The Berrys Carehome

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 stayed the same. This meant people were supported, cared for and treated with dignity and respect.

This service scored 65 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

We observed warm and respectful interaction between staff and people who used the service. Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect.

People told us the staff were kind and caring. A person told us, “The staff help me in lots of ways, and I help them in the kitchen.” Another person said, “I like going out with [name of person], we are good friends.” A family member told us, “[Name of staff members] have long and consistently demonstrated a thoughtful approach and towering patience. [Name of staff member] is extremely caring and kind.”

Staff knew people’s personalities and likes and dislikes well. People were comfortable around staff and able to approach them. We observed people chatting, laughing and communicating their needs. A staff member told us, “When someone is in a low mood, I spent time sitting with them, listening to their worries, and speaking calmly. I encourage them to take part in a small activity they enjoy.”

People were not always treated as individuals. Their individual needs and preferences were not always understood and reflected in their care, treatment and support.People’s protected characteristics such as culture, ethnicity or religious needs, including those relating to their sexual and gender identity, were not recorded in their care plans. A staff member described everyone as white, heterosexual but was not sure of their religion. Whilst staff knew people well, we could not be assured that people’s identity was considered when assessing and reviewing their plan of care.

Care plans, whilst individual, were not always written in a person-centred way. This included ways in which to describe some people’s behaviour and daily lives. They did not identify people’s involvement in their plan of care and were not written in a way they could access or understand.

Meetings of people who used the service were held every 3 months. People’s ideas and views were discussed but it was not always clear what had been actioned and what the outcomes were. People had signed to say they had agreed to the notes taken.People’s bedrooms were decorated according to their preferences and were personalised. People had access to and shared all areas of the service, including the open plan kitchen and dining room, lounge, shower room and downstairs toilet.

Staff supported people with their personal relationships and sexual safety was considered and monitored to keep people empowered and safe. The care manager told us, “At The Berrys, we firmly believe that relationships, personal choice, and autonomy are fundamental to achieving a fulfilling and meaningful life.”People’s communication needs were met to enable them to engage in their care, treatment and support to maximise their experience and outcomes. We observed good interaction with people who had different ways of communicating and staff were gentle and encouraging in both physical and verbal ways to support people to express themselves.

We were not assured the provider promoted people’s independence, choice and control over aspects of their social and leisure time. The care manager told us, “We currently have 1:1 provision (14 hours weekly) allocated for only one person to access the community. We, as a provider, also ensure that other people who do not have 1:1 are regularly supported to go out into the community.” The staffing rotas and shift arrangements we saw with only 1 staff member available did not provide details of when staff were or had been available to support people, either in a planned or spontaneous way.

We saw some daily records which identified what people had been engaged in doing around the service, and if people had gone out shopping, to the cinema or somewhere to eat. Some people pursued their hobbies such as football, having a beer and playing games. One person had learnt to use YouTube cooking videos to make dishes of their choice. A staff member told us, “Doing this with [name of person] had significantly boosted their independence and self-esteem.” However, staff were not always proactive in offering creative and age-appropriate opportunities for people to engage in.

People were supported to maintain relationships and had access to their families and advocates where needed. People had visitors to the service and families were actively encouraged to visit. There were no restrictions on visiting. A family member told us, “The staff are welcoming when we have visited.”

Staff responded to people’s requests for support and took time to communicate and engage with them about their immediate needs. Staff knew people well and could anticipate what they needed and how they liked their support to be provided. They responded to people’s needs quickly enough to avoid any preventable discomfort, concern or distress.

We observed staff providing genuine gentle exchanges with people which were affirming of what people were saying or doing. A family member told us, “[Name of person] has a nice family there and a good routine. They have their hair cut, new clothes and shoes and look nice when we see them. They have made a life.”

Staff felt valued and treated in a way which supported their well being. People were supported by staff who felt valued by their leaders and their colleagues. They had a sense of belonging and the ability to contribute to decision making.Staff told us their workload was manageable. They felt listened to and the provider was responsive to their suggestions, views or concerns. A staff member told us, “[Registered manager and care manager] are friendly, supportive, and honest. They talk openly with staff, which helps keep morale high.”

Staff supervisions, appraisals and staff meeting minutes showed how staff were supported and there were opportunities for feedback. A staff member said, “We are always looking for betterment and that never stops. We have meetings including everyone who belongs to The Berrys and take decisions towards what we can do to be better.”