Opal 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 70 (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, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

We observed people being treated with compassion, patience and care by staff who supported them to make their own lunch or playing games with them. People knew staff well and felt comfortable and relaxed in their company, as good trusting relationships had been built, with staff knowing them well. Health care professionals said, “Staff listened carefully to [person's name] wishes and worked collaboratively with them to identify safe and appropriate ways of making those wishes achievable.”

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 and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. Care records showed information was gathered to best understand the individuality and uniqueness of each person, including their family background, social interests and personal stories. These records included clear and detailed information on how to support people which enabled staff to support people as individuals and manage any anxiety or distress.

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 encouraged to take control in their daily life, from decisions about meals to how they spent their time. Staff understood their role with promoting independence and told us “I will always try to encourage them to be as independent as possible. In all aspects of their life.” Staff encouraged people to do as much as they could for themselves, and care plans set out preferred routines, mobility needs and communication styles.

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 told us they were happy, and safe. Staff responded to requests and ensured their needs were met. We observed staff and leadership responding promptly to people’s needs, communicating positively, offering assurances and managing individual anxieties and distress.

The provider did not always care about and promote the wellbeing of their staff. We received varying feedback from the staff team in relation to the support they received. Some staff spoke positively about the support they were given with supervision, appraisal and training in place. They said they felt supported by the management team. One told us, “If I ever had a problem or unsure, management are always there to support and the seniors are great. I also feel able to raise ideas/suggestions and these are listened to.” However, some staff did not always feel supported, and the supervisions were not beneficial. Furthermore, some staff felt they raise idea, concerns or suggestions, and these are not always listened to.