Shawcross 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.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained as 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 treated people with kindness and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity.

People and relatives told us the staff were caring and treated them or their loved ones with dignity and respect. Some of the comments we received included “The staff are lovely and kind”, “The staff treat me very well and I have complete faith in them” and “The staff are very supportive, and they demonstrate empathy for [person’s] needs. They treat [them] with the respect I would wish for.”

People and relatives said staff never rushed them or their loves ones. They said staff were patient and respectful of people’s needs regardless of being busy.

We observed friendly and caring interactions between the registered manager and the residents and relatives. It was evident residents knew the registered manager well and felt safe with them.

We observed people eating at lunch time. Staff interacted well with the residents. We saw an interaction in which a resident told the care worker they loved them, and the carer placed their hand on theirs and looked kindly into their eyes. Staff were attentive to people’s needs and were seen to be cutting food up for people who required support.

Staff created a calm atmosphere. When we mentioned this to staff, they explained how they were in the resident’s home and treated it with respect.

External professionals told us they were made to feel welcome and all staff they had met were kind, compassionate and caring.

Whilst observing lunch, we did find people were being served their dessert whilst they were still eating their main meal. According to the According to the British Dietetic Association this should not occur as rushing or overlapping courses can negatively impact on the residents’ experience and dignity.

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.

The provider ensured a detailed background of the person was provided within pre – admission assessments and with family input.

The care records review highlighted how the care and support provided met each person’s individual needs. For example, there was a section labelled care plan personalisation which provided specific information about each person’s preferences. For one of the residents, it stated how they like to eat “tea and toast” for supper and how they liked to wear mainly t shirts if the temperature permitted.

Most people and relatives we spoke to told us staff knew them or their loved ones well and treated them as individuals. A person told us “I feel they [staff] know me well. They speak to me about my family and tell me about theirs.” A relative said “they know us both very well. This morning, they gave [person] 3 big sausages for breakfast, because they knew that is all [they] would like to eat.”

Staff were committed to getting to know people. A member of staff we spoke to explained how imperative it is to get to know about people’s hobbies, interests, histories and their relationships with their families as they felt it enhanced their care.

The section on ‘my life history’ which included topics such as ‘my working life’ and ‘childhood memories’ had not been completed. The registered manager said this was the next piece of work to complete on the new electronic system. They explained they had been in discussions with relatives about supporting this piece of work.

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 supported to maintain as much independence as possible, in ways which respected their individual abilities and preferences. Staff encouraged people to complete tasks independently and helped when required. We observed interactions between staff and people, in which staff gave people time to respond and avoided rushing them. At mealtimes staff offered people choice.

People had access to equipment which supported them to be independent. For example, people had access to Zimmer Frames, step machines and commodes. One person’s request of a table for to support them reading had been accommodated quickly following them moving in. Visual prompts and dementia friendly signage were mainly in place to help people navigate around the home.

Care records included details of people’s daily routines and their likes and dislikes. The level of support was also recorded and was subject to change depending on the regular reviews which were being carried out monthly.

People told us they were encouraged by staff to do as much as possible my themselves. One person said because of this encouragement they could now “eat independently and get themselves dressed.” Another person said, “I can make my own choices, so I can get up and go to bed when I want.”

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.

People’s care was adjusted promptly when needs, preferences or health changed. We spoke to a senior nurse who had noticed, with her staff team, a deterioration in a person’s presentation and had alerted the GP immediately.

The care records provided an audit trail of referrals. We saw referrals to healthcare professionals were made quickly when they were needed.

We observed call bells being responded to promptly when we were onsite.

Staff had a detailed understanding of people’s personalities, interests and communication styles.

The service had a quiet space area with a piano and games. We were unsure whether this area was used frequently and felt it could be improved.

Relatives said staff were quick to respond to people who were in emotional distress and felt they could help support people’s immediate needs being attended to which was facilitated by open visiting times.

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

Most staff told us staff wellbeing was supported, the workload was manageable, staffs’ experiences were listened to, and they received a considered response when they raised concerns. Staff told us they felt safe at work, and they received breaks. There was a minority of staff who did not feel acknowledged by the new provider, one member of staff said the frontline staff had been “forgotten.”

Whilst on site, we witnessed a staff wellness day. A Human Resource lead was onsite to liaise confidentially with staff about any concerns they may have.

People and relatives felt staff worked well together and said they were a good team who treated each other and other professionals with courtesy.

The registered manager said they had an open-door policy, and staff could access her support whenever required, this was confirmed by staff.

The provider ensured staff had access to employee assistance programmes.

A minority of staff did raise concerns regarding staff retention as an indicator of unrest within the workforce. We requested the staff turnover figures for the last 12 months and found 20 staff had left. The registered manager provided valid reasons for the high turnover including people accessing educational courses and accepting posts which supported them in their career development.