Frenchay House

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People told us staff were kind, caring and helpful. One person gave less positive feedback, and we shared this with the registered manager. Comments from relatives included, “The staff are amazing,” “The carers are nice and supportive” and “They greet me with smiles on their faces, they are very welcoming.” Staff were clear that they aimed to always treat people with kindness and compassion. Comments included, “We provide personalised care first and foremost,” “The residents are at the centre of everything we do” and “We’ve all got people’s best interests at heart.”

We saw staff interacting with people in a caring manner. Staff shared examples of how they respected people’s privacy and dignity during personal care. One staff member said, “When we are providing care, we always get people’s consent first. I don’t rush them.” The management team used respectful language when talking about people who lived at the service and in written records. This helped to reinforce expectations and standards.

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 told us staff listened to them and respected their wishes and preferences. Some said they would like to go outside more or have different shower or bathing arrangements. We shared these with the registered manager. A relative said, “They let us decorate her room with her personal things. We’re over the moon with it.”

Professionals said staff knew people well and treated them as individuals. They told us staff were proactive in collaborating with other professionals to ensure their needs were met promptly and effectively.

Staff had access to information about people’s needs and were encouraged to read care records and information. These included information about people’s personal, cultural and social needs. Care records contained details about how individuals communicated. When we asked staff about people, they were able to tell us about their needs, strengths and preferences.

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 choice and control where possible. This included what they wanted to eat or drink, or where they wanted to go within the home. Some people were able to purchase and prepare food and people’s independence was supported where possible.

People were able to maintain relationships with people who were important to them. Any restrictions were shown to be in people’s best interests.

A wide range of activities were provided, and people were involved in regular events and celebrations. People could choose whether to join activities, and these were also provided on an individual basis in people’s rooms. Some people told us they regularly went out with friends or family members. Others described things they enjoyed doing, and one person said, “The activity organiser makes it more friendly.”

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.

Some people told us staff were often busy and there could be delays in having their needs met. One person said, “I think they need a few more staff.” A relative told us, “I think they are understaffed.” However, most people and relatives said there were sufficient staff and found them to be responsive. Comments included, “There are plenty of staff” and “The girls look after me very well.”

Staff told us they understood how individuals showed pain or distress and how they would take action to prevent or reduce this wherever possible. Guidance was included in care records. One staff member said, “We’ve been giving people care for a long time, so we know them well.”

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

Staff were positive about working for the service, and they told us they liked working at Frenchay House. Comments included, “I love what I do” and “I love working here with these people. They are like my family.”

The registered manager described various ways in which staff were supported. For example, with Christmas events, employee awards, counselling and telephone support services and recognition of long service. The provider had introduced ‘wellness walks’ and a personalised risk assessment had been carried out to enable a staff member to carry out their role safely and effectively.