Creative Support - Sonali Gardens Extra Care Service

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 good.

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, compassion and dignity and staff developed positive, caring relationships with people. People and relatives consistently told us staff were kind, welcoming and respectful. A relative said, “[Person] is so happy here” and another told us, “They [staff] are really welcoming.” Staff understood how to protect people’s privacy and dignity, explaining they closed doors during personal care, maintained confidentiality and always sought permission before providing care.

Staff knew people well, built close relationships and used this knowledge to provide compassionate and personalised support. Leaders described how staff carried out dedicated key working sessions to understand people’s histories, preferences and aspirations, which enabled them to tailor support to what mattered most to people. During these key work sessions people could learn new skills or spend time doing what they enjoyed with staff, 1 person told us they particularly enjoyed going for a walk in the evenings with staff. Staff supported people to maintain important family relationships, including helping a person re-establish contact with their mother and children and supporting another person to travel abroad to visit family while ensuring health needs were met safely.

Feedback gathered during the assessment found people liked the staff who supported them and relatives told us staff were kind and patient. Our observations and discussions with staff demonstrated a caring culture where staff greeted people warmly, offered refreshments and took time to engage with them beyond task-based support. This was particularly evidenced when we observed staff supporting people within the service and visiting relatives during a time of bereavement, compassion was being shown and time was given to people who needed to talk during that time of grief.

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 recognised and respected people’s diverse needs, preferences and backgrounds. Staff sought feedback from people about whether they were happy with their support and ensured care reflected people’s wishes, choices and personal circumstances. Staff told us they involved people in decisions about their care and used clear communication to ensure people’s views were understood and respected.

Leaders promoted equality, diversity and inclusion and described how people from different cultural and religious backgrounds were supported to celebrate events important to them, including Eid and Christmas celebrations. Relatives confirmed they were invited to events and felt involved in the life of the service.

Staff and leaders provided examples of adapting support to meet individual needs. A person who spoke limited English was supported to access English language classes and computer courses to improve confidence and independence. Information was also made available in different languages, including Bengali, Urdu and Mandarin, to help people understand information and remain involved in decisions about their care.

The provider always promoted people’s independence, choice and control and encouraged people to remain actively involved in their own care wherever possible. Staff understood the importance of supporting people to do as much as they could for themselves rather than completing tasks on their behalf. Staff described encouraging people to wash their face independently, participate in personal care, prepare drinks and walk within the service and community to maintain skills and confidence.

Leaders worked creatively to reduce social isolation and increase opportunities for people to participate in community life. People were encouraged to attend activities, social groups, religious events and outings within the local community. Staff supported people to maintain relationships with family and friends and enabled people to reconnect with loved ones where these relationships had been lost or diminished. Relatives told us people’s independence was promoted.

The provider always responded to people’s immediate needs in a timely and appropriate way. Staff understood how to recognise when people required urgent support and described

responding quickly when people activated emergency call systems, experienced health concerns or required emergency medical assistance.

Staff told us they attended promptly when people used their pendant alarms, assessed the situation and contacted emergency services where necessary. Relatives confirmed they were contacted and updated where there had been a change in health needs or people required emergency health care.

There were clear systems to communicate important information between staff and ensure continuity of support. Staff used communication books, verbal handovers, event diaries and appointment records to keep up to date with people’s changing needs and ensure appropriate action was taken. Leaders described having senior staff and management support available throughout the day, with on-call arrangements providing additional support outside normal working hours.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of how to communicate effectively with people and adapt their approach to individual needs. They used simple language, communication aids, gestures and observations of body language to ensure people understood information and could express their wishes. This helped staff recognise when people required support and respond appropriately.

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

The provider supported staff wellbeing and enabled staff to develop the skills and confidence they needed to carry out their roles effectively. Staff spoke positively about the support available from managers and colleagues. A staff member told us, “The manager is very supportive and approachable,” while another said, “Yes, I feel supported by the manager and I know I can speak to them if I have any concerns or need advice.”

Staff had access to regular supervision, team meetings and development opportunities. Staff told us monthly meetings and supervision sessions helped them understand their responsibilities, improve their practice and reflect on how to provide better care. Leaders actively encouraged career progression and provided access to qualifications and training. Staff and leaders described opportunities to undertake qualifications, management development programmes and refresher training. We did receive feedback from staff who worked during the night, due to this they felt they could not always access the registered manager and would like a face-to-face meeting even if it was conducted remotely using technology.

There was a culture of recognition and appreciation. Leaders described staff recognition schemes, awards and nominations linked to organisational values, helping staff feel valued and motivated. Staff had access to dedicated break facilities and training areas to support their wellbeing whilst at work. Feedback provided during the assessment confirmed staff wellbeing was considered and staff felt able to discuss wellbeing concerns with management if needed.