Spring Mount

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 many positive interactions between staff and people, which reflected kindness, compassion, and respect for people’s dignity. One relative told us, “[Person] was in a different care home before, they could not meet their needs. Here at Spring Mount, they understand Person’s] needs and care for [person] with dignity.”

Staff were consistently attentive and responsive to people’s needs. For example, 1 person was promptly offered food when they said they were hungry and was supported with additional portions, demonstrating a flexible approach.

Observations highlighted warm and meaningful engagement between staff and people. We saw people dancing and socialising together, contributing to a positive and inclusive atmosphere. Personal care, including hair styling, was delivered in a dignified and respectful manner, and 1 person was observed to be positively engaged and comfortable throughout their interactions.

Overall, the atmosphere within the service was caring, welcoming, and vibrant. Interactions between staff and people supported wellbeing, independence, and a strong sense of dignity.

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.

We saw positive examples of staff recognising and respecting people’s individual preferences, identities, and choices. Staff were observed communicating with 1 person in Punjabi, supporting effective communication and helping them to feel understood and included. People were supported to smoke safely, in line with their care plans and personal preferences.

Personal choice was also reflected in people’s appearance and self-care. Hair was styled or braided in line with individual preferences, and people were dressed in their own style of clothing. Where people had arrived at the service with limited personal belongings, the service used its own resources to ensure they had access to sufficient and appropriate clothing.

Men were supported to maintain their preferred appearance, with some choosing to be clean-shaven and others preferring to have a beard. These choices were respected and supported, with hair and beard care maintained through regular visits from hairdressers.

Staff demonstrated a strong commitment to recognising and supporting people’s individuality, ensuring that preferences and personal choices were consistently respected and facilitated.

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 live with a high level of independence, choice, and control. They were able to move freely around the home and access outdoor areas without restriction. Some people were provided with keys to their bedrooms, enabling them to access their rooms and retire to private spaces whenever they wished throughout the day.

There was no rigid structure to daily activities; instead, activities were flexible and based on what people wanted to do on the day. This included trips into the local community, such as visits to parks and cafés.

People were able to choose when they wished to receive personal care. Where someone declined support at a particular time, this was respected and they were offered the opportunity again later, in line with their preferences. People also had choice over what they ate and drank, with snacks and drinks available throughout the day, and individuals able to decide the frequency of these.

People and their relatives told us they felt empowered to make choices throughout the day. One relative said, “The care is good, it’s open visiting and I can visit any time and see first-hand there's nothing that’s too much trouble.” A person told us, “I like dancing and jogging and I can do both, they don't mind.”

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 and their relatives told us they felt their needs and wishes were listened to and respected. One relative told us, “[Person’s] care plan has changed a lot since the start according to their changing needs. Staff know [person] well and have been flexible to their needs.”

We observed staff responding flexibly and appropriately to people’s immediate needs. For example, 1 person repeatedly requested a cigarette. Staff initially redirected the person when they had recently had one, then supported them to have another following a suitable period of time. When the person continued to request cigarettes, additional support was provided through one-to-one staffing, and staff responded creatively by taking the person out for a walk and to a local café. This approach helped to reduce distress and demonstrated immediate response to the person’s current need.

We also observed prompt and appropriate responses to changes in people’s health. When 1 person became unwell, their care was immediately adapted to reflect their increased needs. They were supported to remain in bed while recovering, ensuring their comfort and safety during this period.

However, we noted call bells were not available within all people’s bedrooms. This means during the night, some people may not have been able to summon assistance if not near a call bell. While most people were not in their bedrooms during the day, this arrangement could limit access to support at night and requires further consideration. Despite this, we saw no evidence people’s immediate needs were not being met.

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

Staff told us they felt valued, respected, and supported in their roles. They did not report any concerns about their wellbeing not being respected and felt able to raise issues if required. One staff member said, “I love working here, I was born to do this job,” and another commented, “Staff morale is good, I feel really supported by [registered manager].”

While there were no formal staff appreciation or reward schemes in place, staff reported they felt recognised and supported through day-to-day interactions and management practices.