Eastfield

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 Requires Improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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.

Staff treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. People told us, “The staff are lovely”, “My room is nice, it has what I need” and, “Staff are pretty good actually. I like living here.” A relative said, “The staff are always pretty helpful and kind. He seems really happy.”

Staff showed an attentive, considered and patient approach to people and it was evident from staff engagement with people that they knew them well and were focused on people’s well-being. We heard one staff member say to a person, “Your happiness is my happiness.”

We observed staff gently guiding people around the service, either to the bathroom, to encourage them to the dining room or accompanying them because the person wished to walk. At lunch time people who were dozing were gently roused and informed it was lunchtime and where one person was reluctant to go to the dining room, staff playing their favourite music which resulted in the person wishing to get up and dance and staff ‘danced’ with them into the dining room and to a table.

Another person was dozing before lunch and a staff member gently stroked their arm to wake them. Before escorting them to the dining room, they picked up a magazine and leafed through it with the person discussing the articles, asking the person questions and listening intently to their responses. This helped ensure the person was fully awake and engaged before they stood up.

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. One person told us how much they enjoyed the garden saying, “I love the garden. I came with my daughter to see it. I get hedgehogs, squirrels, doves…”

People were clearly treated with individuality and their care was tailored to them. One person had 2 favourite songs and these helped calm them, particularly during personal care. Management had installed 2 interactive buttons in the person’s room – each one programmed with one of the songs – and staff, if the person became anxious, could press one or other to help reduce any anxiety the person was experiencing.

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

People were seen moving around the service independently and spending time in different areas when they wished to. One person spent much of their morning taking a walk and another person sat having a cup of tea after their lunch enjoying looking at the “Pictures on the menu board.” We heard people being offered a choice of meals at lunch time and being encouraged to choose for themselves.

Some people preferred to remain in their room for the majority of the day, staff respected this and staff enabled people to make their own choices. For example, one person was left to sleep in later during the morning as they had had an unsettled night.

Staff enabled people to remain independent where they could. One person said, “I have a wheelchair. But I’m independent, so I don’t want to use it.” One staff member said, “It’s only where people can’t do things for themselves that is where I help them.”

Staff 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. One person said, “Living here is a nice happy family.” A relative told us, “They (staff) will bring the activities to her.”

People did not have to wait to receive care and staff understood when not attending to people in a timely manner could have an adverse effect on someone’s disposition. For example, one person could become very anxious if they felt their needs were not being addressed promptly. As a result when this person came into the dining room to fetch their lunch, we observed staff serve them first and accompany them back to their room, where they preferred to eat, to ensure the person remained calm and reassured.

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

The registered manager said, “We have de-briefs with staff if something has happened which may be upsetting. It’s an opportunity for staff to discuss what is on their mind. I have an open door policy and at present we’re not a massive team, so we are talking to each other all the time.”