Sackville Gardens

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 80 (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 saw warm and supportive interactions between people and staff throughout the inspection. Staff treated people with respect and patience. People clearly felt comfortable in the presence of staff. One person told us, “[Staff] do respect me, and my space. They always knock if they need to come in. My room is how I want it and they respect how I want to keep it.” Another person said, “They are all so kind, I was worried about coming here but I didn’t need to be.”

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 were treated in a way which was unique to them, with care that was shaped around their strengths and aspirations. Staff knew people well and took specified time each day to see how people were and what support they needed. Each person had a keyworker who built rapport with them and worked with them to understand what matters most to them. People’s individualities were celebrated, including their cultural needs, communication styles and relationships which were important to them.

People were actively involved in planning their care, to formulate a collaborative care plan individualised to them. One person told us, “[Staff] always ask what I would like to do for the day. They support me as and when I need it.”Staff were flexible in their approach with people, meeting them where they were on that day. One staff member told us, “It’s not about us [staff], it’s about supporting people in the way they want to be helped on a day by day, sometimes hour by hour basis.”

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

There was a strong focus at the home on supporting people to rebuild their independence and confidence with daily living tasks, to enable them to move towards more independent living. Care plans identified what people could do for themselves and what they may need support with from staff. Staff understood the importance of promoting people’s independence and worked with them to encourage choice and control. People confirmed that staff worked with them and supported them in a kind and balanced way, prompting them to do things for themselves.

People’s living environment had been made personal to both their needs and wishes, and their abilities. For example, some people had self-contained flats in which they could manage a large amount of their own day to day activities. However, staff were still on hand should support be required. One person told us, “There’s always someone around, they pop in now and again or I can call or email them if I need anything.”

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.

Staff were responsiveness to people’s changing health needs, delivering care that was both timely and person-centred. They held regular handover meetings to discuss people’s needs that day and shape care to meet this. On the day of the inspection an incident had occurred, and we observed staff and management formulating a plan, including speaking with external professionals, to establish how best to support the person return to the home safely.

Staff worked with people with complex needs and knew how to respond to any signs of distress or discomfort to minimise negative impacts. Staff knew people well and we observed them providing reassurance quickly if someone appeared anxious. One person told us, “The team are so generous with their time and have helped me build my confidence again. It’s nice having a key worker I can trust.” One professional told us, “Staff are always quick to respond and alert me to any areas of concern”.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff wellbeing was paramount for the provider, and staff were offered a wide range of support measures and schemes to ensure their wellbeing was protected. Staff, without exception, spoke positively about the management team at Sackville Gardens. They felt strongly supported in their roles and there was a clear ethos of ensuring staff were well to best assist people living there. One staff member told us, “[Deputy manager] is always telling me to take care of myself. Reminding me to take a break. There’s a real team effort here and we are encouraged to look after ourselves so we can get the best out of people.”

There was a wide range of support avenues for staff to access. The provider offered an Employment Assistance Programme which gave staff the option to have confidential additional support where needed, including talking therapies. The provider also used a different company to provide numerous wellbeing activities for staff to engage with if they wished.Staff received regular supervision which they told us was meaningful and highlighted creative areas of professional development which they may not have considered themselves. They also benefitted from reflective practice sessions, especially when a significant event had taken place. This enabled them to fully debrief and access any additional support they required.

The provider had developed an internal award scheme with opportunities for staff to work towards. Staff told us that this significantly improved morale and kept people thriving to be well and come to work. There was a recognition of work scheme which was used to highlight excellent areas of practice and resulted in staff feeling appreciated. Staff also had team social nights with other parts of the organisation which allowed strong team building across the service. Staff reported feeling respected and valued by the provider and expressed genuine enjoyment in their work.