Limefield Court Retirement 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 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 positive and respectful interactions between staff and people using the service. Staff spent time chatting with people where opportunities arose and demonstrated a good understanding of their individual needs and preferences. People appeared comfortable in staff's presence and were familiar with those supporting them.

Staff treated people with dignity and respect. We observed staff knocking on bedroom doors before entering, seeking permission before providing support, and explaining what they were doing and why. Bedroom doors were closed during personal care to help maintain people's privacy and dignity.

Interactions were warm and good humoured. Staff provided support in a patient and caring manner and took time to engage people in conversation rather than focusing solely on tasks. This helped to create a relaxed and supportive environment.

People spoke positively about the care they received and described staff as kind and attentive. People told us, "Most of the staff have been here a good while. You never feel you are a nuisance here. I can't grumble about the place, if you want a shower, you just ask" and "They do support me, they are gentle and kind."

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.

Levels of support varied. Some people were able to choose where and how they spent their time. People’s records reflected their daily routine, wishes and preferences. Managers were aware this information could be expanded on providing more personalised information. A visiting professional felt managers worked well with them ensuring people’s rights were respected. They told us, “Staff have a good understanding of people’s individual needs” and “Managers are proactive and people focused.”

The provider did not always promote people’s independence, so people did not always know their rights and have choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

People were supported to make choices about how they spent their time and whether they took part in activities. The service user guide also outlined people's rights to make decisions about their daily lives, including how they spent their time, what activities they engaged in, and their preferred routines. One person said, “If I need to go into the town, the staff go with me.”

A range of activities were available. We observed staff facilitating a skittles session with three people and providing a jigsaw for another person and on another day an exercise class was taking place. Feedback regarding activities was mixed. Some people spoke positively about recent activities, telling us, “They have started activities about a month ago. They do football where you can kick the ball about, it's good,” and “We have a couple of guys who come in and do boxing on pads and exercises and I think more things will be happening soon.”

Others felt there were limited opportunities available. People told us, “There are activities but not enough from my point of view,” and “There isn't much to do, there aren't really activities that I would do.” Some people chose not to participate, preferring to remain in their rooms and engage in their own interests such as watching television, listening to the radio, completing word searches or using items provided by family members.

The registered manager said they had recently appointed a new activities coordinator to help increase meaningful activities and social engagement.

People also had access to necessary equipment to promote and enable them to maintain their independence. We saw people had access to walking aids to assist them.

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 had access to call bells and other equipment to help them request assistance when needed. People told us staff were busy but always responded to their requests for help. One person told us, “There aren’t really enough staff though. I have to wait a while if I use the buzzer." The registered manager said staffing levels were kept under review, ensuring sufficient numbers of staff were available to meet people’s current and changing needs. People’s relatives said they had confidence in the staff, and they were kept informed of people’s changing needs.

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

Staff were approachable and demonstrated a good knowledge of the people they supported. Staff morale appeared positive. Those staff spoken were happy in their role, felt communication and teamwork was good and the registered manager was both approachable and supportive. We were told, “The team is really good, we help and support each other” and “It’s excellent here, we talk all the time and kept very informed.”

Staff were provided with a handbook which outlined the recruitment process, contractual arrangements and training and development opportunities. Information also reflected the protected characteristics and what support staff could expect.