Greenfields Care Home

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 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.

People, relatives and staff consistently spoke positively about the caring and compassionate culture within the service. Relatives described staff as kind, understanding and dedicated, particularly when supporting people living with dementia. One relative told us, "Staff are very understanding. We learn a lot from them," another relative told us, "Staff are lovely, can't think of anyone that isn't."

People we spoke with all told us staff treated them with kindness and supported them to maintain their dignity and independence. One person said, "They do let me do what I can do for myself, never just do things." Throughout the assessment we observed many warm, patient and respectful interactions, with staff taking time to reassure people, offer choices and provide support at their own pace. One relative told us, “They always knock-on [Persons] door before entering.”

Relatives repeatedly told us they felt their loved ones were cared for with compassion. One relative told us, "They try and take care of every need he has," and "Even if they're having a bad day, they converse with [Person] and his friends." Staff were observed speaking calmly with people, offering reassurance when they became anxious and adapting their communication to individual needs.

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 received care which was personalised and reflected their individual preferences, life histories and routines. Care plans contained detailed information about what was important to people, their interests, preferred daily routines, communication needs, religious beliefs and how they wished to be supported. People's bedrooms were personalised with photographs, artwork, memorabilia and items reflected their identities and life experiences. One relative told us, “They know dad as a person.”

Staff had a good knowledge of people's backgrounds, preferences and support needs. One relative told us, “Because [Person] has the same carers, they are very good at identifying her needs.”

Care records included information about preferred meal choices, hobbies, former occupations and personal routines to help staff provide care that was meaningful and individualised. We also saw examples of personalised menus and alternative meal options being provided based on people's known likes and dislikes.

People and relatives we spoke with all told us staff knew people well. One relative said, "They come to [Person] every day and ask what they would like for their meals," another relative told us, "[Person] gets to choose what time they go to bed, what time they get up and what meals they would like."

There was evidence people and relatives were involved in shaping the environment and wider life of the home. For example, relatives had contributed ideas towards redecoration projects and personal interests were being incorporated into communal spaces, helping to create a more meaningful environment for people.

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

We found occasions where opportunities to promote choice could have been improved. During our observations, people were moved to seating areas without being offered meaningful choices about where they wished to sit. The registered manager was receptive to this feedback and recognised the importance of ensuring choice and control was consistently promoted throughout people's daily experiences.

People were supported to maintain as much independence as possible and were encouraged to remain involved in decisions about their daily lives. Care plans clearly identified what people could do for themselves and provided guidance to staff on how to promote independence whilst managing risks safely.

We saw positive examples of staff encouraging people to mobilise, make choices and remain involved in their own care. Staff offered choices around meals, drinks, activities and personal routines and adapted their approach to support people to make decisions in a way that worked for them. During our observations, staff supported people to choose where they sat, what they ate and what activities they wished to take part in.

People and relatives we spoke with all gave positive feedback about the way independence was promoted. One person told us, "I do it myself, I clean it, wash it, top the water up, it's simple," when describing the management of their Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine.

Care planning reflected people's wishes, preferences and goals. For example, one person's care plan focused on being given time and encouragement to continue dressing, washing and choosing their own clothes, while another detailed their preferred bedtime, morning routine and how they wished to spend their day.

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.

People's immediate needs were responded to promptly by staff who knew them well and understood when changes in wellbeing required action. Relatives we spoke with told us they had confidence in staff's responsiveness, one relative told us, "If anything goes wrong, they are quick to contact us, doesn't matter what time of day." Another relative told us, "The staff respond as quick as they can."

We observed staff responding appropriately when people became distressed, anxious or required reassurance. Staff took time to calm people, offer alternatives and adapt their approach to reduce distress. We saw prompt responses to requests for support with mobility, toileting and healthcare needs, with staff adjusting care according to people's changing presentations.

Systems supported staff to identify and respond to needs throughout the day. Electronic care records generated alerts for key care interventions and health monitoring, helping ensure important care tasks were completed and changes in people's wellbeing were recognised quickly. Regular handovers and multidisciplinary working further supported timely responses to concerns.

Relatives provided examples of staff acting quickly when health concerns arose. One relative told described how staff sought medical advice promptly when their relative’s health changed.

Although some people felt staff were busy at times, feedback consistently recognised staff's commitment to meeting people's needs and prioritising support when required.

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

There was a strong culture of support and development for staff. Staff told us they felt valued, listened to and supported by management. One member of staff said, "We laugh together, we cry together. I've got a really good staff team," reflecting the positive team culture within the home.

Staff described the registered manager as accessible and responsive, with opportunities to contribute ideas and influence improvements. One staff member told us, "When there's a problem, they discuss with staff and get opinions and act on it," whilst another said, "We're fully staffed, well organised for staff allocation."

The provider invested in staff development through training, competency assessments and opportunities to develop new skills. We saw evidence of additional training in areas such as falls management, dementia care, safeguarding, learning disability awareness and medicines management. Staff spoke positively about the support they received to progress in their roles, with one member of staff progressing through multiple roles and preparing to qualify as a nurse.

Staff wellbeing was actively promoted through wellbeing support services, recognition schemes, paid breaks and incentives. One member of staff described the support they received following a bereavement and said, "The support from the registered manager and deputy manager along with head office was absolutely amazing," Another staff member told us, "We have access to therapists which not every company provides."

The positive staff culture was reflected in feedback from relatives, who recognised staff commitment despite the demands of their roles.