The DurhamGate 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 service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

This is the first inspection of this 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 70 (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 great kindness, empathy and compassion and respected people’s privacy. A person told us, “Staff close the door for anything private. They are fussy about that.” Staff communicated with people in a caring and compassionate way. They gave people time to respond, listened to them and provided sensitive support to ensure people's needs were promoted. Peoples’ comments included, “Staff are very friendly and polite. They make you feel like you are okay” and “The girls are lovely.” A professional commented, “Care staff are welcoming and friendly when they engage with visiting staff.”

Staff treated people as individuals and ensured 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. Staff had received training in equality and diversity to emphasise the importance of treating people as unique individuals with different and diverse needs. A relative commented, “‘[Name] has no speech. Staff can get a smile, I like to see that” and “I have never seen [Name] upset, here.”

Staff at the service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People were supported to achieve a level of independence and to be fully involved in decision making and control in their lives. Detailed care records documented how people's independence was to be promoted. A person commented, “I can do things myself apart from the bath.”

The activities co-ordinator sourced a varied range of individual and group activities and entertainment for people to enjoy both inside the home and out in the community. Peoples’ comments included; “There are plenty of quizzes and crafts”, “After keep fit, we relax for a quarter of an hour, listening to music“, “The hairdresser is here, we have a pamper day and we get our nails done” , and “I have not used the bar yet, a couple of men had wine the other night. There was a wine and cheese night.”

Staff listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. They worked calmly, compassionately, however they did not always respond promptly. Peoples’ comments included, “I have to wait when I ring the buzzer” and “Staff come in and say they are busy and never come back.” We addressed this in the safe section of this report.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.A staff member commented, “I received 100% support and help with a personal issue.” Staff provided positive feedback about their experience of working at the service. Staff told us they felt valued and supported by the management team. They all commented they were encouraged to voice their opinions, ideas and suggestions. Their comments included, “Our hard work is acknowledged” and “Work makes me feel happy.”