Cornerleigh

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.

We observed staff supporting people in a kind, respectful and compassionate way. Staff knew people well and interacted with them in a warm and friendly manner. The atmosphere in the service was welcoming and relaxed. People told us staff respected their privacy when providing support, including when assisting with personal care.

People spoke positively about staff. One person told us, “They cheer me up when I’m down. They explain things to me.” Another person told us, “The staff are all really nice.” This demonstrated that people felt listened to and supported in a way that met their emotional needs.

Relatives also gave positive feedback about how people were supported. One relative told us their family member was always well presented, with their hair and nails done and wearing clean clothes. This indicated that staff supported people’s dignity and presentation consistently.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture, unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Staff supported people in a personalised way that reflected their individual preferences and identities. People’s rooms were decorated according to their tastes, including favourite colours, photographs and personal items, which helped create a homely and familiar environment. Staff also respected and supported people’s religious and cultural needs.

Care and support were adapted to reflect what was important to each person. For example, 1 person wanted a wheelchair that reflected their personality. Staff worked with relatives and healthcare professionals to ensure the wheelchair was personalised with the person’s preferred colours, which promoted a sense of pride and identity. Another person was supported to uphold their religious beliefs. Staff had recently supported them to visit a cathedral, which was important to them. This was reflected in their care records and support planning.

These approaches ensured people received care that recognised their individuality and supported their sense of identity, independence and wellbeing.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Care plans included detailed information about people’s daily routines, preferences, hobbies, interests and important relationships. This supported staff to understand what mattered to people and how best to support their independence in a personalised way.

People were encouraged and supported to develop and maintain relationships. For example, two people developed a close friendship, and staff supported them to take part in shared activities, helping them to strengthen this relationship in a way that was meaningful to them. People told us that friends and family were encouraged to visit and take part in celebrations, and staff supported them to maintain these important relationships.

People were supported to access the community and take part in activities they enjoyed. One person was supported to undertake voluntary work, which they later chose to stop. Staff respected this decision and supported the person to develop cooking skills at home instead. Over time, the person progressed from being anxious about cooking to regularly preparing meals and confidently directing staff during Sunday cooking activities. This demonstrated increased independence and confidence.

We observed people being offered choice and control in their daily lives, including decisions about personal care routines, bedtime and mealtimes. People told us they were able to make choices about how they spent their time. One person told us, “Sometimes I watch TV in my room. Get my own peace and quiet,” and another told us, “I can have a shower anytime.” A third person told us they went to the nail bar regularly with staff support to have their nails done.

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 promptly to people’s verbal requests for support. Where appropriate, people had access to call pendants to request assistance when needed. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of people’s individual communication styles, including recognising non-verbal cues and changes in behaviour or vocalisations that indicated distress.

During the inspection, we observed staff appropriately adjusting a planned activity when they noticed changes in a person’s breathing. Staff immediately escalated concerns and contacted medical services so the person could be assessed. This demonstrated effective recognition of deterioration and timely escalation to reduce risk to the person. We also observed another person who was vocalising distress being supported by staff through reassurance and calm communication. Staff remained attentive and responsive, which helped reduce the person’s anxiety and promote reassurance.

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

The provider had systems in place to support staff wellbeing, including regular supervision and annual appraisals. These provided opportunities for staff to discuss their performance, raise concerns and share issues relating to their wellbeing. Records showed that health and wellbeing information was considered, including reasonable adjustments and risk assessments where staff had disclosed medical conditions, supporting staff to remain safe and effective in their roles.

Staff had access to an employee assistance programme, which provided additional support when needed. The provider also had reward schemes in place to recognise staff loyalty and celebrate special occasions, which contributed to staff morale and engagement. The management team were in the process of introducing an “employee of the month” scheme to further recognise staff contributions.

Staff spoke positively about leadership and felt supported in their roles, reflecting a positive workplace culture where staff felt valued.