Allambie 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 inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection 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 65 (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.

People and relatives told us they were happy with the care they received. Comments included, staff were caring. Comments included, “The staff are kind to me”, and “It’s brilliant here, nothing is too much trouble for the staff. I’m happy here."

We found staff to be kind, respectful and patient. We observed staff respecting people’s privacy by knocking on bedroom doors and discreetly offering support when in a communal area.

Staff spoke about people in a kind and respectful way and could describe to us each person’s likes and dislikes and how they preferred their care routines. One staff member told us, “We do our absolute best for the residents. The residents are what’s important.” Another staff member said, “I would be very happy for a relative of mine to live here. We care about our residents. It’s like a big family; I love working here."

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.

Care records captured people’s preferences and needs. They contained detailed information about important events in their life history and how they wished to be supported including their likes and dislikes.

People’s protected characteristics such as religious beliefs and disability were reflected in care records. Staff spoken with understood people’s individual needs and how best to support the person. The registered manager told us, “We talk with the residents and relatives about culture and their beliefs and ask how they wish to be supported with this, as each person is different. It is important not to make assumptions."

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

People were supported to make daily choices for example, the choice of meals, drinks and whether they wanted to join in with the activity taking place. One person told us, “They involve me in everything I do.” Another person said, “The staff are kind. They will do things for me if I ask them to. I like to do what I can for myself.”

Staff promoted people’s independence. We observed staff discreetly cutting up people’s food, when needed. So, they could eat their meal with ease.

People where possible were involved in planning and reviewing their care and support. Records captured people’s preferences and needs. This included how they wanted to be supported by staff and what the person could do for themselves to maintain their independence.

One staff member told us, “Residents have choices, some residents like to get up early, some like to eat at the table, and some don’t. We help them so, they get what they want."

Staff were not always available to respond to people’s needs in the moment or act to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. During our visit we saw 1 person on 2 separate occasions walking in the hallway displaying signs of distress and anxiety. Due to the allocation of duties and staff breaks, no staff were available at the time to offer the person reassurance or support.

One staff member told us, “Pretty much it’s very busy. Residents do have to wait.” Another staff member said, “We try to help each other, but it can be very busy. We are very good at making sure someone is in the lounge with the residents.”

People and relatives raised no concerns regarding staffing levels with us and shared they were happy with the support they received. One person told us, “If I need help, I press my call bell, and they come quickly both day and night so generally I’m not worried.”

The home worked closely with a range of health and social care professionals to ensure people’s health needs were closely monitored, supporting people to achieve good outcomes.

The provider did not always care about and promote the wellbeing of their staff. They did not always support or enable staff to deliver person-centred care.

We saw current staffing levels following the reduction in occupancy had impacted on staffs’ availability to always deliver person-centred care in a timely manner. Staff spoken with confirmed they were busy, which resulted in people having to wait at times for support.

Staff felt supported and enjoyed working at the home. One staff member said, “Teamwork is good.” Another staff member told us, “We have a good staff team. There is not a high staff turnover. No-one wants to leave.”

Staff received the guidance they needed to fulfil their roles through individual and team meetings. One staff member told us, “I feel able to ask questions and offer suggestions, the managers do listen."