Albany House

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 staff team always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. They treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff knew people well and were committed to providing kind and compassionate care. We observed positive interactions between people and staff. Staff showed empathy and warmth, and respected people’s privacy and dignity.

People told us staff were kind and caring. One person said staff were ‘really lovely, really kind and caring’ and told us staff spent time talking with them and supported them when they asked for help.

Relatives told us that staff knew people very well. One relative said, “I have no concerns with the care provided by the staff. She is very happy; this is her home.”

Staff treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Care plans were person-centred and included information about people’s strengths, goals, preferences and personal circumstances.

People were able to choose furniture and personalise their bedrooms in line with their preferences. People were able to have pets, should they wish to, and staff ensured they were supported appropriately, if needed.

We observed positive relationships between people and staff. Interactions were warm and respectful, and people appeared comfortable and settled in their home. A staff member reflected, “All the staff have a really good relationship with the people who live here.” They told us that as a team they worked alongside people and supported them in a way that was important to them and met their needs at that time.

The staff team promoted independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

People were supported to make choices about their care and daily routines. Care records were person-centred and showed people and, where appropriate, their relatives were involved in developing care plans. One relative told us, “I have been asked to be involved in [relative’s name] care planning and other paperwork. I know they will contact me for my input.”

Staff told us people were offered choices about what they wanted to eat and how they spent their time. We observed staff offering people choices about activities, food and drinks. People told us staff listened to them and gave them choices and supported them to make decisions when they needed help. One person said, “The staff cook for me if I want them to. I used to do it, but I don’t find it so easy now. They will usually cook whatever I fancy.”

The staff team 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.

Daily care records showed staff responded quickly and appropriately when people needed support. Staff knew people well and understood how to support them during difficult times. Care plans and risk management plans gave staff clear guidance about how to respond to people’s needs in the moment.

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

The staff team worked well together and had positive working relationships. Staff told us the registered manager and deputy manager were supportive, approachable and listened to them. They said the registered manager was available each day, so they could raise concerns quickly and issues were dealt with promptly. This helped staff feel supported and valued and enabled them to provide person-centred care. Staff also received regular supervision and attended team meetings.