Golden Horizon 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

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. People and relatives spoke fondly of the staff team and how they treated people with kindness and compassion, staff were described as family to both people and relatives. One person told us, “Staff have been lovely, couldn’t have wanted better care, they are brilliant, they look after me, I get better attention from staff”. Some of the comments from relatives included, “Staff are really good. They are the greatest asset there, very friendly, they stop and talk to people”. Another said, “Staff are kind, gentle and they look after my [relative] well. They know who they are and always call them by their name, and they smile when they chat with them, they always talk respectfully”. Staff spoke of how much they enjoyed caring for people living at the service. One staff member told us,” I love it here, being with residents, they are like my second family. I try to give person-centred care assisting them to get dressed, to have their meals, assisting with medication, ensuring care plans are up to date. I enjoy being with residents”.

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. People’s care plans described ways in which they were treated as individuals. For example, how they liked their care delivered or how to support people if they became anxious. People and relatives told us staff knew their preferred preferences and choices. One person told us they chose to wake up later in the morning. They said, “I have breakfast later, I have whatever I fancy. I then have lunch at 6pm. I choose alternative meals like pizza; the home has been wonderful and helped me put on weight”. The person told us staff supported them to access their loved one’s grave and assisted them to access the community each week to purchase personal shopping. A relative also shared “They all know them well, it is like being part of a family. We are all good friends”. People were supported to engage with religious practices which were important to them with a church representative visiting the service weekly.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People’s choices and preferences were documented in their care plans and people were encouraged to be as independent where possible. One relative told us, “When they first moved in, they had a room on the top floor, but they were not keen on using the stair lift so I went and had a chat, and they moved their room downstairs so they could still access the lounge and dining room. Another relative told us, “They [person] can eat their own food. Staff always make sure they have everything they need when eating, like the right cutlery and make sure everything is within reach. They know certain people don't like certain things and do alternatives. The cook comes out for a chat. They ask everyone individually what they want and there is a menu on the board”. Staff described the importance of supporting people to maintain their independence skills. One staff member said, “Sometimes when you are a carer it is easy to get into bad habits, I always ask what people would like to wear, if they would like to have a wash, I always make sure everyone is covered. I always ask them, don't assume. I promote washing and ensure I am applying people’s own care plans. Some people like to lay the tables and fold the washing or tablecloths, they love that”. We saw evidence people were encouraged to take part in baking sessions, jewellery sessions, crafts and wreath making.

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 and relatives told us staff were responsive to changes in people’s support needs and responded to people’s requests for assistance when needed. Relatives told us they were informed of any changes in people’s care delivery. One relative told us, “Their memory is worse now, but their mobility has improved. They are able to walk further to the bathroom now and they help and encourage them. They have never been a great eater, but the staff monitor and encourage them to eat. They always write down what they have so they can keep an eye on it”. Another relative shared how their loved one was unwell and staff sought medical assistance which highlighted a change was needed in the person’s medicines. Some people chose to stay in their rooms for part of the day, we saw staff completing regular welfare checks.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to deliver person-centred care. Staff told us of the positive changes in the services management structure and said they felt supported by the providers. One staff member told us, “I definitely feel supported, their door is always open”. Another staff member commented, “The new manager has not been here for long, but I find them very approachable. I feel valued. I've been given opportunity to progress further if I want to. The new owners are very involved, they seem to be very passionate about the home. They are approachable. I could go to them or the home manager”. The home manager was recently new in post and told us they plan to develop workforce wellbeing by introducing regular wellbeing sessions for staff- this was an action cited in the service improvement plan. The provider had processes in place to support development of staff, these included staff meetings, supervisions and training courses to develop staff knowledge.