New Treetops

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 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.

Positive, compassionate relationships were seen between people and staff. Staff were kind and caring and supporting of people. People told us they were happy at New Treetops, and we observed happy and kind interactions taking place.

Relatives were extremely positive about the care their family members received. One told us, “I am very happy with the care. The way they care for people, nothing is overlooked, anything that needs talking about they will call to get details updated, like medication changes, they listen to my views and always have done.” Professionals were also positive about their experiences accessing the short break service. One said, “Parents always have great things to say to me once their loved one has settled in.” Care was individualised and provided according to people’s needs. There were communal areas where people were able to spend time with others or be in the comfort of their own bedrooms, as they wished.

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’s individual needs were considered. Care was provided in line with their preferences, and choice. Transitions to access the service were considered throughout the assessment process, ensuring people accessed the short breaks service safely. Arrangements were put in place to ensure people could still access their regular activities from New Treetops.

Relatives were positive about the care and individual choices provided to people. They told us, “They give our daughter very good attention, she enjoys it so much and calls it her mini-break” and “They know what her favourites are and schedule meals she loves when she’s there.”

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

We observed staff engaging and supporting people, respecting wishes and choices in relation to the care provided, supporting their well-being. Positive relationships were seen between all the staff team and people. People were encouraged in choices around their day and what they liked to do. Staff used consistent responses and communication skills as they knew people well. Relatives told us people were supported with their care and choice. They told us, “Staff are fantastic, they make a really welcoming and fun environment. Our daughter loves it there.”

Care records included person-centred information which enabled and supported staff to provide individualised care to them. Staff had received relevant training that ensured they had the skills to provide people with person-centred care. Staff told us how they supported people to be independent with their choices considered. One said, “Goals can be as little as taking an empty glass to the kitchen or helping with dinner or baking. People love it when they are complimented for their yummy cakes.”

A range of information about the activities people can access whilst staying in the service was on display. These were tailored to support and engage people living with a learning disability. Staff and the acting manager discussed the importance of ensuring people had access to activities according to their likes. We observed staff engaging and supporting people with activities during our visits. There were lots of in-house activities and staff enabled people to access the community as much as they could. One person regularly attended a day centre some miles away and staff ensured the person was ready and able to be picked up by transport. It was important to the service people continued their regular activities during their respite stays.

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 were listened to and their choice and needs were considered. Information was in a format that helped people to communicate, and we observed staff understood how to communicate with individuals where they were unable to communicate verbally.

Care was provided to people as they wished and needed. Staff gave caring and compassionate engagement and support. Staff acted appropriately to support a person when they felt unwell. Relatives told us staff supported people as they needed and chose. One said, “All the staff are kind and happy. They always do things she likes or find her a DVD she likes.”

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

Staff were positive about the support received from all layers of the management team. They told us they felt part of a good team and included. One said, “My role in this service is so rewarding. I leave most days with my heart full. Our manager is very good. I wanted to learn a little Makaton (a communication style) so she booked me in.” Another said, “We are well supported. If it’s been a particularly challenging day she will check in on us, for example.”

We saw positive meaningful relationships between the staff team and leaders in the service. It was clear the manager was visible and engaging well with the staff team. A detailed training programme was ongoing to support staff in their roles. Supervisions and appraisals were undertaken regularly, and they were encouraged to take part in team meetings.