Marlborough Court 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 service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

Most people using the service were treated with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

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.

People were not always treated with compassion and dignity. A person using the service told us, “The staff are always very kind.” Another person said, “Staff are mostly all kind.” A third person commented, “Most of the time the staff are kind. Sometimes they can be a bit rough.” On the first day of our assessment, we observed some care practice which required improvement. We saw a staff member changed the television channel without consulting people who were watching. Two people had already stated they wished to watch Wimbledon. We also noted 2 staff members undertaking poor manual handling techniques. We brought these concerns to the registered managers attention. On the second day of our assessment the registered manager confirmed the staff in question had received supervision and appropriate training to improve their work performance.

A relative told us, “I can’t fault the carers for the way they have looked after my loved one. I am really pleased with them; they are really kind.” Another relative commented, “The carers are polite, friendly and very caring. They are thoughtful; they have put a second chair in my loved one’s room so when we visit both me and my husband can sit down rather than one of us standing.” A third relative commented, “I have found the carers to be very understanding, lovely, caring and kind. The carers are wonderful.”

Staff told us they made sure people’s dignity was respected when they supported them with their care needs. One staff member told us, “I always knock on people’s doors before going into their rooms and introduce myself. When I provide personal care, I explain what I am doing as I go along. I encourage people to do what they can for themselves to foster independence.” Another staff member told us they encouraged people to be independent where appropriate. They encouraged people to carry out personal care tasks and choose what they liked to wear. A person using the service told us, “My privacy is respected. If the staff are in my room, they will close my door if needed.” Another person said, “The staff are respectful to me.”

The service had effective systems for reporting and learning from incidents. Staff understood their responsibilities regarding safeguarding and knew how to report concerns. Staff told us the management team maintained an open culture where they felt confident reporting concerns, contributing to the overall safety of the service. When incidents occurred, investigations were conducted, and appropriate actions were taken to prevent recurrence.

People and their relatives experience of activities within the home differed. Comments from people included, “There are activities, but I like the routine I have in my room. I don’t have anyone come and do anything with me”, “They have lots of activities, but I choose not to take part” and “They have activities like chair exercises, bingo and karaoke. I’m bed bound now. They don’t do anything 1:1 with me.” Comments from relative’s included, “My loved one is interacting with people, singing and laughing. They show me they have had their nails painted too”, “There are a lot of activities for my loved one to get involved with. I have helped my loved one play bingo, they have had an Elvis impersonator, they have had a Hawaiian party, and they have church services, my loved one gets involved” and “My loved one used to play the piano and the home now tries to get them interested in playing again.”

The provider employed 3 activities staff who planned and facilitated a variety of activities to meet people’s needs and interests. We spoke with 2 activities coordinators. They told us there was an activities programme in place at the service. Activities included arts and crafts, sing a long, walks by the riverside, indoor gardening, bingo and quizzes. The activities coordinators told us they offered activities to people nursed in bed, these activities included, poetry and storytelling, hand massage, newspapers and chats and sessions on a portable magic table. A magic table is an interactive light projection system designed for people living with dementia and other disabilities. The magic table projects light-based games and activities onto a table surface.

During the 2 days of our assessment, we observed people actively engaging in various activities in communal areas and in the garden. These included chair exercise, bingo, sing a longs and dancing and garden parties.

The activities coordinators told us they celebrated events such as Pride month with a quiz celebrating love, identity and equality, Black History Month where staff wore traditional clothing and the chef cooked traditional foods. They also celebrated religious holidays such as Christmas, Easter, Diwali and Eid. Representatives from 4 different Churches visited the service to pray and chat with people. Children from a local school also visited the service to engage with people.

Staff responded to people’s immediate needs. People and their relatives told us staff were kind and provided support promptly when required. A person using the service told us, “Staff attend quickly if I use the call bell.” A relative said, “The chef and the maintenance person will chat to my loved one. The nurses know my loved one well and take time with them.” Another relative commented, “The receptionist will sometimes sit with my loved one and have a cup of tea in the morning as they tend to get up very early. The receptionist will email me and let me know how my loved one is doing. I live a long way from the home so don’t get to visit very often so it is good to be kept informed.”

Throughout our assessment we observed staff were attentive and responsive to people’s needs and requests. Call bells were answered promptly by staff who were caring and empathic.

Staff told us they felt well supported, listened to and they were happy in their work. Comments from staff included, "The team is friendly, and registered the manager listens to our ideas", "All the training I get helps me feel confident in my job", and "People using the service get really good care, and everyone helps each other out."

The registered manager told us there was buddy system in place for new starters. New staff were paired with experienced staff who helped them settle in and gain confidence in their role. Mentoring was also available for staff interested in progressing into senior roles or exploring specialist career pathways. Managers and senior team members provided one-to-one guidance to help staff set goals and achieve their career ambitions.

Staff were supported to complete a range of training appropriate to the needs of the people they supported. The registered manager had appointed staff members as champions for areas such as dementia care, dignity, mental health and infection control where extra training had been provided. The champions supported colleagues through peer mentoring, promoting best practice, and helping to embed specialist knowledge across the home.

The registered manager told us they promoted staff career development through a recently established partnership with ‘The Adult Social Care Training Fund’. This allowed all staff to enrol in accredited courses at no cost. Staff also had access to an employee benefits scheme free of cost where they could enjoy a range of discounts and wellbeing resources, including gym membership discounts.

The registered manager told us the human resources team held clinics at the service where staff could talk about any issues they might have and to promote staff wellbeing. Staff had access to a confidential helpline if they needed emotional support.