Ruby House

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.

We observed staff treating people with kindness, patience and care, supporting them with activities such as preparing lunch and playing games. People appeared relaxed and comfortable with staff, reflecting positive and trusting relationships built through staff knowing them well.

Health care professionals said, “I feel the service has shown a good understanding of the complexity involved in supporting vulnerable adults whilst maintaining their rights, autonomy and freedom to make choices. Staff have consistently sought to balance safeguarding responsibilities with a person-centred approach, recognising the importance of supporting residents to make their own decisions wherever possible. They have been receptive to professional advice and least restrictive practice.”

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, and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. Care records contained detailed information about each person's individual needs, preferences and circumstances, helping staff provide personalised support and respond effectively to any anxiety or distress.

People were supported to maintain independence, choice and control over their day-to-day lives. Staff encouraged people to make their own decisions, including what they ate and how they spent their time, and supported them to do as much as possible for themselves. Care plans reflected people’s preferred routines and communication needs, providing staff with guidance on how to support individual choices.

For example, it was important for a person to access the community independently. They understood the choices they could make while in the community, including decisions and agreed boundaries relating to alcohol consumption. This supported them to exercise choice while maintaining their independence and safety.

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.

Records demonstrated staff understood people’s needs and worked with external professionals to ensure appropriate support was in place. We also observed staff support a person who was becoming distressed, which calmed them down in a subtle, discreet way. This showed how the person could be supported to manage their distress and how well staff knew this person.

The provider did not always care about and promote the wellbeing of their staff. We received mixed feedback from staff about the support they received. Some spoke positively about supervision, appraisal and training arrangements and described the management team as approachable and supportive. One staff member told us, “Yes 100%. They have been really good with me, and I already know I can approach them immediately with anything.” However, others felt less supported, did not find supervision sessions beneficial, and said their ideas and suggestions were not always listened to or acted upon.