Pelham Manor

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.

We observed staff interacting with people with kindness. Staff took time to explain things to people in a way they could understand when they became anxious. Staff reassured people appropriately using touch. One staff member gently touched a person’s shoulder. Another staff chatted with a person whilst holding their hand. People indicated they valued staff’s communication. One person’s face lit up when staff said their name and had a conversation with them. Another person chose to sit in between 2 staff members seated on the sofa. They looked comfortable and relaxed in staff’s company.

Relatives told us staff were caring and treated people with kindness and respect. Comments included, “I feel it is second to none. I think the staff are all friendly and have made it like one big family with the residents” and “Staff are really nice and helpful and caring. Staff know her well.” One relative told us their family member had suddenly been taken unwell and spent a few hours of the day in hospital. They told us a staff member had finished work by the time their family member had been discharged from hospital, but they returned to the service to check they were alright.

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.

The provider used a specific framework for understanding and responding to the needs of autistic people. This focused on five principles that have been identified as vital elements of best practice when working with autistic people and emphasises ways to change the environment and staff approaches to meet the specific needs of each person. These principles are structure, positive approaches and expectations, empathy, low arousal and links (SPELL). Each person had a SPELL profile that set out the different ways people processed information and social interactions and guidance on the best ways staff should support them.

We observed staff treating people individually according to their preferences and choices. For example, a person preferred not to wear shoes in their home. We saw this person only put their shoes on when they were going out. Staff reminded people to go to the toilet before they went out. Staff called a person’s name and gently clapped their hands to get their attention. This person then stood up so staff could assist them. Staff spoke positively with people about their strengths. They involved people in conversations, reminiscing about things they had enjoyed, such as trips out or holidays.

Relatives told us staff knew people well and so were able to support them in an individual way. A relative told us, “The staff know him well and they can pick up on things. They sense when he is not quite himself.” Another relative said, “He is not forced to do anything he does not like to do. Staff are gentle. They do not rush him. Staff treat people as individuals. The staff know him very well and all his quirks.”

One person showed us their room which contained personalised items that were important to them. Another person described how they had decorated parts of their home to celebrate Christmas. People were supported to maintain contact with those who were important to them. One person who had moved from another service had opportunities to meet with their previous housemates.

Staff promoted people’s independence, so people had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

We observed people being supported to make decisions and take part in daily living skills. Staff discussed with people their planned timetable of activities for the day. One person decided they did not want to take part in a specific activity and staff acknowledged and respected their decision. At lunchtime people were involved in aspects of meal preparation such as making beans on toast.

People told us they helped around the house and staff confirmed that each person had a specific household task to complete such as taking out the bins or laying the table. Each person was assigned a day at home to complete their washing and cleaning and tidying their bedroom. People were also supported by staff to do their personal shopping.

Relatives told us people were able to make choices with differing levels of support. A relative told us, “They make sure he chooses what he wants to eat as he is a picky eater.” Another relative said, “They help him to be independent. He gets a brush and sweeps up.” Relatives said they could visit the service at any time and they were made to feel welcome. We observed jovial conversations between relatives and staff which indicated they had formed positive relationships.

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 staff responding to people’s needs in a timely manner. When people sought staff for reassurance or support, staff were able to respond appropriately as they understood people’s verbal and non-verbal communication. Some people required one to one staff support at all times. Staff members communicated with one another to ensure there was always a staff member present when the assigned staff member needed a break.

Relatives said staff responded to people’s immediate needs. A relative said, “Staff know if he is unwell and they keep him at home as he later might have a seizure.” Another relative told us, “Staff know them well and know in advance when they are going to have a sudden change in their behaviour."

The provider did not always care about and promote the wellbeing of their staff.

Staff at the service said it was a positive place to work. They told us this was because there was good communication in the staff team and support from senior staff. Staff told us their development was encouraged through being supported to undertake health and social care qualifications. Staff meetings and supervisions had taken place regularly to aid communication and staff well-being.

However, some staff told us they had not been consistently supported by the previous management team or the provider. They said they had not always felt listened to nor received the advice and support they required. The provider had not sought the views of staff through staff engagement such as staff surveys. Nor were there any structured approaches to formally recognising, praising and valuing staff for their achievements. Although the new manager had only been at the service for a short period of time, staff only had positive feedback to give about them.