider had actively recruited for a part time activity person and had secured someone in post.

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.

Staff responded quickly to requests for support to meet personal care needs. For example, being supported with to access the bathroom in a discreet manner. Staff treated people respectfully and explained how they were supporting them.

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

Staff told us that care rotas where completed in advance and they could request when shifts they needed off. If their availability changed due to emergency of caring responsibilities, they staff would look to cover care shifts between them in the first instance, although help would be provided if needed.

The provider told us that they were looking at ways in how to support their staff team, recognising the many of the care workers may have additional health needs and caring responsibilities. This was a work in progress, but if staff required support in an particular area, the team worked together to achieve good outcomes for colleagues and people receiving care.The team leader gave examples of supporting staff with online learning modules where they might have additional learning needs or language barriers.