Holly Court

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
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 changed to Outstanding. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.
 

This service scored 95 (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 was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.
People appeared very relaxed and comfortable with staff. It was evident they knew each other well and had developed warm, empathic relationships. Staff were very aware of people’s individual characteristics and used their likes and dislikes to engage in meaningful conversations and activities with them. For example, we observed a staff member interacting with [person] about watching some football, when it appears on the screen [person] laughs and staff encourage him to move his feet, [person] watches football and shout’s “Goal” laughing and claps their hands together. Really good engagement and [person] really enjoying this.
One person told us, “I like it here.”
We consistently received positive feedback about the extremely kind and compassionate approach of all the staff. Relatives told us, “They’re really kind to [person]” and “This place is just like [person] being at home”. Another commented “They seem to enjoy his company and he enjoys theirs, because I see a twinkle in his eye and a dimple!” and “I don’t have a sentence to do the service justice, but brilliant.”
A health professional told us, “I would be happy to have a family member live there if there was ever a need, as I know they would receive outstanding care,” and “The staff are consistently welcoming, friendly, and professional.”
Staff showed exceptional kindness and caring to residents and colleagues, Staff were knowledgeable about how to promote people’s privacy and dignity and provided examples of this, when residents needed private time, this was facilitated and respected.
Staff told us, “Hollybank trust gives excellent care to residents and the same for staff, it's perfect at all times, sincerely, people here have good lives," and "people here have a life, oh they really do, it's more than just a care service." Another staff member told us, “Work involves more than just caring for each resident, it's about their family too.” She described how one mum was sad because her son was leaving home to live at Hollybank, and she was able to relate to their feelings by comparing it to any other child 'leaving the nest' and encouraged the mum to view it positively and a good sign he was moving on to his own life away from home.”
 

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.
Staff knew all people extremely well, and were knowledgeable about who they were as people, including their backgrounds, interests, needs and preferences. It was evident in our observations all people were treated as individuals, and we saw many cases of people having their individuality celebrated. For example, one relative told us, “On [person’s] birthday, [person] was going to have a disco, but it would be too loud for him, and he had a sensory bubble party instead and that was amazing. And another thing that was tailored for him was sitting on the floor as he’s more comfortable with that, because they thought about what he’d enjoy.”
A health professional told us, “A Sensory room has been developed, staff really took note what each resident need was to be included in the room, so it was bespoke to each individual and impactful on the way each person responded to this.”
Care plans reflected people’s likes and dislikes, were strength based and reviewed monthly and updated appropriately. Care plans evidenced people’s and family’s involvement in developing and reviewing plans.
People’s bedrooms were individualised, and people were involved in choosing furniture and colour schemes when their rooms were being redecorated.
People were supported to participate in meetings about their home, contribute to decisions about how the service operated, and be involved in the recruitment of staff. This meant people had a genuine influence over who supported them and how their home was run. For example, people wanted a television setting up in the foyer to connect to the internet so they could have Makaton on. We saw this being used for a sing a long session with people and staff. Another example was recorded in meeting minutes - [staff member] joined the meeting to discuss the new Spring menus, [staff member] suggested some residents would like to be the taste testers – [3 people] volunteered.
This meant people were not only treated as individuals and were empowered to shape their own support and daily lives. The provider’s approach resulted in people having greater independence and a strong sense of ownership over their home and how they were supported.
 

