Highview Lodge

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 spoken with were happy with the care and support provided and told us staff were kind and provided them with good care and support. A person revealed to us that staff knew them well and spent time listening and talking with them. They told us, “They [Staff] know me well”. Other comments included, “The staff are really nice to me” and “The staff are very good.” Although not all people’s perception relating to the frequency of baths and showers was favourable, records viewed demonstrated these were happening at regular intervals and according to the person’s preferences and wishes. The majority of relatives confirmed they were happy with the care and support provided for their family member.

People were observed to have a good rapport and relationship with the staff who supported them. The atmosphere during the inspection was seen to be friendly, reassuring and cheerful.

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 life history, backgrounds and protected characteristics. This is important as this information can foster a person-centred approach to care, enhance communication between staff and the person being supported and promote the person’s wellbeing.

People’s protected characteristics under the Equalities Act 2010, such as age, disability, religion and race were identified as part of their need’s assessment where completed. Staff knew about people’s individual characteristics. A person using the service told us, “The staff are very good, they keep me informed, they all call me by my name.”

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

People were supported by staff to maintain their independence. For example, people had access to appropriate equipment, such as walking frames to help maximise their mobility. Where applicable, people were encouraged to retain their autonomy at mealtimes by eating independently or with minimal staff support. Staff confirmed that some people who were very reliant on staff for most activities of daily living, were actively encouraged to undertake some aspects of their personal care, such as washing their face and hands, and brushing their teeth, to maximise their independence.

People and relatives told us they or their family members were always treated with respect and dignity. Comments included, “Yes, the staff are respectful”, “Very much so” and “The staff are kind and nice to me.” People received support with their personal care in private and staff were discreet when asking people if they required support to have their comfort needs met. People were supported to maintain their personal appearance to ensure their self-esteem and sense of self-worth. People were supported to wear costume jewellery and clothing of their own choice. Staff were able to tell us how they enabled people to make day-to-day choices, whether these related to simple or more complex decisions.

People were supported to maintain relationships that were important to them, including family members and friends. The service supported visits for people living at Highview Lodge and people were able to receive visitors without restrictions.

The provider and staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and in a timely manner.

Observations demonstrated staff responded promptly to people whether they were in a communal lounge area or in their bedroom, providing appropriate reassurance. For example, a person using the service became distressed when discussing their personal finances. A member of staff provided time and reassurance to discuss their concerns. A person was observed to find it difficult to stand and mobilise. This was immediately noticed by staff with appropriate support provided. Another person told us on the occasions when they felt sad, staff chatted with them and provided meaningful support. However, as highlighted within this report, improvements were required to ensure people using the service were supported to participate in meaningful social activities.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff to ensure staff well-being was supported and advocated.

The provider offered staff a variety of initiatives and benefits to support their mental, physical and emotional health and wellbeing. For example, staff had access to twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, counselling and advice service on personal and professional matters including stress, anxiety, financial concerns and family issues. The provider employed trained mental health first aiders who provided support and ‘signposting’ for staff who experienced mental health difficulties. There were nominated champions to help maintain a culture of openness and support. Additionally, there were internal reward schemes for staff, such as, employee of the month, long-service awards and ‘ad-hoc’ appreciation events.

The staff workforce at Highview Lodge were diverse, including representations from a range of different cultures, ethnicities and religions. The provider confirmed appropriate arrangements were in place to recognise different multi-faith festivals and customs for staff, such as, religious observance, prayer times, fasting and supporting religious leave requests. The provider made sure their recruitment practices was accessible to all, adopting and supporting anti-discrimination and equal opportunities policies. Staff received equality and diversity training as part of their induction and ongoing development.