Kensington Hall

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 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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. Staff demonstrated caring attitudes when speaking to and about people. They understood people’s needs, preferences, and communication methods. A relative told us, “My loved one is treated as I would like to be treated, with kindness and respect. There is always a friendly atmosphere whenever I visit.”

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

Care plans were person-centred and based around the needs of the person. Staff had a good understanding of people’s needs and how to meet them. We saw that people’s bedrooms were personalised to their own tastes. A relative told us, “The team work hard to make it feel like a family, everyone is treated equally.”

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 to have independence, choice and control over their daily lives. Support plans set out what people required support with and what they could do for themselves. There had been improvement to the choice of social activities people were offered and people were supported to take part in a range of community activities that promoted their independence, health, and wellbeing. Individuals accessed local shops, community events, and other meaningful outings. However, we also observed times when there was little activity being offered, or people were taking part in group activities such as colouring, that did not contribute to them meeting goals or maintaining or developing skills. The registered manager told us people chose the activities they did, and staff introduced new ideas at regular meetings.

Staff offered people flexibility and choice, responding to people’s preferences in the moment. For example, during our visit, some people chose to visit a garden centre and then decided to have lunch while they were there. Staff were accommodating of this change to the planned day. People were also supported to maintain important relationships with family, friends, and community groups.

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. Observations showed staff were attentive to people’s needs and responded quickly when people wanted or needed anything. A person told us, “Staff give me everything I need.”

Staff knew people very well and were able to anticipate and manage situations that may cause people distress. Information for staff about how to avoid people becoming anxious or distressed was included in people’s care plans.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to deliver person-centred care. The provider had initiatives to recognise good practice and reward staff. Staff at the home had received a company-wide award in recognition of how they had supported people to arrange and enjoy a holiday. Staff told us they felt supported, and Kensington Hall was a nice place to work.