Fairlight Manor

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 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.

We received positive feedback from people’s relatives about the kindness and care their loved ones received. One relative told us were, “Kind and tactile but not over familiar.” Another relative said, “Staff are very caring, and I can see they have genuine affection for [name].” A further relative told us, “It’s a home where people (staff) really care, they’re not just ticking boxes.” One relative described how they observed staff sitting with people, providing support and reassurance in a calm, relaxed manner. They said, “It is a wrapped around, caring environment.”

We saw that staff supported people with patience and compassion. They spoke about people with kindness, and they knew people really well. We observed staff supporting people in a way that ensured people’s dignity was maintained, taking into account individual choices.

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.

Staff supported people in a way that met each person’s needs and demonstrated staff knowledge of the person. People were supported to make their own choices and decisions and staff used their knowledge of people to guide and direct when required. Staff were able to tell us about people’s individual care and support needs. They spoke about people as individuals and were able to tell us about their interests and families. Family and friends were welcome to visit the home when they wished.

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

People were supported to make their own choices and remain as independent as possible. Staff offered people choices and allowed them time to make decisions. We saw people being offered a choice of meal and this was provided. If people changed their mind a series of alternatives were offered. We observed people getting up and having breakfast when they chose to. The provider and staff were mindful that for people living with dementia it may be difficult to make decisions. This had been taken into account throughout the home. For example, people’s wardrobes transparent doors. That meant people were able to identify where their clothes were and make their own choices about what to wear.

The provider told us they aimed to create a different feel for people throughout the day. They explained the aim was for a less structured, more person-centred approach which supported people to make their own choices. Breakfast was a generally relaxed time with music playing, staff sat with people and engaged them in conversation and read the newspaper. People were then supported to engage in activities of their choice. We saw people knitting, taking part in artwork, completing jigsaw puzzles. Others, who were more independent, followed their own interests. We saw people sitting together and talking, spending time in the garden or in the activity room. After lunch there were more ‘upbeat, group activities’ such as exercise, singing and dancing where people who wished could join. These took place in the activity room in the garden. People then returned to the main home for their supper. The provider told us this had been designed to reflect a typical day, where people went out and returned home in the evening.

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 used their knowledge of people to identify changes in people’s needs. They noticed when people were anxious or distressed and responded promptly. We observed one person who appeared very sleepy throughout the day. Staff told us although this was not the person’s usual presentation, but they did have ‘off days.’ Staff prompted and encouraged the person. They recorded observations, for example, temperature, and supported the person to rest. We later saw the person had returned to their usual self. Relatives told us if they or staff identified any concerns their loved ones’ needs were attended to promptly.

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

The provider was committed to providing a positive working experience for staff. They told us they worked with staff to develop their knowledge and skills, and to promote their confidence. Staff received regular supervision from the provider, this included 1:1 meetings, observation in practice and staff meetings. The provider said they used staff meetings to identify any issues with staff morale.Staff feedback was positive. They told us they felt part of a team and their well-being was considered. One staff member said, “Everything is perfect for me, nothing needs to be changed.”The provider was aware of the importance of supporting staff well-being and ensuring staff felt valued. They had introduced staff recognition awards to show staff they were appreciated.