Hesslewood House Care 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. This is the first assessment for this newly registered service under a new provider. 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 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 observed staff treating people with kindness and care. Interactions between people and staff were friendly and it was clear close relationships had been formed. A relative told us, “[Person’s] interactions with staff are great and staff are all friendly. [Person] seems content, even happy and usually is chatting away.” People, and their relatives, told us staff listened to them and respected their views. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity. One relative explained, “What I am pleased with is that [person’s] dignity is protected at all times. For instance, when they use the commode the routines are good. They (staff) make sure it is done safely, that the doors are always closed, it is private and done in exactly the right way.”

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.

People’s personal, cultural, social and religious needs were well understood and respected. Staff supported people to maintain their hobbies and interests. For example, one person was a talented artist and their works were displayed. Staff understood and met people’s communication needs. For example, by giving people time to think and respond.

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 involved in making decisions about their care and their day-to-day lives. Their choices were always respected by staff. People were supported to be as independent as possible. One relative explained, “[Person] is 100% reliant on the staff for washing and dressing. In fact, the other day I laughed when [person] told me, ‘But I can [wash myself] now, the first time for ages!’”

People had access to a range of activities, both individually and in groups, and inside and outside the home. ‘Fruity Fridays’, where activities were based around fruits, for example, making animals out of fruit, was a popular activity for everyone in the home. Most recently, people had asked the home to send a mug depicting Hesslewood House into a specific mug donation section of the local television news show. This had resulted in a ‘shout out’ for the home, which everyone in the home had enjoyed and taken pride in.

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 were alert to people’s needs and made sure they were checked regularly to ensure any potential discomfort could be alleviated. A relative explained, “The [staff] are good and there are no problems at all. They raise [person’s] legs if they are uncomfortable. They (staff) give [person] a pillow and change their position. The [staff] go above and beyond. They help [person] to eat. They are all brilliant.”

Staff showed concern for people’s wellbeing in a meaningful and caring way. One relative told us, “They (staff) take an interest in [person]. It was not always easy for them but they have got to know [person] and their ways really well now.” People told us their call bells were always answered promptly. One person said, “I have my call bell, I’m not waiting for someone to come long if I ring it.”

Another relative described arriving back at the home in the early hours of the morning after supporting their relative to hospital, “We were amazed that there were four members of staff waiting in Reception. When we rang the buzzer we were let in straight away, two staff took [person] up to their room in their wheelchair.”

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 and staff reported feeling well-supported by the new provider. Staff told us they received support from managers in supervisions and staff meetings. One staff member confirmed, “I have them (supervisions) quite regularly and find them useful.” Another staff member told us, “Senior management team comes in once or twice a week, [they] are very supportive and friendly. (They are) very kind and talk to all the staff and take time out of their day. They take time out for staff.” Another staff member said, “I cannot complain, [the] management team are very supportive inside and outside work.” One staff member was fully supported throughout their terminal illness, with the home arranging one staff member to visit them each day, and the home hosted their funeral. The provider had regular awards to celebrate staff.