Netherclay 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 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 service 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 treated people with kindness and compassion, and relatives consistently praised the respectful way staff interacted with their loved ones. One relative told us, “All I’ve seen so far, is they treat him very well… the carers have a little joke with dad.” Another said, “They are definitely treated with dignity and respect, staff knock on the door and say who they are before coming in.” People were supported to maintain their appearance, with family members sharing that their relatives were “Always well dressed” and received regular hairdressing. Staff responded compassionately even when people became distressed, with relatives describing them as “Very kind,” “Understanding,” and having the “Patience of saints.”

The service 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.

People were recognised as individuals, and staff took time to understand and act on what mattered to them. Relatives described personalised approaches, including supporting one person to maintain routines important to them: “Dad gets a newspaper daily and a tot of rum at 12 o’clock, as he was in the navy for years.” Staff adapted care around people’s preferences, such as enabling a couple to eat meals together privately in their room. Another relative explained they were always involved in reviews and kept informed: “Anytime there is a change [registered manager and staff] are always there to put our minds at rest.” Care plans were detailed and personalised, and staff knew people well, with one relative saying, “They really look after them… they get enough attention.”

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

People were encouraged to make choices and maintain independence where possible. Relatives described how people could decide whether to join group activities or spend time in their rooms: “It’s dad’s choice not to do the activities… staff go in and chat with him.” People were supported to choose what they ate, how they spent their day, and how they liked to appear, with relatives saying people “Always look like themselves” and were supported to maintain grooming and personal identity. Staff also supported people to stay connected with routines that mattered to them, giving examples such as music, radio, and knitting.

The service 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.

Staff responded promptly to people’s needs, including emergencies or changes in health. Relatives gave multiple examples of staff contacting them straightaway. One relative said, “Anything… they are straight on the phone, ‘Dad’s ok, we’ve checked him over.’” Another explained that when their mother deteriorated suddenly, staff immediately contacted emergency services and alerted the family at 3.30am. Staff were also observed responding safely and sensitively when a person was distressed, such as reassuring a resident nervous about the lift rather than forcing them. People received timely healthcare input, with relatives confirming prompt GP involvement for illnesses and injuries.

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

Staff reported feeling supported and more confident in their roles due to training, supervision, and clearer communication. Staff told us, there were, “Lots of improvements,” including better documentation, more consistent communication, and intentional rounding (structured process whereby staff carry out regular checks, usually hourly, and address issues of positioning, pain, personal needs and placement of items). One staff member said morale was “Much better,” adding, “I walk around and see staff with smiles on their faces… we are all a great team.” Under the new provider all staff had benefited from a refresher structured induction at the providers other home and ongoing training across all care certificate areas, with the training manager confirming this helped build capability and confidence. Relatives also described management as visible, supportive and approachable, contributing to a positive environment: “[Registered manager] is brilliant… she is always on everything… staff are amazing.”