Acorn Court Care Home

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• 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 treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People and their relatives told us they were treated with kindness, compassion and respect. We observed staff interacting with people in a kind and compassionate way throughout our visits. One person told us, “Absolutely, they treat me with dignity and respect, if they didn’t I wouldn’t stay here.” A relative told us, “The staff are lovely. They also look after me too, when I visit.”

External organisations told us staff treated them with compassion and respect. One professional told us, “Overall, I consider Acorn Court to provide responsive, compassionate and effective care for individuals with complex neurological conditions, supported by good multidisciplinary working, strong communication and a proactive approach to meeting patients' needs.” Another professional commented, “Staff know residents well, and I have witnessed numerous caring, and compassionate interactions between staff and residents.”

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, backgrounds and protected characteristics.

People and their relatives told us staff treated them as individuals and knew them well. One person told us, “I couldn’t fault anyone here, they are all lovely.” A relative commented, “They definitely know her well. She always chooses her day. It's up to her what she does.”

Staff took the time to get to know people and considered their social, cultural and spiritual needs and care records included relevant information. For example, where a person had specific cultural needs, staff researched these and worked with the person’s family to learn how to effectively support the person.

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

People, their relatives and healthcare professionals told us people were supported to maintain independence, choice and control. A relative told us, “[Person] doesn't need any help getting about, but does like to wander around at night sometimes, which they seem to let [person] do. It is important that they do know [person] like that.”

People and their relatives told us there were sufficient activities internally and externally, and that they were able to choose what they wished to do. One person told us, “I am happy with everything. We go out on the bus, and they have singers.” A relative told us, “I know that they do quizzes and have entertainers in. There always seems to be a full programme of activities.”

Staff and leaders understood their responsibility to promote people’s independence where this was possible. Care records included information for staff to follow on how to encourage people to maintain their independence and people were supported to undertake the activities they enjoyed. For example, where a person liked to go into the garden independently throughout the day, staff ensured they were always able to access the areas they wished to. One member of staff told us, “I give [person] the space to do it, intervene if it’s not safe but let [person] do it.”

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 staff listened to their views and wishes, and staff took the time to get to know people. One relative told us, “They definitely know her well.” Another relative said, “They always ask her about what she would like to do et cetera.”

We observed staff responding to people’s immediate needs throughout the assessment. Staff assisted people when they became distressed and were able to reassure them by understanding when they were experiencing discomfort. Staff told us they had sufficient time to understand people’s needs to be able to quickly respond. One member of staff told us, “They (management) gave me all the support so I can get to know the residents on my floor.”

The provider promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported staff to deliver person-centred care.

The provider had systems in place to support staff which included ‘recognising everyday excellence’ by rewarding going the extra mile and by inviting ideas from staff on how to improve people’s lives. For example, staff suggested wearing t-shirts in the summer which were in a dementia-friendly colour to spark conversation and allowed staff to be cooler. The management team also actively promoted conversations about staff mental health and encouraged staff to undertake nationally recognised training to improve their future prospects. One member of staff told us, “I am doing my [national vocational qualification] now, there is such good career progression. I want to pursue a managerial career. I love it.” Another member of staff told us, “We try to do mental health sessions once a month, take a break from the floor and have a chat. You can talk about anything.”

Staff told us their workloads were manageable and they always felt exceptionally supported by the registered manager with their wellbeing. One member of staff told us, “[Registered manager] is very supportive and without her I would not have been able to achieve what I have.” Another member of staff said, “There’s always enough staff so the workload is good. When someone calls in off sick, they manage to call someone to come in because people want to work here. The management is very good. This is one of the best.”