The Elms

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, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. One person said, “Oh yes, [staff treat me with dignity and respect] very much so.”

Another person told us, “They’re [staff] nice and caring.” Another person commented, “With staff around, we have a laugh” and they went on to say, “They’re a wonderful staff.” Another person commented, “I like it here.”A relative said, “The care is second to none. They [staff] actually care about the residents.”

Visiting professionals confirmed they felt people were supported with dignity and respect and had no concerns to share in this area. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with respect, too.

Staff knocked on doors prior to entering people’s rooms to respect people’s privacy. When staff woke a person up to let them know it was lunch time, this was done gently and with kindness.

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.

People were supported to partake in activities. One person told us, “I sit in here most of the time, there are some activities, I just want a quiet life. Now I couldn’t care less, I toddle along, I’m alright.” Another person commented, “I play dominoes. I just like to be at peace.” Another person said, “We need more staff to do more. We can do games, puzzles, more.”A relative said, “We had the opportunity to sit down with the activities person to discuss my relative’s likes and dislikes. This was then developed into a care plan.”

A staff member said, “We treat everybody the way we would want to be treated. If a resident has a different religion, we should embrace this and support it.” They went on to say, “We have lots of activities in the home. It is totally up to the resident what they would like to do on the day because not everybody likes to do the same thing. Family and friends are welcomed into the home anytime. We just ask that mealtimes are protected.”

The registered manager said, “It’s based on their need. People are treated equally but not the same. We offer choice.”

There were staff dedicated to supporting people with hobbies and activities. People played board games, puzzles, and colouring as well as watching television and having a radio on. People accessed outside spaces independently. People’s care plans were personalised.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

One person said, “They [staff] ask me if they can clean my room. I want to help, and they let me help, they’re used to me.”People were able to choose how they spent their time, 1 person told us, “I’m not forced to join [in activities].” A relative said, “I believe the staff have given my relative a new lease of life.”

A staff member said, “People get up when they want, it’s their home.” Another staff member told us, “We have risk assessments in place to keep residents safe, but we should not take all their independence away from them. They are human beings.”

People’s choices were respected. We observed staff offering people the choice about whether they wanted to wear a clothes protector during mealtimes. People were offered choices about meals and drinks.

The provider 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.

One person said, “Staff come quite quickly” if they pressed their buzzer. A relative said, “The carers are very fast and giving people assistance. They [staff] always have the time for people.”

People were supported to have lunch at a similar time, even if they chose to stay in their bedroom, and did not have to wait long for assistance. Staff were available in communal areas so people could access support when needed, and those who stayed in their rooms received regular checks.

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

A staff member said, “We have supervisions on a regular basis.” Another staff member said, “The managers are very good and supportive.” They went on to say, “I enjoy working here. We are treated fairly by management. I know that if I needed extra support the managers would be there for me.”

The registered manager confirmed supervisions took place, they felt they had a friendly approach with staff and they signposted staff to support and guidance, when needed. Records confirmed staff received supervisions for support and to be effective in their roles.