Swanholme 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 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. Feedback about the service was positive, with people’s relatives describing staff as caring and supportive. We observed staff interacting with people in a respectful and warm manner, taking time to engage with them and respond to their needs.

Staff spoke positively about their role and described the home as a pleasant and family like environment. They understood the importance of treating people with dignity and respect and gave examples of how they supported people in a way that was considerate of their preferences and wellbeing. However, some care plans and records contained outdated or inappropriate terminology, for example describing people as ‘aggressive’ or ‘rude’ when they were experiencing distress linked to their condition, such as confusion or cognitive impairment. This language did not always reflect a full understanding of the reasons behind people’s behaviour and could lead to staff forming judgemental views or not responding in the most person-centred way.

Despite this, relatives consistently described staff as kind, caring and respectful. They told us staff took time to engage with people, treated them with dignity and showed warmth in their interactions, which helped create a caring and supportive environment.

People were treated as individuals and their preferences, needs and backgrounds were understood and respected. Staff described how they got to know people and took account of their personal histories, routines and choices when providing care.

Care plans contained information about people’s needs and preferences, which supported staff to deliver personalised care. Staff gave examples of how they adapted their approach to support individuals, including how they communicated with people and supported them in ways that reflected their wishes.

Relatives told us staff knew people well and supported them in line with their preferences. They described staff as friendly and familiar with people’s routines.

People were supported to maintain relationships that were important to them, with relatives visiting regularly and involved in people’s lives. Staff recognised the importance of these relationships and supported people to remain connected to those close to them.

People were supported to maintain their independence and make choices about their care. Staff described how they encouraged people to do as much as possible for themselves, using prompts and reassurance rather than completing tasks for them. This helped people retain skills and remain in control of their daily lives. Care plans supported this approach and included information about what people could do for themselves to guide staff.

Relatives told us people were supported to make choices about their day‑to‑day lives and maintain their independence where possible. They described staff encouraging people to do things for themselves and supporting them to take part in activities based on their interests. Relatives said people were offered choices about their routines and how they spent their time.

People had opportunities to take part in a range of activities, supported by dedicated activities coordinators. We observed a varied and active programme, with activities taking place within the home and opportunities for people to access the community. This supported people to remain engaged and make choices about how they spent their time.

People were supported to make choices about their day-to-day routines, including how care was delivered. Staff demonstrated an understanding of the importance of offering choice and involving people in decisions, supporting people to have choice and control in their daily lives.

People’s immediate needs were responded to in a timely way. Staff were attentive and observed to respond promptly when people required support, including when people needed reassurance. Staff described how they monitored people and adjusted their approach depending on individual needs, which helped ensure people received support when they needed it.

Relatives told us staff responded quickly when people needed support and were attentive to their needs. They described staff as prompt in providing reassurance and assistance, which helped ensure people felt supported.

Staff understood how to recognise changes and escalate concerns to senior staff or healthcare professionals where necessary. This supported timely responses to changes in people’s health and wellbeing.

People were supported by staff who were caring and supported in their roles. Staff spoke positively about their work and described the home as a pleasant and supportive environment. Many staff said they enjoyed their role and felt part of a team, which contributed to a caring approach in how people were supported.

Staff described positive relationships with colleagues and felt able to seek support from senior staff when needed. There was access to training and supervision, which helped staff feel confident in their role and able to meet people’s needs. Leaders were described as approachable, which supported staff wellbeing and day to day working.