The provider was exceptional at supporting people to remain in control of their lives and care. Staff enabled people to make informed decisions by presenting information in ways that were tailored to their individual communication needs. We observed staff interacting with people in a calm and patient manner, allowing them sufficient time to process information and express their preferences. This supported people to make choices at their own pace.
Staff demonstrated a strong understanding of people’s preferences, and where people were unable to make specific decisions, staff used their knowledge of the person to act in line with their known wishes. Staff also described how they observed people’s responses to new experiences to understand what people enjoyed and used this to shape future support in a personalised way. One relative told us, “They read his cues quite well." This meant people’s choices were continuously recognised and respected, including through non-verbal communication.
One staff member told us, “"The residents here get such good care. I love my job; I love seeing how people come on and make good progress. One resident would not trust us when he first came, and he refused personal care at night, we have built trust and formed good relationships with him. Now he will let any of us help him, he has grown in confidence.”
People were supported to do as much as they could for themselves and learn new skills. For example, people were involved in cooking meals on Sundays with staff, the provider had developed a recipe book with photos of food and instructions in easy read and Makaton, people and staff ate what they made.
Another person told us about their job within the service, as they wanted to help with the laundry. Staff supported the person to be interviewed by preparing answers to interview questions with them and during the interview if help was needed. The resident is now employed for 1 hour per week folding clothes and pairing socks and has her picture on the staff board alongside all the other staff. They were excited to tell us payday is Friday. This has greatly improved the persons independence; previously they could not self-propel in their wheelchair as they favoured their right arm more than their left, the folding of clothes has improved the dexterity and movement in their arm and hand, and they can now self-propel and use their left arm much more supporting a greater independence.
Activities are arranged around what the person liked, for example, staff recognised a person enjoyed being around the piano when it was being played and now incorporates the activity into [person] routine. Staff “found that helping to gently lift his hand and place it on the piano, [person] tends to self-assist at that point.” Staff said “ [person] smile and laughter carries through the halls at all times of the day whenever [person] gets to play with any and all staff who work with them and their excitement knows no bounds,” and it has a “profound effect on both [person] overall mood and behaviour, [person] can sit there listening to the music playing, they can stay relaxed for a long time.”
Staff told us “People are involved as much as they want to be / can be, in planning events and activities - it is always person-led. They run the ship and we just facilitate things."
The provider had developed a ‘smart room’ which people could use to try using different technologies, for example, solutions for controlling lights, doors, and curtains to open and close. Where these have been successful the provider is looking to see how they can be included within the person’s room.
People are supported to have holidays based on their individual wishes and preferences, examples included Centerparcs, and barge trips, as well as other meaningful activities like attending concerts, football club, and a German day arranged for 2 people. Staff are encouraged to bring ideas forward based on what they know about people. People’s birthdays are celebrated and we saw lots of photos around the home of people participating in different activities laughing and smiling, including a prom which was arranged for everyone. These events demonstrated how equality and diversity were embedded into everyday practice and contributed positively to people’s experiences of care.
 

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 understood when people were showing signs of distress or frustration and there was information in care plans about how to respond. Staff were very knowledgeable about people’s needs and understood when people needed support by observing body language when people could not verbally communicate their needs. One family member told us “"[person] would communicate if [person] needs something even if he’s non-verbal and doesn’t have their device, and they recognise the signs and ask (for example) if they want to sleep or to have dinner."
Staff told us, “We know that a resident can become uncomfortable and at risk of infection unless their personal care needs are always met quickly.”
 

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 told us they felt supported by the management team and were able to seek guidance when needed. Staff described having access to regular supervision, meetings and informal support, which helped them reflect on their practice and develop their skills. They told us training opportunities were provided and were useful in helping them carry out their roles effectively, one staff member told us, “They make sure you have the skills to know exactly what you are doing” and the provider supports them well with training and development.
The provider actively prioritised staff wellbeing and recognition through initiatives such as early pay system if staff needed support with finances and saving schemes with a financial benefit, monthly ‘Be someone’ awards which saw staff receiving flowers of chocolates to acknowledge work done, long service awards and monies identified for the staff team building which last year supported an awards evening with catering and certificates presented to staff and the provider has Mental Health First Aiders within the service.
In addition, we saw evidence of how the provider went over and above to support an employee through a very difficult life event with kindness and compassion.
Managers are visible within the service, staff told us, “[Registered Manager] is here, she is always here early, she starts work to make sure she sees the night staff and the residents, she asks about each one of them and likes to have updates." Another member of staff told us, “I feel we matter."