Avalon Northallerton Services

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 were kind and respectful and spoke about people considerately and with an understanding and respect of their individual needs. We observed kind, caring and attentive interactions between people and staff. People were comfortable and settled in the company of staff, and we experienced kind and homely atmospheres. One person told us, “Staff are doing their job right and are kind. Staff are respectful of my private time and staff treat each other well also.”

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. Care plans and the support provided to people were person-centred and tailored to each person’s individual needs.

Staff knew people well and told us, “We are always person-centred and people’s needs come first. We ensure people are supported to celebrate important events in their lives such as birthdays, religious celebrations and get togethers with their friends from other agencies,” and “I make sure the level of care I provide to each person is good for them, including doing things they enjoy and taking part in these activities myself. I avoid activities or subjects which I know would trigger people. Together we have learned so much and partaken in lots of activities which are fun.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. One person told us, “I have the freedom to do what I like when I like, including going to bed and waking up when I want. My family can come whenever and do.”

Staff were passionate about supporting people to do as much as they could themselves. One staff member told us, “I always encourage people to be independent, whether this is being there for support while they pay for their own items to helping one person to manage their own medication.” Another staff member told us, “We support people to gain independence by showing them how to do things for example around the home and doing things alongside 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. Staff were observed to be attentive and engaged with people. Staff were vigilant, knew people’s needs well, and knew how to communicate effectively with people to discuss their immediate needs. Staff sought immediate medical attention when needed and engaged well with other professionals.

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 were happy and content in their roles, and were proud to work for the provider. Staff spoke about the supportive nature of the service which enabled them to flourish. Staff told us, “I have always felt supported and encouraged to push myself and progress at this company, the managers are all very supportive in both personal and work life,” and, “My line manager is amazing, always supporting me in my role and helping me to give the best support we can to people.”

Staff wellbeing was a priority for the provider who understood the importance of this and the link between good staff morale and the provision of good care. The provider and the management team ensured staff felt valued and involved. A benefits scheme was in place and various initiatives such as a staff wellbeing corner. Senior management regularly reviewed staff morale and wellbeing, and gathered regular feedback from staff.

The provider was committed to the development of staff. One staff member told us, “When I was first supporting, [the registered manager] helped me as I had never done any personal care. Her advice was very useful and made me deliver the correct support which has helped me move up to a manager position which I never thought I could achieve.” Another staff member told us, “I watched [the registered manager] progress from being a support worker into a support coordinator and manager. She has always pushed me to be the best I can be. I enjoy coming to work and feel like I am able to use my own skills in creative ways to help people. I love that we always take part and go the extra mile, we take people out on trips and organise events to ensure they have a meaningful life.”

The management team supported staff to do their roles and acted on suggestions and ideas. One staff member told us, “Many people like a singalong so we asked for some musical instruments and the manager got these and also got a karaoke machine which people enjoy.”Another staff member told us, “The managers and support workers always ensure that if people have an event they would like to go to that we adapt the rota to meet their needs and find a suitable support worker to support them in doing that. I feel this makes Avalon stand out as people always come first and are at the heart of our company.”