Eleanor Palmer Trust Home

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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 service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection the rating has remained good. This meant people felt well-supported, cared for and treated with dignity and respect.

This service scored 80 (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.

People and relatives told us staff were very kind and caring. A person commented, “Oh the staff are very nice, I couldn’t fault them for anything.” A relative said, “They absolutely treat [family member] with kindness and dignity. They are gentle when doing personal care. I’m pleased [family member] is here and they are happy. The staff go to 200% [to support people].”

We observed caring interactions between staff and people during our inspection, where staff demonstrated attentiveness, consideration and respect towards people. We noted how a staff member assisted a person with limited mobility with their lunch. The staff member approached the person with exceptional patience and care, gently adjusting their chair, speaking softly to explain each action, and ensuring they were comfortable while helping them eat with dignified support that visibly reassured the person.

On another occasion another staff member demonstrated kind and compassionate care, notably when assisting a person with their clothing when they became too hot. They responded appropriately and respectfully to the person’s needs.Another relative told us, “My [family member] loves every one of the staff. They are very kind and well-mannered. They are very good.”People were supported and monitored by staff who made sure they felt comfortable and involved in the day-to-day events in the home. Staff told us they knew people well and respected their confidentiality and privacy. A staff member said, “It is very important to respect people’s privacy. I knock on their door before I go in and make sure that doors are closed when giving personal care to protect their dignity.”

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’s care plans reflected a personalised and coordinated approach. Staff were well-informed and attentive to people’s health and care needs, their preferences, life histories and equality characteristics.Staff were able to read and learn about people’s culture and background to help get to know them. A staff member said, “I am fully aware of people’s backgrounds, culture and religion. I respect their right to be who they are, including sexuality and race. I would not treat anyone differently because of these things. I respect everyone’s differences.”

We saw staff were very attentive with all people in the home, making sure they involved them, listened to them and respected their choices. A relative commented, “You see how they treat everyone with dignity and respect and they are inclusive of those with dementia.”

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

People had choice and control of their care. They and their relatives had positive experiences working with the management team and staff. People and relatives told us staff promoted their independence and encouraged them to do as much for themselves as they could.A person said, “I am able to do as much for myself as I can. The staff help me with things if I need them. They know what I like to do during the day and they let me get on with it. They respect my wishes, yes.” A relative said, The staff know [family member] is fiercely independent so they know how to approach them.” Another relative told us, “[Family member] tries to be independent so there is someone keeping an eye on them the whole time.”

People were able to spend time with others that were important to them, and staff supported people to facilitate and maintain relationships with friends and family.People could choose whether they wanted to spend time with others in communal areas or by themselves in their own personalised rooms, which were designed to suit their needs.Staff and managers supported people to keep in contact with those who were important to them so they could maintain important relationships, for their continued wellbeing and comfort. A relative said, “The staff are very kind. There are no set visiting times and whenever I turn up [family member is always the same: content.”

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.

We observed interactions between staff and people and saw these relationships were caring and compassionate.People told us staff were responsive, understood their needs and did their best to help them in any way possible. Staff attended to people when they pressed their call bells, and listened to their requests in a timely manner. Records showed staff responded to calls within the acceptable timeframe set by the provider to reinforce their commitment to maintaining high quality standards.

A person said, “Yes when I need help, I think they notice and come as soon as they can.” A relative commented, “Yes, I think so. [Family member] is usually down in the community room and presses their buzzer if they are in their room and they (staff) come quickly. It’s a homely place and run as a home for people to enjoy living there.” Another relative said, “Yes, they’re very good at seeing to [family member]. They always turn them over (re-positioning in bed) and they are very, very gentle.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff said they were well supported by the registered manager and other leaders in the service. They told us their welfare was taken seriously, and they were happy working in the home.

A staff member said, “My manager is reliable and very kind and supportive’. Another comment from a staff member reflected the importance of feeling safe in their workplace. They said, “I feel safe at work because safeguarding is a big priority."The registered manager addressed work-life balance with staff and implemented systems for them to request their preferred rotas and days off. This initiative followed staff feedback about wanting more focus on their wellbeing.

The provider had a Workplace Stress policy in place so that all staff members could recognise and inform the management team if they needed additional support.Staff were also able to discuss confidential issues which may be affecting them in supervision meetings. The provider funded a ‘listening ear’ service for all staff and the registered manager told us they arranged a team building workshop for all staff.