The Maples

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 registered service. 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 85 (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 and those important to them where complimentary about the staff that supported them. One person said, “The staff are so kind, caring and respectful they are a lovely bunch.” Another person said, “I am happy and contented here, we have a laugh, just like a family.”

We observed positive interactions between staff and people. Staff were observed maintaining people’s privacy by knocking on their doors before entering. Staff treated people with compassion and kindness when supporting them. We observed an occasion where staff did not fully focus on a person when supporting them to move using equipment. Staff did not fully engage with this person during this process and spoke with another person sitting close by. Our feedback was shared with the management team who advised us they would address this. The management team told us, and we saw they walked round the home to observe practices routinely checking to make sure people were treated with dignity and kindness.

Staff always demonstrated kindness and respect towards relatives and visitors, ensuring a welcoming and supportive environment. A relative said, “I always feel welcomed here and the staff are all respectful and kind, they really do a great job.” We observed staff were respectful and kind to each other in their interactions fostering teamwork and a positive working environment.

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.

People told us they were treated as individuals and staff took account of their needs and preferences. A person told us, “The staff know all about me and they take an interest in my life, my background and they make sure all my needs are met. It is lovely to have a chat with staff that show an interest.”

The provider strived to instil a culture of care in which staff truly valued and promoted people's individuality and protected their rights. There was a commitment to valuing people as individuals, supporting them to meet their full potential and achieve their individual aspirations especially on the rehabilitation household. The provider, managers and staff emphasised the importance of recognising individuals’ strengths to help build confidence and promote independence.

Staff we spoke with could tell us about those they supported and what was important to them. Staff knew about people’s background, likes, hopes and needs. This included people's individual preferences, any health issues and how they promoted independence. Staff were skilled at

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 their independence and choice were promoted by staff who supported them. A person said, “The staff encourage me to do things for myself to help me regain my strength. They help me complete daily exercises and are very supportive.” We observed staff offer prompts and positive encouragement to people to enable them to do as much as they can for themselves, encouraging independence.

People were supported to access meaningful opportunities by staff who were called ‘customer experience leads’. Their role was to engage with people to participate in activities of their choice. We observed these staff supporting people to participate in both individual and group activities. A daily timetable was in place for group activities which consisted of activities such as movement to music, singing, art and music therapy and memory quizzes. In addition, staff on each household facilitated activities for people to participate in and we observed variousactivities being provided. People appeared to engage with and enjoy what was being provided. We observed one occasion where staff did not fully engage with people when moving their chairs for an activity. This feedback was share with the management team for ongoing monitoring and action.

External entertainment was also planned for people, for example singers, and visiting animals. The provider understood the value of pet therapy, and this underpinned the rationale for the provider having pets at each of their homes. For The Maples the pet of choice was 3 ducks who were part of the family at the home, and which promoted conversations.

On the households where people lived with a dementia, we saw various items were in the communal areas for people to engage with. For example, an ironing board and an unwired iron and clothes so people could complete this household activity. Manakins dressed in wedding outfits were present on another household to promote conversation and interest. Tables had games, cards and historic items for people to pick up and look at.

The training lead manager told us about the choir which had been developed at the home which consisted of both staff and people. They last performed singing ‘A million dream’ during an event held at the home. We were told by the management team how visits from local community groups were also encouraged.The provider has purchased their own electric vehicle suitable for people who use a wheelchair to enable people to go shopping or visit places in the community.

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.

We observed staff responding to people in a timely and caring manner. When a person became upset a staff member went straight to them and gently touched their hand and provided reassurance. The staff member remained with them until the person was settled. A relative told us, “The staff are very attentive and provide support when it is needed, they are amazing carers.” If someone pressed their buzzer this sounded an alarm on staff’s handheld devices as opposed to a sound resonating throughout the home. This meant staff were aware people needed support without unnecessary noise for other people on the households.

We observed staff respond quickly to people using the rehabilitation household when they became unwell or to help people settle in following their discharge from hospital. A person told us, “The staff do come quick when I press my buzzer. I didn’t feel well a few days ago and they came and helped me.”

Interactions observed evidenced staff and people at the service knew each other well, this supported staff to respond to people quickly and efficiently, particularly in instances where people had limited or alternative methods of communication.

The provider always cared about and promoted the well being of their staff, and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

All the staff we spoke with consistently told us how they enjoyed working at The Maples. Staff told us they felt supported in their roles and were complimentary about how the registered manager and provider treated them. One staff member told us, “I love working here, I would never work anywhere else, it’s a good team and a good home.” Another staff member told us, “We all work together as a team, we all support one another to ensure people get the best care.”

The provider and management team understood the importance of promoting staff well being to support staff in delivering person centred care. The provider had several initiatives in place, such as having no distinction between staff uniforms, which meant staff were treated equally regardless of their role. Staff were given half a day annual leave on their birthday, which we saw evidence of on the staff rota. Staff had access to a room where they could pray. Staff were given gifts such as flowers or vouchers in recognition of their performance. Staff were given time to be able to take their children to their ‘first day at nursery or school’. The provider ensured staff had access to the ‘blue light scheme’ so they could use this card to access discounts at various outlets.

New staff were provided with a staff handbook telling them all about the provider and what they could expect. This included the provider’s ethos, and philosophy of care and information about the provider’s focus to create a shared language, and for staff not to use labels or derogatory terminology. To support staff with this there was a dictionary of words that should be used. The message within the handbook promoted staff to challenge each other in a kind and supportive manner if language used within the home was not positive. New staff were also allocated a buddy to work alongside them until they felt confident in their role. During the recruitment and induction process staff members needs were assessed and any reasonable adjustments identified, and actions plans implemented. This included any additional support needed to access training, or the technology used in the home. Policies were also available for staff in an accessible format.

Staff were motivated and driven to support each other and provide the best care to people. The provider had excellent opportunities to enable staff to be open and feel listened to. All staff had their own allocated email address, which was used to share information, and for communication with staff who worked at The Maples or to contact the provider and senior leadership team. A staff member said, “I am so glad I came to work here, it is like home from home, and everyone is so supportive, we are one big family even the ducks.”