Eliot 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.

This is the first assessment for this service under the new provider. This key question has been rated outstanding. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently better than expected compared to similar services. People’s feedback described it as exceptional and distinctive.

This service scored 90 (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 treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People and relatives told us they had mixed opinions on whether staff were kind and caring. A relative said, “They are a very caring team. I have only visited [person] 3 or 4 times since [they] have been there in the last year, and I don’t think [person] would be alive if it was not for Eliot Gardens.” However, another relative told us, I do worry about [person] as [they] struggle sometimes to get [their] breath, and I worry for the future if [person] uses the staff call-bell and no one answers. [Person] seems to be low down on the pecking order to get help. If there is an emergency or they are short of staffed, they leave [person’s] call; it happened last week a couple of times.” The registered manager told us staff always initiated communication with the supported individual following a pendant activation via the intercom and assessed the situation to determine the appropriate level of urgency and response.

People told us staff listened to them and communicated with them appropriately, in a way they could understand. They said they were given time to get to know the staff and had good relationships with them.

Staff, including leaders knew and understood the people they were supporting, including their preferences, wishes, backgrounds and aspirations.

We observed interactions between people who were supported. They were respectful and kind towards one another and it was evident some had formed genuine friendships which demonstrated the culture of the schemes. The staff, including leaders, were observed to be respectful and kind with the people who were supported throughout the inspection.

The provider ensured communal areas were well maintained with high standards which provided a dignified place for people to live.

Partners told us they witnessed staff consistently treating people with kindness, empathy, and compassion. A partner wrote, “It is clear that residents are the priority, and staff take time to build meaningful relationships with each individual.”

There was a culture of kindness and respect between colleagues from other organisations. Partners also told us they were treated with kindness, respect and professionalism by staff and leadership.

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

The provider demonstrated an exceptional commitment to treating each person as a unique individual. Staff knew people extremely well and used this knowledge to provide highly personalised, respectful and empowering support.

People’s individual needs and preferences were understood and reflected in their care, treatment, and support. The providers’ approach to building a robust profile of the person included documents such as “about me” which detailed the persons preferences and was person centred.

People’s personal, cultural, religious, and social needs were all assessed and monitored frequently which ensured their care was person centred. The provider ensured people had access to religious support, for example in the form of receiving Holy Communion on a regular basis.

People and staff explained how each person had their own goals and aspirations towards which they were working. One person had been supported to reignite their love for reading, another person had been attending one to one gym sessions and regaining movement in areas of their body which had been impacted by their condition whilst a further person had been supported by staff to utilise a mobile telephone so they could speak with friends and loved one’s which impacted positively on feelings of loneliness.

Leaders fostered a culture where individuality was celebrated, and people’s rights, preferences and identity were at the forefront of decision making. As a result, people experienced consistently high levels of choice, autonomy and control in their lives. Through speaking with people, staff, and partners it was evident that some people had moved from restrictive care home environments into independent living and were now able to explore their own interests and hobbies with the support of the staff.

Staff went beyond basic care needs, focusing on what mattered most to each person. The staff skillfully adapted their communication and approach to support each person’s personality, abilities and preferred way of living. Staff worked collaboratively with people to design flexible daily routines and supported people to maintain important relationships, community links and activities which brought them joy and purpose.

The feedback from people was overwhelmingly positive. Staff were described as attentive and kind and invested in who the person was. People told us they felt genuinely valued, listened to and understood by staff who took time to learn about their life history, preferences, routines and aspirations.

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

Due to the nature of the schemes, people were encouraged to be as independent as they could, in line with their health and social care needs. People were actively engaged within the community, they had access to relatives and friends and could invite them to their apartments.

A person, who had recently moved from a care home setting to one of the schemes wanted to remain in contact with friends which they had made and therefore their key worker arranged to support them to regularly visit.

A person who used a wheelchair was supported to access a specialist hairdresser who had experience of supporting people with similar needs. The staff supported the appointment by helping to remove the persons headrest whilst keeping the person safe.

The provider had supported a person to achieve their goal of being able to make a cup of tea for themselves following them having a stroke. The provider included family members in the discussion of how this would be achieved and following this a decision was made to purchase a one cup hot water dispenser. This led to the person being able to make cups of tea independently.

A person we spoke with was attending a voluntary role later that day, whilst another person, in appropriate high visibility attire, was about to engage in litter picking in the local area.

Staff were able to explain how they support people to maintain their independence, choice, and control. A member of staff told us for one of the people supported, they ensured they had everything they needed to be comfortable to watch the television during the evening but encouraged them to use the remote control and wipe their hands or face following eating by leaving wet wipes close by. This way the person was not disturbed and was able to maintain their independence.

A case study regarding a person who was supported revealed they had full choice regarding what clothes they wore and hair dye they wanted to apply.

People were supported to access specialist/adaptive equipment which ensured they were connected to access the communal areas and the community.

People said they were treated with respect and as individuals. A person said, “They always allow me to do what I want to do – it is always my choice.”

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’s care records were detailed enough to allow staff to understand how to respond to their immediate needs. For example, pain was monitored for a person who was non – verbal via their expressions and them becoming more insular and less communicative. Staff had a good knowledge of the people they were supporting.

A person expressed within a case study shared by the provider that staff supported them when they were “heightened” by using music and that the provider had placed staff on to a ‘music and mind’ training course to develop ways and means to support them.

The communal areas of the schemes which people resided at, had areas in which staff could support them if required. For example, at Little Lane there were designated quiet areas.

People told us their immediate needs were met by staff. Some explained they sometimes waited longer during the night, but overall people were complimentary. A person said “If I need anything, the staff are always on hand to support. They can be busy, but they will always come back to you when they are free.”

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.

The provider recognised the importance of meeting the wellbeing needs of staff to allow them to provide people with safe, effective and person-centred care. Staff provided unanimous feedback about feeling supported by the management team. One staff member told us, “Yes, my wellbeing is looked after, we get our breaks, our workload is manageable, the management listen if I have any concerns and I have no concerns about my own safety.” Staff told us management were considerate and made adaptations to work schedules and patterns when required. They said leaders took into consideration their personal wellbeing whether that be physical health, mental health, finances, or changes in circumstances. Other staff told us the provider prioritised good wellbeing through active listening and open conversations which made them feel empowered.

The provider ensured there were established and proven support networks for staff to use if they were having difficulties. Staff had access to the employee forums or could use the confidential Employee Assistance Programme which provided them with support including 24-hour access to a GP, mental health support worker, nutrition, health checks, and fitness programmes. This allowed staff to have immediate support when it was required. The provider also ensured there was regular contact, ‘check in’s’ and ‘defusing’ sessions in which leaders supported staff following challenging or difficult situations to support their psychological wellbeing and enhance their self-care and management.

Staff felt valued by their leaders and their colleagues, they had a sense of belonging and the ability to contribute to decision making. Leaders told us how care staff and teams had been nominated for recognition at an award ceremony for people who go above and beyond in delivering care services across the UK. The provider produced a monthly “Thank You Newsletter” for staff which acknowledged and provided praise to staff members for their efforts and provided case examples. The staff had access to an employee forum which allowed a group of employees to attend once a month to discuss issues that were important to them and respond to requests from the executive team to consider proposals.

The providers commitment to supporting and developing staff was reflected in their high retention rate.