St Marys

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

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.

We observed positive interactions from staff during our visit, for example, offering people reassurance when needed. People told us the staff were caring and compassionate. One person said, “They [staff] are caring to me, they have a sense of humour, we have a laugh, and I am quite happy.” Another person said, “Staff are respectful to me, and I am to them. They do take notice of how you are feeling, like if you are floundering, they would notice.”

Relatives also praised staff for their kindness and caring approach. One relative said, “The staff are wonderful and always chat to [family member]. They give time and ensure that [family member] is comfortable.” Another relative said, “[Family member] is always encouraged to participate in activities. [Family member] struggles due to their deafness and [living with] dementia but with the kindness and support of staff they will be able to enjoy more of the activities going forward.” A third relative commented, “The staff do genuinely take time to try to support all [people] both individually and collectively.”

We observed positive interactions between staff and people. Staff treated people with compassion and kindness and demonstrated thoughtfulness in their approach. People told us they never felt hurried, and staff took their time when supporting with their care. People also told us staff respected their privacy and dignity. One person said, “They always knock...you cannot fault them, they do respect you, give you a towel to hold over you and ask do you want to wash this morning and dress you, I never feel rushed.” A member of staff commented, “All [people] are treated with respect and kindness. Staff speak to [people] politely, knock the door before entering their rooms and take time to listen to their preferences. For example, if a [person] is [having personal care], for their dignity we provide a towel on their lap andgive them time and ask them to ring the bell only when they think they have finished.”

Staff took time to build relationships, responding to individual needs.A staff member said, “I think it’s the little things that matter most.” A relative confirmed this saying, “It’s actually in the small things like getting a [person’s] drink just right.”

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 examples of personalised and individualised care. One person liked growing tomatoes, so staff placed plants outside their room so they could tend to them. Another person told us proudly how they had won the provider’s talent contest, and we saw staff encouraging them to sing as they walked through the service.

People’s care records included their diverse needs and their preferences including their likes and dislikes. When assessing or reviewing a person’s needs, staff spoke with families and friends to learn more about those they cared for.

People were supported to maintain their individuality when moving to St Marys. One person’s relative told us, “I feel there is an atmosphere of respect for the residents and their requirements, staff are flexible in meeting needs of greatly varied individuals and treat them as individuals, not one size fits all.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People told us staff encouraged and supported people to make choices about their care and daily lives such as what to wear, what they wanted to eat and drink, and which activities to join in with. Care plans reflected these preferences, and people and their relatives told us staff respected them.

People told us staff always sought consent before carrying out care tasks. One person said, “Staff do ask my permission, they would not attempt to do anything in my room without it, I have never been coerced to do anything I didn’t want to do.”

People and their relatives told us staff maintained their dignity during personal care by providing towels and giving people time to make their choices. Relatives confirmed staff respected independence and said, “The care is good, they walk with [family member] and I’ve been told that I can accompany them out whenever I want.”

We observed staff offering choices throughout the day. For example, a staff member asked a person, “I’m just going to go in and make your bed, is that OK?” and “What would you like for your breakfast, tea or coffee today?”

At mealtimes, people had a range of meal options available to them, including vegetarian choices, and could request alternatives. Staff showed people visual plates with 2 options so they could make informed choices. One person asked for the mashed potato to be removed, and staff did this straight away.

People were encouraged to share ideas at meetings, including requests for puzzles, singing lessons, more frequent carpet bowling, card-making activities, and planting flowers and vegetables. Staff also supported people who preferred to stay in their rooms but wanted to be involved in activities, such as cake making, enabling and supporting them to do the preparation and mixing of ingredients from their bed.

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. For example, we observed when a person appeared anxious a staff member immediately went into the room, got down to their level, and asked if they were, okay? The person appeared calmer after this interaction. Staff also provided emotional support, recognising people’s personal interests and knowing what would lift their mood for example we heard one staff member saying, “You have a grandson on the way – that’s something to look forward to.”

People told us staff supported them when they were unwell. One person said, “I fell ill recently, I’ve recovered from that, they looked after me when I wasn’t well.” Daily records showed referrals were made to the GP when people’s needs changed. These were reviewed regularly and communicated to staff during handover.

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. For example, we observed when a person appeared anxious a staff member immediately went into the room, got down to their level, and asked if they were, okay? The person appeared calmer after this interaction. Staff also provided emotional support, recognising people’s personal interests and knowing what would lift their mood for example we heard one staff member saying, “You have a grandson on the way – that’s something to look forward to.”

People told us staff supported them when they were unwell. One person said, “I fell ill recently, I’ve recovered from that, they looked after me when I wasn’t well.” Daily records showed referrals were made to the GP when people’s needs changed. These were reviewed regularly and communicated to staff during handover.

Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Score:

3

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

Staff felt supported by the registered manager and provider and described the service as a positive place to work. One staff member said, “I have worked with so many care homes but [the provider] is the best.” Another commented, “Fortunately, we have a lovely [registered] manager who looks after [people], staff and the overall wellbeing of the home.” A third member of staff told us, “Our manager listens to everyone and appreciates even the small things that we are doing.”

There was a strong organisational commitment to ensure equality and inclusion across the workforce and that the staff team were recognised for their contributions. As such the provider had implemented a range of initiatives to promote staff wellbeing and recognise good practice. Another staff member told us, “I am proud to be part of the team and feel that [people] are well cared for and supported.”