Carpenders Park

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 treated people with kindness, compassion and dignity, and supported people to feel valued and respected. Relatives consistently told us staff were caring, attentive and took time to get to know people as individuals.

Feedback from relatives was consistently positive. One relative said staff were “very attentive” and “very friendly”, adding that staff noticed visitors and said hello. Another relative described staff as “wonderful”. Relatives also said staff respected people’s wishes, worked at their pace and supported them in ways that maintained their dignity.

People said staff respected their privacy and choices, including closing curtains, supporting them to choose their clothes, asking what they would like to drink, and enabling them to come and go as they wished.

Staff were described as approachable, friendly and knowledgeable about people’s individual needs, preferences and routines. One relative said “The whole team are extraordinarily friendly.” The provider completed a dignity audit to monitor how staff promoted people’s dignity and privacy in day-to-day care and discussed the findings with staff during team meetings.

The provider treated people as individuals and understood what mattered to them. Staff knew people’s backgrounds, preferences, routines and interests, and used this knowledge to provide personalised care. Relatives said staff understood people’s individual characteristics and needs. One relative said staff had got to know their family member’s “little traits”, while another said staff were fully aware of their family member’s mental health needs.

Staff supported people to maintain relationships, cultural identities and religious beliefs. For example, staff knew one person’s Sunday church attendance was important and ensured they were ready to attend. Relatives also said staff understood people’s dietary preferences and cultural backgrounds and responded flexibly when people wanted alternatives to the planned menu.

During our observations, staff showed they knew people’s preferences by offering favourite snacks and drinks and supporting people to make choices in ways they could understand. People were encouraged to personalise their rooms and continue hobbies and interests that were important to them.

The service supported people to maintain routines and interests, including having preferred newspapers delivered to their rooms each morning which was important to some people.

People had access to a range of social activities and events, including themed events, barbeques, outings, bowling, garden centre visits and time in the garden. These opportunities reflected people’s interests and hobbies, and staff were also exploring options for a holiday group.

People gave positive feedback about the care and support they received. They described the home as a happy environment where staff were kind, caring and attentive. Feedback indicated staff were responsive to people’s individual needs, including checking equipment, supporting people with sensory needs such as hearing aids and eye tests, and helping people maintain routines that were important to them.

The provider supported people to maintain independence, choice and control. People were encouraged to decide how they spent their day, including when they got up, what they ate, where they spent time and whether they joined activities. Relatives said staff did not pressure people to follow routines or take part in activities that did not suit them.

Staff promoted independence by encouraging people to do as much as possible for themselves, including choosing clothing, maintaining mobility and using walking aids where appropriate. During our observations, staff offered choices about food, drinks and snacks and showed items to people when they needed support to make decisions.

People had access to gardens, lounges, activities and private spaces and could choose where to spend their time. Visitors were welcomed, and relatives said staff were kind and approachable, which gave them peace of mind. People were supported to look well presented, including access to hairdressing, and staff coordinated support around individual preferences. People were supported to express their personal style and preferences. For example, staff supported one person’s choice to wear high heels.

Relatives described staff adapting support to people’s wishes and changing routines when requested. For example, one person who had spent many years working shifts was supported in a way that reflected the routine they had followed at home. Another person said they were unhappy with the bedding material, and staff changed it promptly, which was important to them.

The provider always responded to people's needs in a timely and person-centred way. Relatives told us staff recognised changes in people's health and wellbeing and acted promptly when support was required. Family members described staff contacting healthcare professionals when concerns arose and keeping them informed about accidents, incidents and changes in health. One relative said, "The carers were with [person] in seconds, and they had the ambulance there within ten minutes and they phoned me immediately," while another told us staff obtained medical support quickly when their family member developed a serious illness. Staff described how care plans were reviewed and updated when people's needs changed and how information was shared during handovers and through electronic care records. During our observations, staff responded when people became upset, offered reassurance and emotional support, and adapted their approach to meet people’s communication needs. People living at the service and relatives were positive about the support received and told us staff listened to concerns and took action when issues were raised.

The provider always supported workforce wellbeing and enabled staff to provide effective care. Staff told us they felt supported by managers and colleagues and had access to training, supervision and team meetings. Staff described managers as approachable and responsive. One member of staff said, "Manager is always supportive," while another told us, "Everyone is very helpful." Staff spoke positively about their roles and demonstrated an understanding of safeguarding, incident reporting, people's preferences and promoting independence.

Relatives commented positively about staffing levels and staff consistency, with one relative stating the service had "good retention of staff." Staff reported having enough time to access care information and complete training and said they enjoyed working at the service.