Springhill 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 service. This key question has been rated outstanding. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

This service scored 90 (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 was exceptional at treating 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. One person told us, “My life is made so wonderful because the staff take me to my partner's room to spend time with each other. It just completes my day. She can't really communicate with me, but her smile is everything.”

At one mealtime we observed a staff member offering compassionate support saying, “If you are anything like me, I am always spilling food on my clothes, can I put this protecter on you.” Then waited for the persons response before taking any action.

People and relatives said staff were caring and kind. One person told us, “The staff just give a 100% every time. Life is the way I want it with their help and kindness.” A second person commented, “I never feel like just a resident. I am a person they genuinely care about and how I am feeling.” A third said, “I have no independence at all, but I never feel a burden. The staff are always around when I need them.”

Management and staff 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 management team were considerate of and promoted people’s cultural and religious needs. One relative told us, “All the support [family member] needs is provided. The staff know them so well and therefore their needs can be met i.e. how well they move, how long they take with certain tasks.”

The provider was exceptional at promoting people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. One person told us, “The food is of a good standard, and I enjoy what I have. I alternate between peg-feeds and a soft diet. The choice is mine. I have put 2 stone on since being at the home. Having the control myself is just fantastic.”

People told us they felt listened to, respected, and fully involved in decisions about their care and support. One person said, “I can do whatever I want within reason. There are no restrictions.” A second person said, “Life is the way I want it with their [staff] help and kindness.” One relative told us, “I think the relationships they develop with residents is so important. By knowing each other it enables the staff to do their jobs and the resident to able to accept help without any anxieties.” As part of their individual beliefs, one person was supported to go on a pilgrimage to Lourdes. The registered manager sought specialist transport that made safe accessible travel possible that included all the facilities to meet the persons support needs. They said, ‘This demonstrated how listening to what matters most to a person and acting on it can create meaningful, lasting positive outcomes.

For this person, the trip to Lourdes affirmed her identity, sense of belonging, and value as an individual.’ The person themselves shared by email how management had supported them to organise a pilgrimage to Lourdes for their birthday bucket list wish. They described how making friends, and attending Holy Sunday Mass, was ‘a perfect day.’ Other people followed their faith through religious services held at the home.

People were supported and encouraged to be independent. One person commented, “I struggled at home for so long and now, having such lovely people around me is just amazing. They are definitely helping me to get better.” A second person said, “I would like to gain a little bit more independence, and the staff are trying to support me in this.” One relative commented, “[Family member] realised how limited their life had become when she was watching rain on the window and guessing which raindrop would reach the bottom first. At this point they said they needed to go into a home. The staff were all wonderful, patient and encouraging. They are a completely different person now. She has company and many friends. She is enjoying life again.’ The registered manager told us, [person] was suffering from carer burn out. They are now involved in everything within the home helping new people at the home with handy hints and knowledge of the home.

Family and friends were able to visit freely at any time and were encouraged to take part in activities and spend meaningful time with their loved ones within the home.

We observed staff and management spent time with people chatting, laughing and joking. There was a detailed programme of activities available daily these included visiting entertainers, theme days, games and exercises.

The activities team created meaningful, personalised opportunities for everyone to take part. One activities coordinator explained, “We use a ‘This is me’ document to truly understand each person, everyone has a story and something valuable to bring.” They emphasised an inclusive approach, adding, “We make sure no one is overlooked or forgotten.”

To gently encourage participation, the team used a friendly ‘just passing’ approach, building trust and familiarity through simple interactions, such as a hello or how are you? This combatted isolation and helped people feel comfortable leaving their rooms and joining activities. Another coordinator highlighted their flexibility, saying, “We adapt so everyone can join in, nothing is set in stone.”

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. They told us they knew people’s needs well to recognise when someone was in pain or distress. During this assessment someone became unwell, and staff took action to contact the paramedics immediately. There was a good level of communication and daily handovers took place to share any concerns, so staff could be alert to anyone at risk of clinical deterioration.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff told us they felt valued by the management team. They said they were able to discuss any suggestions or concerns they had, and they were listened to. One staff member said, “I look forward to coming to work, it’s a real team here. [Management] say thank you and they mean it.” Reasonable adjustments were implemented to support staff, contributing to improved continuity, stronger teamwork, and enhanced morale. A second staff member told us, “They [management] just want to be the best help they can to us.” The provider provided breakfast platters for staff as a recognition of appreciation, financial rewards for staff member of the month and an employee assistance program (EAP). The EAP was a free 24-hour confidential helpline to support staff through personal or work issues.