Woodside Place

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 outstanding.

This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

This service scored 95 (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 was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.
There was a strong person-centred culture instilled by the management team, which helped guide staff to care for people with genuine kindness and empathy. One person told us, “The staff are fantastic, nothing is too much trouble.”
Our observations confirmed these views. Interactions between staff and people was genuine, respectful and person-centred, creating a welcoming atmosphere throughout the service. Staff knew individuals exceptionally well and supported them to engage in meaningful activities. Every interaction reflected patience and respect, promoting autonomy and enhancing emotional and physical wellbeing. This culture of kindness and compassion was embedded in everyday practice, ensuring people consistently experienced exceptional care that prioritised dignity, respect and choice.
We observed one person walking down a corridor holding their carers arm, both singing. The carer remained alongside them throughout, engaging warmly through conversation, maintaining eye contact and providing reassuring therapeutic touch where appropriate.
We observed another person who had become upset. The carer provided reassurance and then went to the persons bathroom and came back with a tissue and gave it to the person to dry their eyes.
A professional told us, “In my experience, they regularly go above and beyond to support residents and ensure their wellbeing, dignity, and safety are maintained. The quality of care provided is among the best I have observed within residential services that I work alongside.”
Family members were also overwhelmingly positive about home. One relative said, “From the management to catering and laundry staff, the nurses and carers, they are all excellent and so lovely and kind.”
 

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.

Care plans contained detailed, robust and accurate information, and were meaningful and person-centred. They captured people’s preferred ways of communicating, their interests, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, and physical health needs. For example, one person whose first language was not English had a copy of their care plan translated into their native language.

People's care records also contained detailed information about their personal histories, interests, preferences, relationships, cultural backgrounds and important life events. Staff consistently used this information to tailor support and engage people in ways that were meaningful to them.

People were treated as individuals and were given the opportunity to shape their care to match their preferences. Regular meetings were held for people to provide feedback and suggest improvements. We saw that any suggestions were consistently acted upon. For example, people had expressed an interest in attending a pride event and the service supported them to attend one locally and a larger event in Birmingham.

People were given meaningful roles at the home which had a positive impact on their wellbeing and confidence. People spoke to us about their roles with pride, one person said, “I use Makaton and I am going to be teaching staff and service users to help their communication.” Another person spoke with pride about their role helping to take a refreshment trolley around the home twice a day providing drinks and snacks to people and staff.

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

People were consistently empowered to maintain their independence, exercise choice and remain in control of their lives. Staff demonstrated an exceptional commitment to understanding what was important to people and worked creatively and proactively to remove barriers, promote positive risk-taking and support people to achieve meaningful outcomes.

People were supported to continue participating in activities, hobbies and routines that reflected their personal preferences and life histories. Staff knew people exceptionally well and understood what gave their lives meaning. They worked flexibly to ensure people could continue accessing opportunities that were important to them. These opportunities helped people maintain their identity, confidence and connection to the things that mattered most to them. For example, For example, one person who enjoyed accessing the community to shop and visit the café, but had lost their confidence to do so, was supported to build their confidence with trips supported by staff and had just completed their first trip independently.

The service demonstrated an exceptional commitment to positive risk-taking. Leaders and staff worked collaboratively with families and professionals to find ways for people to safely continue activities that were important to them rather than restricting opportunities because risks existed. For example, one person who benefitted greatly from community outings was supported through ongoing reviews to explore how risks associated with their safety in the community could be reduced whilst preserving their freedom and wellbeing. The person was supported to use public transport initially under supervision and this supervision was gradually reduced and they had just used public transport unsupervised for the first time. This has had a positive impact on the person’s wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem. Another person had been supported to improve their mobility with the occupational therapist and was determined to walk outside. A plan to achieve this safely had been agreed with the person initially walking around the car park with staff. This again has positively impacted on the persons wellbeing.

Rather than limiting opportunities, staff actively sought solutions which enabled people to continue living meaningful lives.

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.

People received timely, responsive care whenever their needs changed or when they required immediate assistance. Staff quickly recognised changing needs and acted promptly to keep people safe. Relatives confirmed they were informed following any incidents or changes, with staff taking prompt action.

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.

The registered manager told us they recognised the impact that staff’s wellbeing had on the care they provided and the need to support them to provide the best care to people. To support staff’s mental health, they had trained 2 members of staff to be mental health first aiders. The provider also supported staff by providing a helpline that staff could access at any time to receive support and advice for their wellbeing.

Staff told us about reasonable adjustments that had been made to their role to support their wellbeing. One member of staff told us they had been supported with their mental health and had been supported to work in a different unit, which had a positive impact on their wellbeing. Another member of staff told us how their health had been impacting on their role and had been supported to transfer to a different role. They said “They have been amazing. They know the signs and check I am ok. This has really helped me.”

Staff were overwhelmingly positive about the support they received from the registered manager and management team at the home. One staff member said “I get excellent support from [clinical manager] who will take you through things step by step. You are never judged for asking for more support.” Another staff member said about the registered manager, “I can’t think of anything they could do better.”

The home operated an “employee of the month” award where a staff’s performance was acknowledged and rewarded.

The provider had recognised staff might be experiencing hardships in the current financial climates. Staff were able to access discounts at stores and there was also a system for staff who worked overtime to request payment for it immediately rather than wait until the next payday.

The provider had set up an academy for staff progression within their organisation and staff were provided with information about the different routes of progression and training available to progress.