Whitstable 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.At our last assessment we rated this key question inadequate. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 respected their privacy and dignity. At the last inspection people were not always treated well and with kindness. At this inspection people told us the staff treated them well and helped them when they requested it. Relatives told us, “(Relative) is in their room all the time. If they are changing them the curtains and door is closed and if there are any visitors, we go to the lounge at the end of the corridor. It’s all private.” Also, “They will take care to close doors. If somebody is wandering around half dressed someone will help them back to their room. All those things take place in the privacy of the room, and they will close the door.”

We observed staff speaking to people in a calm way and supporting them back to their room when needed. Staff asked people what they would like to do or what they wanted to eat and respected their decisions.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. At our last inspection people told us they had not always felt as if they were treated as an individual. At this inspection improvements had been made. People told us staff knew their preferences and supported them in the way they preferred. We observed people being supported to complete specific exercises they had been given. Staff understood what people preferred including sitting opposite them and chatting to them while waiting for their meal, to reduce the risk of them leaving the table and not having their meal.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. At the last inspection we found significant shortfalls, at this inspection we found improvements had been made. People were now involved as much as possible in their care and support. When people had been assessed as having capacity, they discussed their care with the GP and made decisions, which had been respected.

The registered manager described how they tried to involve people as much as possible including discussing risks to find ways to keep people safe but independent. People told us they had discussed how to attend family events and remain safe. The registered manager had been creative in the way they approached risk to develop individual plans.

Relatives told us, “When they came here, we sat down for a long time with the head nurse, as a family. We went through it all and we asked (relative). They were given those options, and I know has been asked since. They do still ask the question. They give (relative) an option about what clothes, and they will choose – it’s their choice. Yes, they choose to go to bed when they want, given options. They do listen to (relative).”

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. At the last inspection significant shortfalls were identified, and people were not happy with the support they received. At this inspection improvements had been made. The registered manager told us they had worked with staff, so they understood what was expected from them and to promote teamwork. Staff told us they felt confident to discuss people’s support with the management team especially if they were having difficulty meeting their needs.

Relatives told us staff responded quickly when their relative needed support. Comments included, “Yes, they do arrive promptly. They will pop in when (relative) has pressed it by mistake. There haven’t been any times they haven’t responded promptly. The WiFi was down just before Christmas and it relies on that, and so they were checking more often, and the doors were left open. I think it was for about half a day.” Another relative told us, “My (relative) doesn’t use it often, but if they wake up with pain in the night, they will press the bell and someone will come.”

We observed staff responding to people when they were showing signs of distress. Staff knew how to offer support and calm the person, they continued to spend with person to distract them.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Since the last inspection there had been significant improvements in how staff were supported. The new management team had made the building of a staff team and a positive culture one of their top priorities. The registered manager understood the relationship between staff wellbeing and the quality of care given to people.

Staff now received training and supervision to support them in their role, which they told us had given them confidence when supporting people. Staff told us they were supported by the management team, and they provided oversight and feedback on their support.