Ivy Court

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 85 (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.

People were supported by staff who treated them with dignity and respect. Staff had developed positive relationships with people and demonstrated kindness and patience in the way they communicated and provided support. Throughout our visit, staff showed exceptional levels of professionalism and understanding in their interactions with people. People appeared relaxed and engaged well with staff, who spent time talking with them and were attentive and mindful of their wellbeing. One professional said, “Staff interactions are warm, respectful, and compassionate. Residents appear to feel valued and safe.” Relatives unanimously told us staff were kind and compassionate. One relative said, “The staff are caring and they go above and beyond because they care.” Another relative said, “The staff are amazing and they remember who we are and we absolutely feel supported too. They have learned all about my relative, you can’t fake relationships.”

People were treated as individuals, and their care, support and treatment reflected their needs, preferences and personal histories. Staff took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations and protected characteristics, as well as their cultural and unique backgrounds. People were supported to have their own possessions around them, and their bedrooms reflected their interests and personalities.

Staff told us they recognised each person as an individual and took time to understand their preferences, backgrounds and what mattered to them. This enabled staff to provide care that was respectful and tailored to people’s needs. Throughout our visit, we saw positive engagement between staff and people, demonstrating how well staff knew them and the care and warmth they showed in their interactions.

One person told us, “The best thing is the atmosphere here and how people talk to each other.” Staff consistently demonstrated warm, compassionate and respectful interactions. Staff responded promptly and sensitively when people showed signs of distress or worry. For example, one member of staff took a calm and reassuring approach with a person who felt anxious about falling, offering steady support and explaining each step clearly.

We also saw staff enabling another person to feel comfortable by supporting them to choose their preferred chair, providing a blanket and making them a cup of tea. Staff demonstrated pride and passion in their roles, and their commitment to providing high-quality, person-centred care was evident throughout our visit.

People were consistently offered choices and were supported to make their own decisions. Staff encouraged each person to maintain their independence, and this approach was reflected throughout the care records, which clearly set out what people could do for themselves and where they needed support. Staff promoted people’s independence at every opportunity and provided appropriate encouragement so people could complete tasks in a way that suited them.

Feedback reflected what we observed during the assessment. A professional told us, “Families have praised the caring atmosphere and supportive relationships when I have spoken to them.”

The service employed dedicated activity coordinators who were creative and proactive in organising meaningful activities both inside and outside the home. Activities were varied and inclusive, supporting people living with dementia as well as those who preferred to remain in their rooms. Options included quizzes, bingo, balloon tennis, pamper sessions, the ramblers club, movie time, choir practice and tabletop games. Relatives told us there were ample opportunities for people to choose from. One relative said, “There is always something happening. They can choose what they want to do within reason.” Another told us, “They do lots of activities and they take them out.”

Raffles were held to raise funds for events, with prizes donated by the local community. Staff told us many of the activities were shaped by the enthusiasm and passion of the activity coordinators. One member of staff described the wide range of opportunities people had, saying, “The residents are involved with two schools, and they also go to the school to watch the nativity and carol concert, and we do a carol concert here in the home. There are trips out to the garden centre, park, we go on walks and to the local café. We had some chicken eggs in an incubator and watched them hatch. We try to do lots of things to maintain people’s interests.”

Overall, people experienced a vibrant, inclusive environment where their choices, independence and personal interests were at the centre of daily life.

People were listened to, and the provider understood their needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to reduce any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff supported people in a respectful and sensitive way. They asked people how they wanted to spend their time and recognised when people needed support, responding promptly. People’s communication needs and preferences were recorded in their care plans.

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

People were supported by staff who worked well together. During our visit, we observed positive teamwork, with staff openly discussing the tasks that needed to be completed and checking with people about their preferences for daily activities. Daily notes and handover records were completed appropriately, which helped ensure important information was shared effectively between staff teams.

The management team supported the staff appropriately. A handbook with all the company policies and procedures was made available to all staff. It contained details of an independent employee assistance programme which provided access to a counselling service and covered all aspects of life challenges, including financial, legal and consumer advice.