The Dispensary

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 service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

This is the first assessment of this service. This key question has been rated 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.

Staff were exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff communicated with people in an exceptionally caring and compassionate way. They gave people time to respond, listened to them and provided sensitive support to ensure people's needs were promoted. People and relative’s comments included, “I trust the staff”, “Staff are kind to me”, “I like living here” and “I go out a lot.” Professionals’ comments included, “Staff have a very good relationship with my service user” and “I find the staff at The Dispensary really great.” Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.A professional commented, “Staff are welcoming and approachable.”

Staff treated people as individuals and were exceptional in how they 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.Staff had received training in equality and diversity to emphasise the importance of treating people as unique individuals with different and diverse needs. Staff were aware of and had an in-depth understanding of people's needs, anxieties and aspirations. They established consistent and trusting relationships with people which enabled people to relax with the support provided. A person had been supported to successfully challenge a court decision which had restricted their liberty to keep them safe. A person commented, “I now go for walks on my own.” People were supported to live their lives the way they wanted to. Another person who had had increased staffing levels due to their anxiety, had now seen a decrease in their staffing levels as their anxiety was reduced and better managed.

Staff at the service were exceptional at promoting people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. There was a very strong culture of empowering people. Independence and autonomy were promoted at all times, whatever the level of need and this was at the centre of all care and support that people received. People lived in apartments and were supported to increase their independent living skills. This included in areas such as cooking, cleaning and shopping in the community.

People were supported to aspire and to achieve a level of independence and to be fully involved in decision making and control in their lives. By fully encouraging people to make choices and being patient and respectful of these, staff successfully supported people to have an increased range of experiences. Staff empowered people to be in control of these choices which led to a wider range of experiences for people and positive outcomes. There were several examples of where people had flourished and become more independent in terms of physical or emotional well-being. Examples included, learning to use the bus, going to a concert which included research of where to go and how to book, learning to manage medicines and self-medicating, moving on to more independent living, having a first pint, going for a walk alone, a reduction in a person’s anxieties and subsequent reduction in a person’s staffing levels. Detailed and personalised care records documented how people's independence and autonomy were to be promoted. A person told us, “Staff listen to me and are helping me to move on.” Staff fully understood the importance of people gaining or maintaining their independence and the benefits it had for their well-being. Staff were proud of their work supporting people. A staff member told us, “I find it really rewarding work.”

Staff were exceptional in how they 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. They worked calmly, compassionately and responded to people promptly. Staff worked very closely with people. They invested time in ensuring they were given the right level of support to promote their understanding. There was a subsequent decrease in behaviours that could be considered challenging. This reduction had a very positive impact for people and resulted in improvement in their quality of life. It had also reduced the restrictive staffing levels they may have needed to keep them safe when they were upset, as their anxieties had reduced. A professional commented, “Staff are proactive in working to find solutions to any issues which may arise for the service user.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.Staff told us they felt valued and supported by the management team. They all commented they were encouraged to voice their opinions, ideas and suggestions. Staff comments included, “I am respected”, “I feel really supported and staff team work very well together” and “It is a rewarding place to work. I feel listened to.”