Melbreck

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 told us they were treated with kindness, compassion and dignity and we observed this during our visit. One person said, “People are kind and caring. There's nothing to improve, it's all perfect. They treat me with respect and give me privacy.” Relatives echoed this and said, “The staff are certainly very kind and caring, and with all the residents, they are kind and caring. I have never noticed anything untoward” and “You can tell [family member] is happy by [their] smile. The staff absolutely understand [them].”

The staff were kind and caring and responded to people’s needs promptly and respectfully. We observed the staff to be patient, caring, and displaying genuine affection and respect for people. For example, we observed a member of staff supporting a person with their meal, unaware of our presence. They were gentle, did not rush the person and took time to explain the process. We saw them carefully wiping any excess from the person’s chin, asking beforehand and in a gentle voice, “This may be a bit cold, ok?”, referring to the wipe.

Another member of staff demonstrated a sound understanding of a person. The person smiled on recognition and held their gaze to them with affection, and this was reciprocated by the staff. The atmosphere was calm, relaxed and happy with a lot of laughter and fun.

External professionals commented the service provided good and effective care to people.

The provider treated people as individuals and 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 registered manager and staff knew people as individuals and were committed to ensuring people were treated as such.This included in relation to their faith and sexuality. Care plans detailed people’s wishes and preferences and we saw evidence the staff knew and respected these. A staff member told us, “Patience is key. We are a very good team. We are very patient with our guys. We keep it person-centred.”

People were supported to undertake a wide range of activities in line with their interests and choices.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People were supported to remain as independent as they could be. People’s choices, as well as their personal, cultural, social and religious needs were understood and respected. The registered manager told us, “We liaise with the local church. 5 or 6 of our residents go to church on a Sunday, and part of the choir. The church also visits the service.”

People’s daily living and independent skills were recorded in their care plans and regularly reviewed. People using the service had high and complex needs and most required support in all areas of their daily lives.

Care plans indicated how to offer choice to people. For example, when choosing their meals. One person’s care plan stated visual prompts and objects of reference were used. The registered manager explained the person would be shown a packet of tea bags and a jar of coffee, and a sample of meals would be shown to people at every mealtime for them to choose. We observed this practice taking place during our visit.

One person’s relative had expressed their wish for their family member to move into supported living and have their own studio flat when they become clinically fit and professionals deemed them ready. The registered manager told us, “We will support with this move as soon as [they are] ready.” The same person had a soundbar where they composed their own music. Their music teacher attended the home twice a week to provide lessons. They had composed their own song for the home.

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.

From our observations, we found people’s needs were responded to by staff promptly and kindly. We saw during our visit staff were available and spent quality time with people chatting about a range of subjects. Conversation was natural and lively.

People’s health and wellbeing were monitored, and any concerns were addressed without delay. We saw evidence people were supported to access healthcare professionals as needed.

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

The management team spoke positively about the staff team. There were systems in place to identify if staff had any specific health or wellbeing needs. Staff were supported to express their views of the service and any concerns they may have during staff meetings and supervision meetings.

Staff felt supported and spoke of being a good team. They told us the management team cared about them and took any suggestion seriously. A staff member told us, “[Registered manager] is really supportive. I have been here a very long time. [They are] one of the best managers I have had.”

A range of ideas had been put in place to help staff feel valued and appreciated. The registered manager told us, “We have a lot of information on the intranet such as policies and procedures, 24-hour GP, employee assist programme and the door is always open. We do have a suggestion box if staff want to suggest anything, but mainly they like to speak with me.”