Copper Beeches

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.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated Good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 70 (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.

Staff interacted with people in a warm and respectful way. They took time to reassure and comfort people. During observations, staff spoke calmly and respectfully, explaining care as it was given. For example, staff supporting people with hoists to transfer offered reassurance and encouragement, saying things like they had “done well” and checking consent at each stage of support.

Staff showed compassion when people were distressed. We observed staff respond sensitively to a person who became upset, using a gentle tone and remaining with them to provide reassurance until another staff member continued support. People were treated with dignity, with staff knocking on doors before entering and providing personal care behind closed doors. A relative said, “They always knock and treat her with dignity.”

Relationships between staff and people were positive. A relative told us, “Staff are the best thing about this place.” A staff member said, “Kindness is important to me, treating people like a human being, using good speaking skills especially for the people we support.” Another staff member said, “I treat them as family. I can leave knowing they are happy, clean and I leave there knowing I have done the best I can for them. Making them feel at home.”

Staff treated people’s visitors with kindness and supported them to maintain their relationships. A relative said, “I am incredibly lucky they also feed me my dinner I eat the same as [loved one].” A health and social care professional told us, “The staff at Copper beeches are always very personable, and the interactions that we have with them highlight the care and attention that they show their residents."

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. A staff member said, “You cannot treat everyone the same they have to be treated as an individual.”

Care plans were detailed and included personal information such as hobbies, routines, and emotional support needs. This guided staff and enabled them to provide personalised care.

Staff knew people well and used this knowledge in practice. For example, staff supported people based on their preferences, such as offering choices of food and drink, adapting communication approaches, and using distraction techniques when people experienced anxiety.

Staff described adapting activities for people who were cared for in bed and told us they took time to speak with each person daily during “meet and greet” interactions. A staff member explained, “I am in their home… I speak to everyone on shift.” A relative told us staff had helped their loved one engage more in activities they enjoyed with encouragement. The provider had recruited a further activities member of staff to expand the team to support more activities to take place.

There was evidence people’s cultural and personal needs were considered where required, including supporting religious needs such as visits from a priest.

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

Staff encouraged people to do tasks themselves and only stepped in when needed. For example, people were supported to eat independently when able, with staff monitoring and helping if required. A staff member said, “If I feel they can eat by themselves I will encourage and support them to do it.”

Staff promoted choice in daily routines such as food, drinks and activities. Care records and observations showed people were offered options and given time to decide. Staff told us, “We always offer them a choice.”

Where people were unable to make certain decisions, staff followed best-interest principles and involved families and professionals appropriately. Care plans reflected people’s wishes and included guidance on how to support them in a way that highlighted their independence, supported them to maintain control and preserve their dignity.

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.

We observed staff were attentive and quick to respond when people required support. For example, when a person said they felt unwell, staff promptly checked on them, asked appropriate questions and offered reassurance and support. We observed staff speaking to people in a calm, reassuring manner and, explaining care throughout. Some people had items that provided them comfort, staff handled these with care and respect and ensured people had access to them.

There were regular audits and checks to ensure staff response times to call bells fell within the accepted time range. A relative said, “There are plenty of staff, they attend to [person’s names] needs really well.”

Staff recognised changes in people’s wellbeing and escalated concerns appropriately. For example, a staff member identified signs of low blood sugar and alerted clinical staff, which resulted in appropriate medical intervention.

The provider had not always promoted the wellbeing of their staff.

Staff had not always received regular supervision to support them to carry out their roles effectively. The provider had a schedule in place with plans to ensure more regular supervision going forward.

Some staff feedback highlighted concerns about staffing pressures if there was sickness. Some staff felt there were some staffing dynamics that had been addressed, but felt the culture still needed embedding.

However, other staff described positive teamwork and felt colleagues worked well together to deliver care. Staff generally told us they felt supported by management and able to ask for help when needed. A staff member said, “The managers are good and ask if we need help… they let me take time when I need it.” Another said, “There is a lot more support now."