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 remained good.

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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

The staff let people know we were visiting the service, so they were aware of our presence and maintained their privacy.

There was warm and respectful interaction between staff and people who used the service. The way staff and managers communicated with people was clear, kind and caring. We observed people being comfortable and at ease with staff and the managers, chatting, laughing and going about their day. Feedback from a professional said, “The service is always welcoming and the person I see is always happy and content.”

Staff knew people’s personalities, likes and dislikes, interests and hobbies. A staff member told us, “I get to know people by spending time with them, reading their care plans and understanding their routines, preferences, communication styles and individual needs.”

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 observed staff treating people as individuals, using their preferred name and engaging with them in topics which were of interest to them. A person told us, “I go out when I want and they know what I like doing.” A staff member said, “I feel I know the people I support well. I understand their routines and likes and dislikes as well as what may cause them anxiety or distress. This helps me provide care that is personalised rather than treating everyone in the same way.”

We saw in the care plan people’s protected characteristics had been recorded. This ensured staff were aware of people’s backgrounds, could meet their religious, cultural and lifestyle choices and their rights were upheld and respected.

Feedback from a professional reflected the personalised approach staff took. “The staff are not only highly skilled but also incredibly passionate treating people with dignity, respect and warmth at all times.”

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

Care plans identified what people could do independently, where they needed support, and how they preferred their support to be provided. One care plan we saw contained the person’s aspirations and goals, how they were fully involved in achieving them and their plans for the future. One of these included enrolling on a course at a college to learn new skills.

The rota arrangements meant that staff could work flexibly where needed to support people’s social and leisure interests. People had chosen a holiday and helped staff with organising their time away. One person had a milestone birthday and a party had been organised with relatives and staff gathering together to help them celebrate the day.

The daily records showed what people had been engaged in doing around the service, and in the community, shopping, eating out and pursuing their interests and hobbies. A staff member said, “I treat everyone with respect and give them choices wherever possible. I encourage people to do things independently rather than doing everything for them.”

People were supported to maintain relationships which were important to them 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.

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.

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 being genuine and compassionate with people and were supportive of what they were saying or doing. There was an easy relaxed but professional approach to care and support.

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

Staff felt the provider valued and respected them as people and for the work they did in supporting people at the service. Staff talked with pride about caring for people and how supportive and inclusive the management team were.

Staff were able to contribute to the development of the service. They felt listened to and their views and ideas acknowledged, being fully involved in making the recent improvements to the service. This included implementing the new care planning system, fire safety and on call rota arrangements. A staff member told us, “I get the opportunity to make suggestions and raise issues with the manager or senior staff. I feel that staff are generally listened to and given the opportunity to explain their concerns. I have been able to raise practical issues around the day-to-day running of the service and discuss possible solutions with the team.”

Staff supervisions, appraisals and staff meeting minutes showed how staff were supported and there were opportunities for feedback. A staff member said, “Staff meetings give us an opportunity to discuss the people we support, changes in needs, activities, health and safety, training and any issues within the service. Staff are encouraged to contribute and give their views.”