Lonsdale Midlands Limited - 164 Walker Road

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 changed to outstanding. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

This service scored 90 (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 was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People had developed strong working relationships with staff. We observed people interacting with staff, approaching them with confidence and laughing with them about their experiences. Staff understood people’s routines and behaviours and these were incorporated into the daily running of the home. For example, 1 person liked to spend time in the manager’s office and they were welcomed to do this.

Without exception relatives spoke positively about the approach taken by staff. One relative said, “The staff are loving and caring and we have got no complaints.” Another relative said, “[Person] is very settled and very secure, their behaviour has improved considerably since being there as everything is structured, they know the triggers before anything even happens, they are always on courses and they are highly trained.”

People’s dignity was considered throughout all aspects of their care. By getting to know people well and understanding the details of people’s life histories, cultural backgrounds and religious beliefs, the staff were encouraged to support people with sensitivity and compassion. The management team had assessed people’s understanding of personal and intimate relationships and guidance was shared with staff about how people expressed affection and what support they required when developing and maintaining relationships.

Information about people’s dignity was clear and detailed, and offered guidance to staff about when and how they should support people, with the person’s dignity as a priority. Guidance included how people liked to be supported and also defined situations when people may require additional support or intervention in order to promote their dignity and privacy.

Care plans promoted a positive approach to people’s learning disabilities. One person’s care plan read, ‘Staff supporting me must ensure that they give me as much autonomy in my life as possible, whilst ensuring that my safety is maintained. I need your support, but my disability should not exclude me from participating.’ Staff spoke passionately about the importance of respecting people’s dignity and understanding how their experiences had shaped their personalities and behaviours.

Staff shared examples with us of how they had built strong connections with people and got to know them over time. One staff member said, “To develop a bond with [person] you've got to laugh and listen to them. They are forever talking, always communicating something to you. They know what and who they want and what they don’t.”

All staff spoke respectfully about people and were compassionate in their approach. One staff member said, “The best thing about working here. We help people to enjoy their life. We're like a family. We treat people like they are family. We know they are looked after well.”

The provider treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. The provider took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

People’s individual needs were always considered and their life experiences were reflected throughout guidance about how they wanted to receive support. The home environment and support provided by staff was structured around each person’s individual needs and preferences. Personalised photographs of each person were displayed throughout the home, which showed them taking part in activities both individually and with others who were important to them.

Staff recognised the importance of each person’s individual personalities and preferences and adapted their ways of working in accordance with each person’s needs. Risk assessments were detailed and offered guidance to staff about how people preferred to be supported to take part in activities they enjoyed. Staff had supported the improvement of people’s communication aids which now reflected their individual personalities. For example, staff had observed that one person’s PECS [Picture Exchange Communication System] book was not effective as the images it contained were not meaningful to the person. A new, personalised book was then created by staff which included images that were recognised or considered important by the person. This improved the person’s engagement and communication as they were able to better express themselves which enabled them to be more independent and improved their wellbeing.

For another person staff had developed a way to support the management of escalating behaviours. Staff introduced the use of a jigsaw, which was personalised in accordance with the person’s specific interests, and supported the person to complete this as part of a distraction strategy to support their emotional regulation. This benefited the person as their emotional regulation was improved and they also received positive affirmation from staff about their problem solving skills and persistence in completing the jigsaw.

People’s individual needs and preferences were regularly reviewed, and staff were provided with guidance about how to support people in line with their backgrounds and protected characteristics. Each person had an equality and human rights profile, which documented essential information about their unique preferences and characteristics. For example, how people wanted to dress, how they preferred their personal care and grooming to be supported, their understanding of religious events and their cultural background. This included the events they celebrated because of their faith and culture.

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

Relatives spoke positively about how their family member’s independence was promoted. One relative said, “They try to take [person] out as much as they can. The incidents don’t happen much now as the extra support they have in place is working. [Person] has prompting with showering. Staff can remind [person] but don’t do it for them.”

Staff promoted people’s independence and encouraged them to make their own choices. By understanding people’s communication needs, and triggers that may cause people distress, staff were able to promote a positive environment in which people could have as much control over their life as possible.

The development of new skills was encouraged and where people could complete daily tasks for themselves, such as making their own bed, or preparing a meal, staff prompted them to do so.

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 were available to respond to people’s needs when they needed support. People’s care and support was monitored daily and staffing levels were adjusted depending on how people were spending their time and their individual staffing requirements.

We observed staff were available to people when they needed them and any changes to people’s care needs were reviewed by the registered manager to ensure sufficient staff were on hand to provide support.

The management team shared examples with us of how staff had responded promptly where people had been in pain or required urgent first aid or medical support. In these situations, staff’s knowledge and training meant they were well equipped to respond to people’s immediate needs.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

There was a positive staff culture at the home and without exception all staff spoke with passion and enthusiasm about the support they received in their roles. One staff member told us, “We as staff are not ignored. [Name of registered manager] listens to everything you say. If someone is sick, they are here to cover and support the staff team.”

Staff spoke positively about the structures and communication systems within the home which they felt enabled them to provide good quality support to people. Any changes to people’s care were documented and shared so staff were aware and could adapt their approach with people.One staff member said, “It’s hard to pin point anything that could be improved, because anything we suggest is actioned.”

The staff team had been recognised by the provider in 2024 and awarded ‘Team of the year’. This award reflected their collective commitment and dedication to providing an excellent standard of care.Staff spoke positively about each other and recognised the value of each member of the team’s input and insight. They proactively shared information within the staff team about people, their needs and behaviours, in order to improve people’s experiences. For example, where a person had responded positively to a specific interaction or intervention, this was shared with the rest of the staff team so the person received consistent support regardless of who was supporting them.

There was a low turnover of staff which enabled people to develop strong, consistent and trusting relationships with staff. This was reflected in people’s interactions with staff who they approached with confidence and visibly enjoyed being around. Staff progression was viewed as a positive thing and the provider and management team positively supported people to progress in their careers. One staff member had been supported by the management team to move into a training role, after they expressed an aspiration to do so. Their feedback reflected, “Never before have I seen a manager so person centred and friendly in supporting and enriching their staff team members to rise professionally.”

All staff spoke positively about the impact of their roles on their own wellbeing. They told us the people they supported felt like a family to them. One staff member commented, “The best thing about working here is supporting people and seeing them smile. Seeing them happy is the best thing in the world.”