Elysium Care Partnerships Limited - 13 Alexandra Gardens

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.

The last rating for this key question was 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 65 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff did not always treat people respectfully. We witnessed staff speaking about people in front of them and others in ways the person could not understand. Staff sometimes used terms which were not respectful or age appropriate. We discussed this with the management team who agreed to retrain staff about appropriate language and conduct. Managers explained the approach of staff was not intended to be unkind or disrespectful. They felt this was a consequence of staff being overly familiar with people which may lead to blurring their professional boundaries.

Staff and people had good relationships with each other. Most staff had worked at the service a long time and people knew them well. People were relaxed with the staff. We saw mutual care between staff and people. People expressed happiness when they saw certain staff members for the first time in the day.

Staff allowed people their privacy. They knocked on bedroom doors, and they supported people to spend time on their own as they wished.

People using the service and relatives told us they liked the staff. Their comments included, “Staff are very nice” and “Staff are great and do a good job.”

Staff knew people well and were able to describe their personalities, likes, dislikes and the things that were important to them. The provider had developed detailed care plans which outlined people’s individual needs and how they should be cared for. These were regularly reviewed and updated.

People were supported with their religious and cultural needs.

Staff supported people to stay in contact with friends and families.

People were not always supported to learn new skills or try new things. Everyone living at the home was a young adult and needed opportunities for mental and physical stimulation. Some relatives told us people did not always take part in a range of activities. We were told by staff that some people spent most of their day asleep and did not engage in activities. A staff member told us 1 person was “probably bored” which is why they slept. Staff had not developed personalised objectives for these people to promote more activity and to ensure people were provided with opportunities for meaningful activities.

Other people, who did take part in social activities, often did the same thing without exploring different options. Routine and structure were important to people, and staff ensured this happened. However, as a result, staff did not always provide opportunities to allow people to develop their skills and widen their interests.

We discussed this with the management team who acknowledged more work was needed in this area. They agreed to speak with staff about exploring how different individuals could be supported.

Staff responded to people’s immediate needs. They knew people well and were able to identify changes in their wellbeing or health. Staff followed risk management plans to help prevent people becoming agitated or anxious. They followed a consistent approach and implemented strategies to support people when they identified signs that they were becoming distressed. These worked well and there had been a reduction in the number of incidents and the need to use medicines to help people feel calmer.

The provider supported staff wellbeing and enablement. Staff had regular meetings with their line manager to discuss their work and any concerns they had. Staff explained there was good informal support from managers. Staff worked well together and explained they were able to share ideas and felt valued. Comments from staff included, “I have access to wellbeing support following any work-related stress or incidents” and “[Managers] listen and take up any issues. I think we can be open and honest.”

The provider had initiatives to support staff wellbeing and individuality. These were accessible for all staff.

Staff were supported with their career progression. They were offered training to help them develop areas where they identified an interest. They were supported to work towards career progression or new roles.