Waterfield 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. 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.

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 told us they found staff to be kind and caring. A person said, “Staff are extremely kind to me, they knock, call out my name, they often sit on the chair and talk to me, they even bring my meals to me as it is difficult with the wheelchair because of the leg so I eat in here, they could not be kinder.”
 

Staff were observed to greet and interact with people in a kind and compassionate way, using their preferred name and adapting their communication to meet individual needs.

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.

Relatives described how people’s care and support was designed to treat them as individuals. A relative told us, “The care is pretty good, carers very friendly, [relative] refuses washes and shaving, I spoke to the manager and went through it, so she said she would get some dry shampoo.”

Staff told us they had good information about people and their needs. Life stories were recorded and used to support people’s hobbies and interests. Staff were able to anticipate and respond to people’s needs for example, a drink, repositioning and reassurance. Risk assessments were tailored to people’s wishes, preferences and personal history.

Staff meetings, including daily handovers were used to share important information with staff including any changes to people’s routines and preferences. We found staff knew people well. We observed staff treated people as individuals, ensuring choice and meeting preferences. This included how people were supported with their communication needs.

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

People told us they were supported to have choice and control over their own care and support. A person told us, “Someone helps me shower twice a week, they are very respectful, they do what I want them to do.” Another person said, “I wake when I want to, have lunch and tea in the dining room and breakfast in my room.”

People received visitors from friends and family without restrictions. People’s care plans included guidance for staff of the importance of promoting independence and decision making as fully as possible. Staff were able to describe how they supported people to maintain their independence.

Equipment was used to promote independence. This included assistive technology such as sensor mats for people known to be a falls risk, these alerted staff when people were moving. Walking aids, including moving and handling equipment such as a rotunda supported people to transfer easily and safely. Adapted crockery and cutlery supported people to eat independently.

Observations of staff engagement with people was positive. Staff promoted choice making in a variety of ways such as where people sat, activities they participated in, what to eat and drink. Staff were attentive and respected people’s choices.

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.

People told us their call bell was usually answered promptly. A person said they pressed the, “Buzzer, no long waits, evening you wait the longest, but they do come, and I know staff are there if I need them.”

We observed staff intervene to support a relative to transfer a person safely. People’s care plans included information around how to support and communicate with them. This enabled staff to anticipate and respond to people’s needs in a timely way.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff were positive about working for the provider, they told us they enjoyed their work, felt well supported, received continued training and opportunities to develop. The provider had an employee of the month system, used to recognise and reward staff for good practice. A staff member said, “All in all I find Waterfield a good place to work, under good leadership. It is a happy environment, and we all work to make hard to make Waterfield a pleasant and homely place for our residents to live.”

The registered manager also recognised the importance of supporting relatives. The service offered training to relatives to help them understand their family members’ dementia diagnosis.