Keate House Residential 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.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained 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.

People, relatives and professionals spoke positively about the caring and supportive nature of the service. Staff demonstrated a deep understanding of each person as an individual and ensured care, support and treatment reflected their needs, preferences and aspirations.

This approach was reflected in the consistently positive feedback we received from people and their relatives. People were treated as though they were a member of the family.

It was evident care and compassion was embedded throughout the service. Relatives were welcomed and valued. Comments from relatives included, “The staff are so friendly and caring – they are so respectful”, “Staff know Mum’s needs well, there are consistent staff and that’s really important” and “There is a strong, friendly andknowledgeable atmosphere that feels like one big family. I struck lucky when I found Keate House, I wouldn’t want Mum to be anywhere else.”

Compassionate care was actively promoted and developed. A designated dignity champion acted as a role model for best practice. A dignity training day was held for staff which enabled staff to better understand peoples lived experiences, strengthening empathetic practice. This ensured dignity and respect were not only demonstrated but continually reflected upon and enhanced.

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 empowered to direct their care wherever possible and described how staff knew them well and responded to their individual needs. One person told us, “They know me and what I need,” and another said, “They ask me what I need and help with everything,” demonstrating a personalised and responsive approach.

Relatives described strong, meaningful relationships between staff and people. They told us, “[Staff] always have time for individuals, there is a great continuity of staff” and “It's a great staff team and it's how they treat people as individuals. Staff have great relationships with people and know just how to get the best out of them. They know what makes people smile.”

The provider recognised the importance of activities in improving people’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being and in providing a sense of purpose and routine. A relative confirmed, “Before moving into the home, Mum was very isolated, but now, she has blossomed. She is kept busy with lots of activities, and she is knitting again, which is something she has not done in many years.” Another relative told us, “The activity co-ordinators have really encouraged [Name] to join in and it’s so lovely to see.”

A visiting health professional told us how staff respected people’s individuality, “Staff treat people with the utmost respect and care and as an individual human being.”

For people who required a modified diet, kitchen staff took the time to present food in moulds that resembled the original meal. This helped to ensure peoplerequiring adapted diets continued to receive meals which were dignified, appealing and tailored to their individual needs and preferences.

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

The provider used innovative ways of involving people and their relatives, so people felt empowered to make choices. An example of this was in a recent co-production project to renovate one of the main lounges. People were fully consulted about the décor, furnishings and colour scheme.

People were able to choose the colour of their bedroom for ease of finding, which helped to promote their confidence and independence in navigating independently around the home. There were a hairdresser, cinema and tuckshop located in the home, which people enjoyed visiting.

People were fully supported to contribute to their communities and pursue activities that reflected their interests and strengthened their links with their local community. A relative confirmed, “Activities are great here, and they [Staff] post on Facebook what they’ve been doing, to keep us informed, they take people out to all sorts of places.”

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.

During our inspection, we observed staff attending to people in a caring and dignified manner.it was evident the provider understood and responded positively to meet people’s changing needs. A relative told us, “Mum’s room has adapted to her changing needs, and we were fully consulted when she had to move units to meet her change in needs. Mum’s room is very personalized – she has all her own pictures up which is lovely.”

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

Staff told us they felt valued, listened to, well supported and respected in their roles. There was a culture of openness and collaboration. Staff described leaders as approachable, supportive and committed to delivering high-quality care. The deputy manager explained how many of the leadership team had previous experience of being carers and so had a genuine insight into what the role entailed.

The service benefitted from a stable and experienced workforce, with a significant number of staff having worked at the home for a long time. The provider invested in its workforce through structured induction, training and career progression, leading to a greater retention of staff. This meant people enjoyed continuity of care and received care from staff who know their preferences and needs well.

The provider had several practices in place to aid with staff development and to help ensure staff felt valued and appreciated. For example, to aid learning, the policy of the month was set to staff training and linked to prizes for successful completion. Staff were encouraged to share ideas, raise concerns and contribute to service development at every opportunity.