St Elmos

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. We observed staff to be kind and considerate of people. One staff member told us, “I knock on people’s doors before entering and listen and involve them in their day. I make sure the curtains and bedroom doors are shut if they are completing personal care.”

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 needs, and they outlined how individuals wished to be supported. Staff knew people well and understood their individual needs. One staff member told us, “Every individual is unique and should be treated accordingly.” One relative told us, “Staff support outings and activities based on [family member] interests.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Care plans detailed how people liked to be supported in different areas of their lives. People were encouraged to make day-to-day decisions. For example, one person had a morning routine care plan which contained details of how the person liked to be greeted and for staff to go through their daily planner with them. This meant people were empowered to make their own decisions and maintain control over their day-to-day lives.

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. During our visit, staff were attentive to people’s needs. We observed staff meeting people’s communication needs by engaging in a person-centred way specific to their needs. For example, staff were not to use non-literal words and phrases with one person as this could cause distress and uncertainty. Staff encouraged people to participate in a range of activities in community. One relative told us, “[Family member] attends a disco and community outings.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff felt supported by their managers. Staff told us they had opportunities to share feedback such as team meetings and supervisions. Staff told us that St Elmos had a positive culture. One staff member said, “I feel it is a good place to work because the staff team is supportive and helpful, management is approachable and willing to listen to concerns or suggestions, and there is a positive working environment.”