Northfield 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 service 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.

When staff interacted with people they were treated with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. We received feedback from professionals, 1 professional when asked what the service did well, told us, the staff were very caring. We observed staff and the registered manager treating people with kindness and observed they had a good rapport with people. A relative told us,“The staff are 100 percent caring. When I phone in the evening, the staff always tap on my relatives door to tell them I am on the phone.” People could receive visitors when they wanted. When visitors came to the home there were private spaces both inside and outside of the home which people could utilise.

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. The registered manager told us, “Care plans are completed with the people we support, with help from their keyworkers and family. We discuss care plans at the 6-monthly meetings.” The registered manager then described an example of how they had listened to and advocated on behalf of a person who wanted to be known by a different title. Staff told us they had completed specific communication training to aid them in communicating with people living in the home.

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment, and wellbeing. Staff were positive in empowering people to be as independent as possible and celebrated this.We observed the mealtime experience for people. People were given a choice of food, drinks and condiments and were supported to maintain their independence throughout. We observed staff were sat with people eating their own meal and at the same time supporting people in a relaxed way at a pace which suited people. Staff were communicating with people in the way they preferred.

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. We observed staff and the registered manager responding positively to several people who at times may have become in a heightened state of anxiety, had they not seen the signs and diffused the situation by anticipating people’s anxiety. It was clear staff, and the registered manager knew people well and responded to their immediate needs with kindness and compassion.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled them to always deliver person-centred care. All staff members we spoke with told us they felt valued, respected, and supported within their roles. A staff member told us, “I feel valued and supported by my manager and motivated by the team and the people we support. In meetings we are told ‘thank you’ and ‘good job’ which I really appreciate.” Team meetings were held to discuss issues relevant to the service or staff experience. A staff survey had also been issued prior to our inspection, to encourage feedback.