Bracknell Care 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.

This is the first assessment for this service since registration. This key question has been rated 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 staff were kind and respectful. One person told us, “The carers are nice, they are good companions. There are no exceptions to kindness; they’re all kind. I’m treated very well.” A second person said, “[As a family] we’re very satisfied with the care. Everything is done from a considerate point of view; they can’t do enough for you.” We observed staff were thoughtful in the way they approached people and individual conversations showed they knew people well. Staff took the time to stop and enquire how people were as they passed and sat chatting easily with people throughout the day.

Staff understood the importance of maintaining people’s dignity and privacy. Staff knocked on people’s doors before entering their rooms and ensured doors were closed when supporting people with personal care.

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 told us they felt staff knew them well and that good relationships had developed between staff and others living at Bracknell Care Home. One person told us, “I have lived here a good while and I think they know me well by now and I know them. We just get along with it; it’s all very comfortable.”

People’s care records contained details of people’s preferences, how they liked to spend their time, their family and any religious or cultural needs were clearly recorded within their care plans. Staff were able to describe these needs and preferences, and their knowledge of people was demonstrated in their conversations with people and their families. However, we found staff were not always fully aware of people’s life histories. Whilst this had not impacted on staff being able to form trusting relationships with people, additional knowledge of people’s past lives, occupations and experiences may have further enhance this. The registered manager assured us they would look to different ways to support staff in developing this knowledge.

People told us they enjoyed their meals and a range of options was always available. One person told us, “The food is superb. Plenty of it. Basically, you can have what you want. There is a wide choice of food available, thankfully.” People were involved in reviewing menus, and any specific requests were catered for. One person enjoyed having a variety of cheeses available and this was always catered for, another person enjoyed a gin and tonic before their meal, and this had been made available to them.

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

People told us they felt they were supported to retain their independence and autonomy as much as possible. One person told us, “You’re as independent as you need to be or want to be. There is that right balance between independence and support. If I want to go out, I can take a carer with me for support and we will go to a local cafe.”

Staff confirmed people were supported to remain in control of their own care and to be as independent as possible. For example, where people had expressed the wish to improve their mobility, the registered manager had organised a specialist physiotherapist to support them. This had a positive impact in improving people’s mobility, sense of achievement and independence.

A range of group and individual activities were planned which took into account people’s backgrounds and interests. These included themed quizzes, exercises and crafts. Volunteers and external entertainers were regularly invited into the home to support different sessions such as bingo and sing-a-longs, with animal visits being a favourite amongst people. During our assessment we observed a group quiz involving people and some of their family members. There was a lively atmosphere, and everyone was supported to participate. The activities co-ordinator told us, “We plan things around people and what they like. We don’t want it to be institutionalised. That’s very important to us.”

Where people preferred to spend time in their rooms, staff spent time with them each day and supported them with things that were meaningful to them. The activities co-ordinator told us, “One person loves art so I make sure they always have access to materials, one person like to do some exercises, a lot of people like to spend time talking and for others I will read to 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 attentive to people’s needs and responded promptly to any requests for support. Staff were frequently heard to be enquiring if people were comfortable or if there was anything they needed. One person who was new to the home showed some signs of being unsettled through the day. Staff offered reassurance but also helped to generate conversation between the person and others in the lounge to help them feel comfortable.

The registered manager told us they wished to create an environment which was highly responsive whilst having a calm and relaxed atmosphere. They told us as a staff team they aimed to ensure things were not regimented, “One thing which has made a difference is staff not having set break times. They take a break when it fits with what is happening in the day so it’s more organic and everything flows much better.” Staff confirmed that whilst they still had breaks, they were able to ensure people’s care was more centred around them rather than working to a set timetable.

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

The registered manager told us they considered caring for their team was a vital part of their role. They told us, “Workforce wellbeing is the core of the home. If the team are happy then people are happy.” Staff told us they felt their welfare and well-being were always considered by both the registered manager and the provider. One staff member told us, “The management are always looking after the staff and want to know what is going on with you. It makes you feel you belong here.”

Staff had access to a number of systems which enabled them to openly raise concerns and gain support with any personal issues in addition to having opportunities for skills development and progression. Whilst the registered manager acknowledged the need to recruit staff with a range of different experiences, they were also keen to promote staff into different roles where they demonstrated the right skills and approach.