Telscombe Road

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. Staff supported people with kindness, understanding their needs and responding appropriately. Relatives told us that their loved ones were treated well by staff. Comments included, “Staff are amazing and attentive all the time,” “Staff are amazing. They don’t talk down to him, they are always on alert to support him” and “‘All the staff are brilliant.” People living at the service were young adults who were approaching the end of their time at college. Staff were aware of the changes that were coming for them and acknowledged that their needs were important and relevant to their current age. A relative said, “He is a teenager at heart and acts like one. Sometimes says ‘no’ but actually will go on to enjoy himself with an activity.” People’s dignity was respected. A staff member said, “Make sure doors are shut during care and their private time. Let them get changed alone if safe. Respect, what you would expect ourselves. Always knock on door.”

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. Care plans contained a weekly planner for each person. These explained people’s preferred routines, activities, time allocated for domestic tasks for example, laundry and washing up and time spent relaxing after a day at college. Care plans also had a one page profile which highlighted people’s likes, dislikes and preferred ways of spending their time at each time of the day. People were treated as individuals and were able to celebrate important days in their calendars for example their birthdays. A relative told us, “They arranged the hire of a private swimming pool for an hour on his birthday, it was so nice. Then we came to Telscombe Road and had his birthday cake and presents and he was able to facetime his grandmother.” A member of staff said, “They are all very different so yes their needs are respected. They have different likes, dislikes and ways they like to spend their free time. Their individual needs are always responded to if safe to do so.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People’s independence was encouraged and supported in all aspects of their daily routines without compromising their safety. For example, people were supported with cooking, taking it in turns to prepare food each evening for themselves and others living at the service. People were encouraged to chose what clothes to wear each day and to maintain personal hygiene routines with minimal support from staff. A member of staff said, “We support them to cook, making them as independent as possible. Really important to give them the skills they will need for the future.” Relatives acknowledged the importance of independence in preparing their loved ones for the future. Comments from relatives included, “He’s learning how to cook. They stand with him for safety but these are important life skills,” “Definitely he is independent. Can do pretty much what he likes and is always supported for safety” and “He is a lot more independent now. He can catch a bus by himself.”

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 knew people well and responded to their care and support needs in a timely way, minimising the chance of causing any distress or anxiety. A staff member told us about a person who enjoyed a particular type of food treat but that it was not appropriate due to their dietary needs. They responded by purchasing the ingredients needed to make a healthy option. The person was very happy with this, their needs being met but in a healthy way. A relative said, “Whatever I’ve asked of the staff they have done. There is no doubt (person’s) needs are met.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. The registered manager promoted a positive working environment for their staff, ensuring that staff health and wellbeing were acknowledged. A staff member said, “All incidents have a de-brief option. But we have such a good team that we support each other. Managers are very supportive.” Staff told us that there were opportunities at every shift handover to discuss any incidents and how these events may have affected them. Welfare support networks were in place and staff could self refer as well as seek the support of the registered manager. Further opportunities for staff support were available through regular supervision meetings and staff were able to ask for an extraordinary meeting in addition to scheduled meetings, if they needed to.