Avila 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.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered 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 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 in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People spoke positively about the staff who supported them. One person said, “Staff are as nice as pie. They always give me the time of day, and they are 100% reliable.” Staff told us, “It’s about people living their lives independently and safely. We promote independence as much as possible and people’s happiness. It’s what they want that’s important.” The registered manager described the importance of people feeling empowered and in control; that they have a voice. They commented, “People have their own front door and autonomy, with support in the background. Staff are always observant and look for any changes with people.”

Daily notes evidenced that respectful care had been provided. For example, staff recorded that they knocked on people’s doors and waited for them to answer before entering. We observed this in practice.

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

People’s diverse needs were catered for. Assistive technology enabled 1 person to open their front door using a motion detector pad. Another person’s religion played an important part in their lives, and they attended church regularly. A staff member told us, “Every Monday we adjust our calls so we can accommodate the calls because this person attends Mass at that time. Another person has a social event at 5pm on Mondays, so we’ve moved that to 6pm to accommodate that.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care and wellbeing.

The registered manager felt the service was unique in that the ethos was on promoting people’s independence, enabling people to live their lives the way they wanted. People had their own flats and staff supported them through regular calls throughout the day and, if needed, at night. One person used their mobility scooter to go into town independently, including attending hospital appointments on their own. Another person said, “My independence is coming along, and staff encourage me to do as much as I can for myself. I love having my own space.” People were supported to stay in touch with friends and relatives who visited them at home.

The provider 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.

People received support from staff at designated times during the week. Times of calls were planned with people according to their needs and preferences. One person told us that living at Avila House was, “the best thing that could have happened for me.” Their social worker had helped find the placement and, “she was really great and understands my needs.” People used a variety of ways to communicate. For example, 1 person used their tablet to send emails and stay in touch with those that mattered to them. Pendants worn by people and sensor mats in people’s flats alerted staff if people had a fall or required urgent assistance.

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

Staff were supported by the management team. One staff member told us, “I’m entitled to holidays, so I can always request these when I need them. If you have any challenges, you can talk to the manager; she is helpful.” A member of staff was also the staff representative, and they were available if anyone wanted to speak with them. The registered manager described an open-door policy and also told us about the staff newsletter in which achievements were celebrated and information shared.