Brighton Road

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 inspection we rated this key question Good. At this inspection the rating has remained Good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect.

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.

Staff treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. People told us staff treated them with kindness and respect.

One person told us, “I feel safe and well looked after because the staff are kind to me.” Another person said, “I think the staff are great. They are always nice to me.”

People appeared comfortable in the presence of staff. Staff told us most people using the service were independent with personal care, however some people needed reminding for example to shave or with oral care, and some people needed a little support to wash and dress. A staff member told us they always gained people consent where the person needed support with personal care. They made sure people’s privacy and dignity was respected by closing doors and windows.

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.

People’s care records included sections that referred to things they liked to do and their cultural and religious needs and their preferences for personal relationships.

We observed people were free to spend time doing the things they enjoyed. Some people travelled independently to places of interest for example to see family and friends or to watch a local football team and some people were supported to attend church on Sundays. We observed one person sat in the garden smoking a cigar, he was accompanied by a staff member.

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

People had individual activities plans, some people attended day centres, some carried out voluntary work, one person worked at an allotment and played football and some people liked to access the local community. Individual activities for people also included music sessions, cooking, lunches out, attending church services, yoga, domestic tasks, horse riding, movie nights and independent walks. The service had a minivan for group activities such as trips to the seaside, local farms and garden centres. The service also had a small car for individual appointments and shopping. One person told us they liked a specific band who they had seen on numerous occasions around London supported by staff. They told us they had already made plans to see them again later this year.

A staff member told us, “Most people want to help around the home, when they wake up, they like to get involved. One person will recycle, another person likes emptying the bins, another likes to mop the kitchen floor, and another person likes to load the dishwasher.” One person told us they were the fire warden for the service. During one of our visits, they carried out a fire drill and check on the fire alarms system. People assembled at the front of the home in line with the services fife evacuation procedure. The fire warden signed fire log sheet, and a staff member helped them to record the names of all the people on the premises at the time of the fire drill.

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.

We observed staff were on hand when people asked for support with their needs, for example we saw staff supporting people at lunch time with their dietary preferences. We also saw people supporting each other when they need help, for example one person opened a bottle of soft drink for another person when the cap was too tight.

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

There were systems in place to support staff and help them to develop within their roles. Staff were supported to complete training relevant to the needs of the people they support. Regular team meetings were held promoting better communication and enhancing staff well-being. A staff member told us, “When I attend the team meetings I can make suggestions, other staff can speak their minds too. Every one’s opinion matters. The managers will work with suggestions.” The registered manager told us staff also had access to a confidential help line in case they needed support with personal issues or with their well-being.