Featherton House

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 outstanding. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

The provider had a strong culture of kindness and compassion that extended beyond people to their relatives and visitors. Feedback consistently reflected this. Comments included, “All the staff are very kind, all nice and helpful and kind,” “All the staff are very nice,” and “I think they are very compassionate, they always listen to me.”

During the inspection we observed staff consistently demonstrate kindness and compassion through personalised approaches that upheld people’s dignity. Staff were able to tell us how they promote dignity when supporting people. One staff member told us, “I always knock before entering rooms, greet the person, explain what I am doing, involve people in decisions about their care where possible and encourage them to do things for themselves if they are able. I aim to maintain privacy and respect at all times during personal care byclosing doors, and curtains.”

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’s spiritual and religious needs were assessed and documented in their care plans. The provider supported people to continue to practise their faith, members of the local clergy visited regularly, and the provider facilitated Sunday church services as part of their activities schedule. One relative told us, “A vicar comes in and they have a service and communion.” This meant people’s religious needs were respected.

People’s care plans had comprehensive information about their likes and dislikes which helped staff provide person centred care. This included details such as how they liked to be spoken to, what their preferred morning routine was and dates that are important to them. The kitchen staff had a list of people’s preferred food, food they dislike and how they like their hot drinks to be made. This meant people’s preferences, likes and dislikes were respected.

People’s care plans contained details on the type of activities they enjoyed taking part in, along with their hobbies and interests. Activities within the home were aligned with people’s interests and preferences. For example, 1 person had an interest in flower arranging, the provider regularly had a flower arranging session which was facilitated by a local florist. This meant people were supported to engage in meaningful activities that aligned with their interests.

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

We saw people being offered choices, such as what meal they wanted for lunch or what drink they preferred. People were able to choose the time they got up in the morning, and what time they went to bed. People we spoke with told us, “The food is lovely, we have a choice every day, they come round and ask me,” and “The food is good there’s always a choice, they ask me the day before.”

Promoting and maintaining people’s independence was embedded across the whole staff team, and this was evident in the way staff consistently supported people to do as much as they could for themselves. One staff member we spoke with told us, “I provide as much privacy as they like, or as can be given. I respect their personal space, address them with what name they prefer, encourage choices and decision making by asking them to pick their own clothes. Asking them if they want a bath or a shower, asking them if they want to wash their hair today, asking them what do they want for breakfast, and through celebrating their achievements.”

One staff member told us a person had reduced mobility due to an illness, and it was important to them to be able to complete their own personal care. The staff worked collaboratively with other health professionals to support the person to improve their mobility. With the support of the staff team and other professionals they were able to start walking again and were then able to complete their own personal care. This meant the persons choice was respected, and they were able to achieve a goal that was important to them.

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 had access to a range of aids and adaptations to support their independence and safety. For example, sensor alarms were fitted in some people’s rooms to alert staff if assistance was needed, helping staff monitor people safely. Call bells were also available in people’s rooms. Where individuals were unable to use a call bell, staff carried out regular welfare checks to ensure their needs were met and they remained safe.

We observed call bells were responded to promptly. One person told us, “I’m very safe. If I need to contact them, I use my buzzer and they come very quickly.” Another person told us, “I wouldn’t be ignored here, they are very responsive. Their response times are good.”

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

Staff consistently spoke highly of the support they received from the registered manager and other senior leaders. One staff member we spoke with told us “I do [feel supported]. They listen to our needs and help us when necessary. When we needed more staff due to people’s needs becoming overwhelming, the managers listened and provided more staff.” Another staff member told us, “I feel supported. I can ask senior staff or management for help whenever I need guidance. Colleagues are also supportive of each other.”

Another staff member told us, “I have had a few emergencies in the past, that have been last minute, or on shift and [manager] has sorted it out and not made it a problem for me.” This demonstrated the provider’s commitment to supporting staff’s wellbeing.

The registered manager told us it was important for staff to receive positive feedback such as feedback from relatives and other professionals. This feedback was shared during supervisions and team meetings. This contributed to staff feeling supported and valued in their roles.