Fernleigh Court Care and Nursing Home

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 inspection we rated this key question Requires improvement. At this inspection the rating has changed to 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.

Staff treated people with kindness, compassion, and dignity. They spoke with people in a kind and gentle manner and asked how they were feeling or if they needed anything regularly throughout the day. Staff treated people with dignity and respect at all times, ensuring they were happy with how staff were supporting people and giving them personal space when they needed this. People and relatives felt staff were kind and caring and gave us positive feedback about their or their family member’s support. We observed people to be happy and relaxed whilst staff supported them. One relative said, ‘‘All the staff are hardworking and pleasant and there has been a real change in how happy everyone is the last few months or so.’’ A person told us, ‘‘[Staff] who work here are all lovely by and large. They all want what is best for us anyway.’’

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. Staff knew people well as individuals and knew how they liked to be supported. They explained what people’s preferences, likes and dislikes were and understood how important these were when supporting people. There had been some positive outcomes for people in relation to feeling better when they were upset, because staff knew specifically how to support them to feel better in line with their preferences.

We observed staff talking with people about things that interested them. People had been supported to personalise and decorate their rooms, and staff knew what people liked to eat and drink. People’s care plans had been made more individualised and included information about people’s history and individual likes and dislikes. One person said, ‘‘[Staff] know me pretty well and would always ask if they needed to know something.’’ A relative told us, ‘‘[Staff] have made a real effort to make [family member] feel like they are their own individual person. It is great to see [family member] so happy.’’

Staff promoted people's independence and asked them to make choices in the majority of the day-to-day areas of their support. For example, staff asked people what they wanted to eat and drink, what they wanted to wear and what time they wanted to be supported with personal care. Staff took their time when they supported people, making sure the person was in control of how they were being supported. Staff promoted people’s independence by helping them do as much as they could themselves before helping them at times such as walking around the service or eating meals. The management team were aware they could still make improvements in relation to making choices easier for people who could not communicate verbally easily, for example by using pictures or objects. They showed us evidence that this was being looked in to and considered going forward. One person said, ‘‘I like to do things by myself, but I do need some help now and then and that’s when the staff will step in.’’ A relative told us, ‘‘[Family member] is in a good place and their choices are always respected.’’

Staff responded to people's needs in the moment or act to minimise any discomfort, concern, or distress. Staff told us how they noted changes in people’s support needs and reported this to the management team to make sure care plans and risk assessments were updated. Staff were attentive to people’s needs throughout the day in relation to personal care or making sure they had something to eat and drink. One person said, ‘‘I never have a problem getting hold of a staff member and never have to wait.’’ A relative told us, ‘‘[Staff] make us feel very welcome whenever we visit and are always around, so I feel confident there is always someone there when [family member] needs someone.’’

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff enjoyed working at the service and felt well supported by the management team. They had regular discussions and supervisions to discuss their job roles and any support they may need. Regular meetings with staff took place to discuss how well supported they felt and any improvements they felt would benefit the service.