128 Beech Hill

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.

This is the first assessment for the service under the new provider. This key question has been rated 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. Throughout the inspection we consistently observed warm and natural interactions between staff and people. Staff spoke to people in a calm and respectful tone, offering reassurance when needed. Staff were mindful of working in people’s homes, showing respect for personal space, belongings and privacy. The environment supported dignified care and reflected people’s personalities and preferences. One person proudly showed us their collection of over 700 artifacts which were displayed in their bedroom.

At lunch time we saw staff sat at the dining table to eat their lunch and people chose to sit with them. It was a relaxed atmosphere with lots of conversation which felt very natural and ordinary. Staff knew people very well and this was used to support good communication.

People told us they felt safe and cared for, with one person saying, “I like living here… they care about me.” Another person said, “The staff are lovely”, and told us about the themed birthday cakes staff had made for them and how special it made them feel. They told us they liked to write cards and letters to staff, we saw an example of one which read “Thank you for my little box of biscuits and for looking after me- you are my true treasure”.

The provider treated people as individuals and delivered care that reflected their needs, preferences, and backgrounds. Staff demonstrated detailed knowledge of people’s needs and preferences, including communication styles and triggers for anxiety. They used this knowledge to provide personalised support. People were able to choose what and when to eat, and staff adapted their support to reflect individual preferences and routines. We observed staff encouraging one person to prepare their lunch at their own pace. Tasks were broken down into manageable steps and staff offered reassurance and positive feedback throughout, promoting independence and confidence.

Another person told us they were “…going to have lunch at 1.20.” At the time of our observation, they were sitting in the lounge appearing relaxed, with their feet up on the sofa and eating a fruit bar. This demonstrated that people were able to make choices about their mealtimes and felt comfortable within the environment. People’s environments and activities were personalised, and reflected their interests, strengths, and faiths. People told us they had good lives which they enjoyed and described staff as “lovely” and “helpful”.

The provider promoted people’s independence, choice, and control so people were able to make decisions about their care, treatment, and daily lives. People had meaningful choice over what they ate, how they spent their time, and the support they received.

People were supported to make everyday decisions about meals, activities, and outings. We observed people preparing food and taking part in household tasks, with staff providing enabling support when required. One person who enjoyed cooking told us they had been designated to cook chilli con carne and rice for the household that evening which made them happy and increased their confidence and sense of purpose. People received one-to-one support to use community facilities and pursue individual interests at a time and pace that suited them.

Staff respected people’s choices and flexibly adapted routines to reflect changes in preferences and aspirations. For example, one person independently organised social gatherings at the service, arranging parties and inviting friends. They completed all the cooking and clearing up themselves, demonstrating independence and confidence in daily living skills.

Although the person enjoyed hosting and entertaining, they had no wish to pursue paid employment or a volunteer role within hospitality, stating they simply liked entertaining at home. This showed staff respected the person’s decisions about how they wished to use their skills and spend their time, without placing unnecessary expectations on them.

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 told us they felt listened to and supported, and our observations showed staff interactions were enabling and supportive, creating a calm and positive atmosphere. For example, we saw staff offering a person space and reassurance in response to their change in behaviour and well-being. Staff demonstrated flexibility in adapting the persons planned activity to something less intense because administered PRN medicines made it unsafe for the person to go swimming. The person said they would like to go for a walk around the block and to the local shop instead, which staff facilitated.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff told us they felt valued and supported by management and described the organisation as fair and approachable. Processes were in place for supervision, appraisal and wellbeing, and staff spoke positively about training opportunities and career development. Staff demonstrated confidence in their roles and a strong commitment to supporting people’s independence and mental wellbeing. One staff member said, “I feel supported in my job… this is a lovely place to work.”