South Moor Lodge Care Home

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

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 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 registered manager ensured staff treated people with kindness and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. People and relatives told us staff were kind and helpful. One person commented, “They [staff] are very caring and helpful. They do help me if I need them and they are all very nice to me, all of the time.” A relative told us, “All the staff are so pleasant, every one of them.”

We observed staff supporting people in a caring, respectful way, offering guidance and emotional support when needed. A community professional who visited the service regularly told us staff were always helpful.

Staff treated people as individuals. People and relatives told us staff supported them in a way which reflected their needs and what was important to them. They commented, “I like it here. They [staff] do what I need, and I get on very well with all of them” and “I do like to be on my own at times. They know that and they let me.”

Care plans included information about people’s needs, preferences and what they needed support with. Information about people’s backgrounds, including their protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, was available, including their race, religion, marital status, gender identity and preferred name and pronouns. This helped staff to understand what was important to people and to treat them as individuals.

Staff encouraged people to be as independent as they could be and to have choice and control over their care. People told us staff encouraged them to do what they could and respected their decisions. They commented, “You are encouraged to do things. I wash and dress myself. I like to do as much for myself as I can, I think it’s important” and “Staff seem to be getting [family member] more mobile, and encouraging her to keep mobile, which is good.”

We observed staff encouraging people to be independent and to make decisions about their care, such as where they wanted to spend their time. Care documentation described what people could do independently and what they needed support with. This helped ensure staff respected their abilities and people had as much choice and control over their lives as possible.

A variety of activities and events took place regularly at the service. People and relatives were happy with what was available and told us they were encouraged to take part. They commented, “They [staff] put things on for us. We play ball games, you can go out in the garden, and they have trips out” and “They had a nice garden party and went out to Walkeringham for a coffee morning. I enjoyed it, it was nice.”

Staff responded to people’s immediate needs. People and relatives told us staff provided support when it was needed and we observed staff providing support and reassurance when people were confused or distressed. People’s care needs were reviewed regularly and any changes, such as decreased mobility or a change in skin condition, were responded to promptly. When people became unwell or needed urgent support to improve their health or wellbeing, emergency services were contacted or urgent referrals to community agencies were made. One person told us, “They [staff] called an ambulance when I broke my hip. They were very good and stayed with me. They looked after me very well.” Pain relief medicines were administered when people were experiencing pain or discomfort.

The provider and registered manager promoted staff wellbeing and supported staff to deliver individualised care. Staff told us they were supported well and treated with respect. They found the registered manager approachable and supportive and felt able to raise any concerns with them and other senior staff members. A staff member told us, “Staff feel listened to. The manager and new team leader really listen to our questions and concerns.”

Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities. They completed appropriate training and received regular supervision, when their performance and any support needs were discussed. Regular staff meetings took place when staff were able to raise concerns and make suggestions.

The provider used a platform which enabled staff members to award each other points in recognition of their work, support or contribution. The provider also used the scheme to recognise and reward staff, by awarding points for achievements such as good attendance and completing training. Points could be exchanged for cash, vouchers, tickets or days out.