Chesham 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.

People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect. Staff knew people well and understood their individual preferences, routines and the things that were important to them. We observed positive interactions between staff and people living at the service. Staff provided support in a calm and respectful way and people appeared comfortable in the presence of staff. Daily records demonstrated staff spent time engaging with people, offering reassurance, conversation and practical support throughout the day.

People's dignity and privacy were promoted. Staff supported people with personal care in accordance with their wishes and respected when people chose to spend time alone. Records showed staff routinely knocked on bedroom doors before entering, offered choices about support and adapted their approach according to people's preferences. Staff feedback demonstrated an understanding of treating people with dignity and respect and supporting people in a way that recognised their individuality.

People received care and support that reflected their individual needs, preferences, interests and life histories. Support plans contained personalised information describing how people preferred to be supported, their daily routines, important relationships and the activities they enjoyed. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the people they supported and were able to describe people's interests, routines and personal goals.

Daily records showed people were supported in different ways according to their individual preferences. For example, people chose how they spent their time, what they ate, when they got up, where they spent their day and how much support they wanted from staff. Records also showed people maintained important relationships with family members, partners and friends, and staff supported these relationships through visits, social leave and community activities.

One person was regularly supported to spend time with family and grandchildren, while another was supported to maintain an important relationship with their partner through visits, community activities and overnight social leave. This demonstrated the provider understood the importance of supporting people's individual lives and relationships.

People were encouraged and supported to remain as independent as possible. Staff worked with people to develop and maintain skills and to be involved in decisions about their daily lives. Daily records demonstrated people independently prepared meals and drinks, chose activities, completed exercises, managed aspects of their daily routines and participated in community activities. Staff supported people where needed while promoting their independence and choice.

People were offered choices throughout the day and staff respected the decisions they made. Records showed people chose what they wanted to eat, whether they wished to participate in activities, when they wanted support and how they spent their time. Where people made decisions that involved risk, staff supported them to understand the potential consequences and make informed choices. Staff described balancing people's right to make decisions with the need to support their safety and wellbeing. This promoted people's autonomy and sense of control over their 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. Staff knew people well and responded appropriately when they required support. Daily records showed staff regularly checked on people's wellbeing, responded to requests for support and adapted care when people's needs changed. Staff supported people with medicines, meals, personal care, emotional wellbeing, healthcare appointments and social activities according to their needs and wishes.

Records demonstrated people were able to request support when needed and staff responded promptly. Examples included supporting people to access healthcare, providing reassurance, responding to requests for pain relief, supporting people with meals and drinks and helping people to maintain contact with family and friends. Staff also recognised when people preferred not to engage and respected these preferences whilst continuing to monitor their wellbeing.

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 generally felt supported in their roles and had opportunities to raise concerns, discuss practice and seek advice. Staff described a culture where managers and senior staff were accessible and approachable. Staff also told us they attended team meetings and had opportunities to discuss people's needs, service developments and any concerns affecting their work.

Staff feedback was positive regarding support and supervision. Staff told us there were opportunities to discuss issues with managers and team leaders and that they felt listened to when concerns were raised. Staff also described receiving training relevant to their role and support to develop their skills and knowledge.

The provider considered the wellbeing of staff and demonstrated a commitment to supporting staff through changes in circumstances and providing reasonable adjustments where needed. This contributed to a stable workforce and helped ensure people experienced continuity of care from staff who knew them well.