Tanglewood

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 good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 85 (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. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff were warm and compassionate in their interactions with people. We observed consistent and focused support. When staff were speaking with people, they gave them their complete attention to ensure they understood their needs and were able to support them appropriately.Because staff worked together well, they were able to deliver an organised and structured service whilst maintaining a relaxed and homely atmosphere.

Staff were positive about the people they supported, one commented, “It’s very person-centred. The whole point of being in care is that we care. It’s not just a business.” Achievements were celebrated and staff described how people had progressed with enthusiasm and pride. People were treated respectfully, when they engaged with tasks such as sweeping the floor or putting laundry away, staff encouraged and praised their input. A relative told us, “It’s a great team. [Name] adores [deputy manager].” An external professional commented, “Staff provide person-centred care in a friendly inclusive environment. Residents are encouraged to take part in activities and have choice in their preferred routine.”
 

The provider treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. The provider took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Although some routines had been established these were not inflexible and people’s choices were respected. When one person had moved into the service, staff told us they were unsure how they would settle into the home. They told us, “The 3 of them are finding their feet, it’s like a new family for them. They have individual activities and all make their own choices. I wasn't sure how [Name] would do but they have done amazing.”
Everyone’s confidence had grown since moving into the service. Relatives told us the support they had been given had resulted in their family members becoming more independent and self-sufficient. One commented, “If [Name] chooses to come home that’s fine but [pronoun] doesn’t always want to now. Staff are flexible and let [Name] choose.” Another relative said, “[Name] has come here but chosen not to stay. [Pronoun] comes in and says, ‘Just 5 minutes!”
People were supported to do the things they enjoyed and mattered to them. These activities were wide ranging and included kayaking, paddleboarding, beach litter picking, cinema, discos and simply sitting on the beach with a flask of tea. A member of staff commented, “We are always looking for new things to do, the driving range, stock car racing. Any slightest interest we’ll give it a go.” Relatives told us people were well matched with staff who were enthusiastic about getting involved in the various activities. One commented, “It’s a nice mix of staff and they actively pair [Name] with someone according to what they are doing.” A member of staff said, “It’s fun and rewarding to see them enjoying things and having fulfilling lives.”
Staff had worked with people to identify goals with them. Although these had not been formally documented as goals it was clearly part of the ethos of the service. Goals ranged from developing skills to taking part in an event such as a holiday. One member of staff described how they were working with someone, who had spent a long period unable to leave their home, to plan a holiday. They told us, “We had a chat just to think about going on holiday again. We went through some photos to remind them of a previous holiday. We set a goal that might be achievable. [Name] needs time to process and a lot of reassurance. We will work through it together.

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 develop skills which supported their independence. There was a ‘do with rather than for’ approach from staff. Staff talked about involving people in everyday tasks and the support they might need to do this. For example, a member of staff described how they supported someone ‘hand on hand’ to prepare vegetables. Another told us one person had become anxious using the shower. They told us how they were slowly encouraging them to be more confident so they would be able to become more independent. They told us, “Slowly, slowly, asking ‘how can we make you feel safe.”

Relatives told us how they had felt it was important for their family members to leave the family home and build their lives independently. They said Green Light and staff at Tanglewood had enabled this to happen. Comments included, “They have done an extraordinary job” and “As a young person [Name] needed to make that move. [Pronoun] likes spending time here but was ready to move out.”
 

The provider was exceptional in how they 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.

Staff were very attuned to people’s communication styles and able to quickly recognise when people were becoming distressed or worried about anything. An end of year report noted there had been a period when there had been an increase in ABC reports but no corresponding increase in incident reports. This indicated staff had become more skilled at recognising potential triggering events and had been able to respond quickly to avoid situations escalating.
A relative described staff as being ‘constantly curious’ about their family member and how this had contributed to them gaining an understanding of his needs. They explained it could sometimes be difficult to understand what the person was saying and the input from the organisations’ behaviour analyst during the transition had been crucial to the service developing an understanding of their needs. They told us; “The behaviour analyst took the time to unpick things to build that (knowledge). You need that in the moment.”
Arrangements were flexible so these could be changed in line with people’s preferences on the day. An activity sheet outlined some suggested activities for each day, but staff told us these were guides only and were not used to impose routines. We observed staff asking people what they wanted to do and responding appropriately. One person appeared unsettled and kept going to the window. A member of staff realised a car was parked differently than usual and was able to reassure the person.
 

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 were enthusiastic about working at Tanglewood. They told us they were well supported through formal supervision and appraisal and were able to request additional support at any time. Staff were encouraged to develop professionally. Some staff told us how they had not been sure they were ready for certain roles but had received encouragement and support from leaders and were now confidently carrying out their roles and enjoying them.
One member of staff told us how they had been supported by the organisation during a difficult period in their own lives. They told us, “I'm incredibly well supported, personally I’ve been through a bad time. Green Light were amazing, saying ‘take as long as you need.’ They kept checking in on me, making sure I'm OK.”
A system for ‘quick pay shifts’ had been introduced for staff who were able to pick up extra shifts at late notice. This meant staff were paid for these shifts within a few days rather than having to wait until the end of the month. There had been a high take up of this scheme. A member of the senior management team told us the system meant staff felt their efforts were valued. They commented, “We consider how we can help the workforce.”
Staff had access to training which had been developed specifically for individuals to help ensure care was centred on the individual’s needs. The provider employed specialist advisors who worked alongside staff to understand people’s needs and behaviours so they could develop strategies which were person-centred and focused on meeting people’s needs.