Blair 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 and respect and staff supported them in ways that promoted their dignity. Staff were seen supporting people in a calm and respectful way. A visiting professional told us staff were proactive and sensitive to people’s needs. A relative told us, “The home has a feeling that we are all family.” Relatives spoke positively about the care people received. One relative said, “As long as my loved one is happy, I am happy.” Another said, “The home and the care they provide is brilliant, they are always helpful.”

People were treated as individuals and staff understood their preferences, routines and what mattered to them. Staff supported people in ways that reflected their choices and communicated with them in approaches that suited their needs. People’s bedrooms were personalised which helped support their identity and sense of individuality. Staff responded to people in a considerate and respectful way and adapted their support so care remained person centred.

People were supported to make choices about their day-to-day care and encouraged to maintain as much independence as possible. People said they were able to make choices about how they spent their time and were supported to do activities they enjoyed although some said they would like more opportunities when staff were available. Staff adapted support so people could make their own decisions, for example choosing when to go out or spend time with others. A relative told us, “The staff team have supported my loved one to grow in leaps and bounds, they are full of confidence.” People said they could move freely around the home and had access to their friends and family. Staff encouraged people to be involved in daily routines in ways that promoted independence and respected their preferences. People said there were occasions when they had to wait or take turns to do activities because staff were shared across a large group which reduced flexibility. However, staff and managers worked within the constraints of the service to support people to be as independent as possible and to provide regular opportunities for people to go out and take part in activities they enjoyed.

People received prompt support because staff paid attention to their needs and responded in ways that reduced discomfort and distress. People said staff helped them when they needed support and staff noticed when someone became unsettled or quieter and offered reassurance. Observations showed staff were present and attentive in shared areas which enabled them to respond quickly when people required help. Staff adapted their approach when someone needed space or calm and supported people sensitively when they felt worried. Staff also sought medical advice promptly when a person became unwell, which helped ensure their immediate needs were acted on.

Staff were supported in their roles and managers promoted a culture where staff could seek guidance and raise concerns when needed. Staff said they could approach colleagues or senior staff for support and felt able to speak up when they had issues. Managers told us there were wellbeing support networks in place and staff received regular supervisions which helped them feel supported in their roles. Staffing levels matched agreed arrangements, although people and staff felt additional staff would have improved flexibility during busy periods.