Birch Hill Care Centre

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 changed to outstanding. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

This service scored 90 (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 was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff knew people and their needs, and extended care and compassion to their family’s - to help ensure people had a circle of supported care surrounding them including during difficult times. During the inspection we observed staff supporting people discreetly with continence care when in the company of others, doors were always shut when they needed to be, people’s needs were not discussed in the corridors or within other people’s hearing. Visitors, whether professionals or families, were all treated warmly. There was such a warm welcome to the home you instantly felt comfortable and at ease. Staff showed great respect to people and there was a clear culture of staff ‘working in the people’s home’ rather than people living in a working environment.

A healthcare professional said, “Staff all appear caring of the residents; they treat them as individuals and are compassionate and warm towards them.”

Relatives praised the staff and management team. In one case the registered manager was invited to speak at a person’s funeral as the family considered Birch Hill such an important part of the person’s life. The family recognised how the exceptional compassion of staff had been instrumental in enhancing their relative’s quality of life.

A person was due to attend a family wedding but when trying her dress on the day before, it ripped and the person was very distressed. Staff immediately helped, with one being skilled in needlework. They took the dress home and repaired it. The person was able to attend the wedding in the dress she wanted to, supported by care home staff. Staff said she was confident in her outfit and was full of joy and pride.

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.

Observations showed staff knew people and their preferences well. One person had clear preferences around how they wished to dress recorded in their care plan. On each day of the assessment they were smartly dressed as they wished to be. There was detailed information in place regarding people’s needs and preferences that considered their unique backgrounds and this helped inform the care.

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

People had choice over how they were cared for. Records were person-centred and people and their relatives had been involved in creating their care plans. We observed staff empowering people to make choices around their day-to-day activities, food and drinks. One person said, “The food is excellent and we always get a choice – if you don’t like something they bend over backwards to get you an alternative.”

The provider was exceptional in how they 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.

Staff were incredibly responsive to people’s needs, whether it was for personal care support, agitation over a misplaced handbag, or just directing them down the corridor in the right direction. One person used the emergency buzzer for routine support, not realising its purpose. As they could summon help, staff treated each alarm as a genuine emergency until confirmed otherwise.

People were encouraged to speak up. For example, one person started eating their initial choice of lunch but couldn’t eat it. Without hesitation staff quickly provided them with the alternative meal they requested.

The culture of the service put people and their needs at the forefront of any interaction, and it was evident throughout the inspection.

A healthcare professional said, “I have weekly interactions with the registered manager and GP for Birch Hill in a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meeting discussing people the staff have concerns about. Staff are proactive in utilising this MDT appropriately. Outside of the MDT staff are proactive in contacting me directly when they have concerns about a resident, such as a deterioration in swallow, refusal to take medication, pain issues, constipation.”

Staff work with relatives to understand their loved ones to learn about their conditions, and with this enhanced knowledge work together to ensure needs are met

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff were very proud to work at Birch Hill and described the service as a family. There was a very low staff turnover, and most staff who had left recently did so to further their career or take further education opportunities.

There was a supportive environment for all staff, no matter where they worked in the service. We observed the registered manager’s the open-door policy in action; staff felt able to raise things with them and they always made time to listen to them in the moment.

The registered manager, deputy manager and regional manager championed staff to progress both within and external to the service. Staff received support to develop with the aim of moving into management positions and others had pursued careers in the NHS after starting their careers at Birch Hill.

A staff member said, “Birch Hill is a wonderful place to work, and it is an honour and privilege to work in a loving caring Home. My colleagues are all supportive of one another and deeply care for our residents and their families who are our Birch Hill family and extended family.”