Glen Arun Care Home

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.

People received care and support from staff who knew them well. Staff were skilled in talking to people and established a rapport. The relationships between staff and people receiving support demonstrated dignity and respect. Staff spoke kindly about the people they supported.

Throughout our visit staff interacted with people in a warm and friendly manner. It was evident that people were comfortable in the presence of staff. Staff were described as, “very attentive,” “kind,” and, “friendly.”

Staff told us they got on well with each other and worked well as a team. A staff member said, “Everyone gets on,” Another staff member told us, “It’s a good team, the care staff have really good communication.”

Relatives described the staff as, “helpful,” and, “supportive,” with comments including, “It’s like a family. [Staff] give you a warm hug if you are feeling down.” Another relative provided feedback which included, ‘All the staff there are lovely! They are so kind friendly nothing seems to be too much trouble. They have always been so polite.’

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.

We saw people were free to spend time doing the things they enjoyed, and staff supported and encouraged them to be involved in social activities that were available. Feedback from relatives was positive. They said, “The entertainment is good. [Relatives] are very engaged.” Another relative told us how, “They [staff] celebrate things,” for example, St Patrick’s Day celebrations were taking place during our visit. One person told us about their Irish heritage, which was well known to the staff. We saw how staff interacted with the person and staff told us how they, “Had some Irish soda bread for [Name] to have with the Irish stew later as it was a particular favourite of theirs.” The person told us, “The activities staff are magnificent. [Name] is lively and fun.” And, “[Name] is wonderful.”

Staff focused their attention on providing support to people in a way in which was personalised to them. We saw people were engaged, smiling and chatting. Staff knew what people could do for themselves and areas where support was needed. People told us that they received the care they wanted and were happy with the care received. One person told us, “I don’t need much care, but they help me with whatever I need.”

Visitors were able to visit without restrictions. A relative told us, “There are no restrictions on visiting.” Another relative told us there is, “Open visiting.” A third relative said, “I don’t visit in the evenings, because it upsets [relative]. But I could if I wanted to.”

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

Staff knew people well and were knowledgeable about how to promote people’s choice and independence. Feedback from people and their relatives about choice and control was positive. Throughout our visit we saw people were able to choose where they went and how they spent their time. We observed people smiling and chatting. The overall impression was of a warm, friendly, safe and lively environment where people were happy.

The provider had a strong ethos regarding promoting people’s dignity and independence. There was guidance in people’s care plans to enable staff to support in a least restrictive way and promote independence, choice and control as much as possible.

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 and their relatives said staff were responsive to their needs. Throughout our visit we saw staff were attentive and responsive to people’s needs and requests. Call bells were answered promptly by staff who were caring and empathic. Relatives told us, “Staff do everything they can. The care is excellent.”

Staff used a person-centred approach. They were knowledgeable about potential risks to people and gave examples of possible triggers and action they took to support people.

People and their relatives were encouraged to share their views and had the opportunity to express their needs and wishes. During our visit a scheduled month relatives’ meeting took place. This gave relatives a chance to meet with the department heads, provide feedback and make any suggestions to improve the service.

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

Staff spoke positively about working at Glen Arun Care Home. They said they were, “Well supported,” “It’s a great place to work,” and it was a, “Supportive company [to work for]”. A staff member told us, “The owner is friendly and open.”

Staff had access to regular supervisions where they could raise any concerns they may have. They said, “[We get] help with anything we bring up.” They also had regular staff meetings where ideas could be shared to promote good well-being of staff. Staff were supported to complete a range of training appropriate to the needs of the people they supported.

Staff spoke positively about information sharing. They told us there was, “Good communication between day and night staff,” and, “We speak to relatives to keep everyone informed.”