Enhanced Elderly Care Service - Wardley Gate Care Centre

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

This service scored 65 (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 did not always treat people with kindness, compassion and dignity or respect their privacy. We observed inconsistent practice across the service. This meant people had variable experiences across the service. Although interactions during mealtimes were positive and respectful, staff were not always present in communal areas and there were missed opportunities to engage with people who were passive, withdrawn or disengaged. Observations identified a mixed and inconsistent lived experience for people. Whilst positive, person-centred interactions were observed, there were also occasions where meals and care tasks were completed without meaningful communication and opportunities were missed to support people who disengaged from meals or social interaction. These inconsistencies meant people's dignity, emotional wellbeing and comfort were not always maintained.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure care reflected their needs and preferences. Staff showed a clear understanding of people’s dietary needs, preferences and clinical guidance, and people’s choices were respected. People and those close to them told us staff knew them well and respected their preferences. One relative told us, “Wardley Gate staff are always pleasant and friendly. Some staff go above and beyond their duties.”

The provider supported people to maintain independence and have choice and control over their care, treatment and wellbeing. People were encouraged to make decisions about their daily lives, including how they spent their time and how care was delivered. Staff promoted independence by giving people time and support to do things for themselves where possible. One relative told us, "They've been very supportive in encouraging [Person] to continue walking with her frame."

The provider did not always respond to people’s immediate needs. Although care delivery was responsive during structured periods such as mealtimes, this was not consistent throughout the service. We observed periods where staff were not present in communal areas and opportunities to provide support and engagement were missed. Observations conducted also identified variability in people’s experiences, including periods where people were passive or disengaged with limited staff interaction. This meant people could not always be assured their needs would be recognised and responded to promptly, which placed them at risk of discomfort, distress and unmet needs. One relative said, “[People] may be told to wait. Carers don’t have time or forget to come back.”

The provider supported staff wellbeing and enabled staff to carry out their roles. Staff spoke positively about the culture of the service and the support they received, including opportunities to develop and adapt roles. Training compliance was high, and staff had access to supervision, competency assessment and ongoing development. Staff told us they “feel very supported” and described a “strong sense of family” within the team.