Driftwood 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.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. 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. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People’s care plans were written in a respectful way, and staff spoke with people and interacted with them in a kind and respectful manner. Relatives told us staff always respected their family member’s privacy and dignity, especially when providing personal care. One said, ‘They are really good at this. [They] always close the curtains and, if I am there, they ask me to step outside too.’ A healthcare professional commented, ‘This is one of the friendliest of care homes.’

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.

Staff knew people well and valued them as individuals. People’s individual characters were clear from their records which included comprehensive information about what was important to them, their likes, dislikes and preferences. One visiting professional told us, ‘[The acting manager] knows their residents inside out.’ A relative explained how the staff spent time with their family member at night when they felt lonely saying, ‘I know sometimes, in the middle of the night, when my [family member] has the TV on, staff come and chat, which [they] love.”

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

Relatives told us their family members were supported to make key decisions about their care and treatment, and this was documented in their care records. For example, we noted one person’s record stated, ‘I have expressed that I am frightened when other residents walk into my room and requested for a retractable gate to be put on my door which is easily accessible to staff and my family.’ We noted this was present and had enabled the person to be more relaxed. Another relative commented on how their family member’s day to day wishes were respected saying, ‘[The staff] take [my relative] down so [they] can participate in the painting and the like. They respect when [they don’t] want to go down too.’

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.

Although we received some negative feedback from one relative about how staff responded to their family member’s immediate needs, this was not shared by other people we spoke with. Relatives felt their family member’s immediate needs were responded to in a kind and timely way and their pain was well managed.

Staff responded to people’s distress and confusion with patience and kindness, gently refocussing them on something else. Care records gave staff clear guidance how to manage these situations. One person’s record stated, ‘Staff to redirect me when I interfere as I only come with an intention to help but it is not always taken in a positive way by other residents. Staff to sit and spend time with me when I am upset and I will then calm down and be able to explain to them.’

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 well supported and spoke positively about the provider. Some staff had been in post under the previous provider and acknowledged a lot of changes had taken place in the last year. However, those we spoke with felt these changes were for the better and the service overall was improving. One person typically commented, ‘I think things are improving. I do believe it, I do think we are working hard. …. [The provider] held a meeting and it was really needed. It helped refocus us after some stressful times.’ Newer staff were very positive about the supportive culture and felt it enabled them to deliver the best quality care they could. We noted some initiatives had been put in place to help ensure staff had a better work/life balance.