Althorp Grange

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

Staff understood the individual needs of people and supported people to understand and manage their care, treatment or condition. However, activity cancellations due to staffing shortages negatively impacted people’s outcomes, independence and recovery goals.

This service scored 60 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff consistently treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion.

We observed that across all wards, staff consistently demonstrated a caring ethos. Their interactions with people were discreet, respectful and responsive, offering emotional support, practical help and advice.

We observed during a staff huddle staff discussing a person’s family member who recently died. Staff spoke with compassion about the situation and all staff seemed focused on providing the patient with the appropriate care and support during this difficult time.

Staff had completed training in Dignity and Respect with 100% compliance rate.

We observed housekeepers cleaning the wards and doing so in a way that respected people daily routines and privacy.

The provider had introduced Dignity champions on each ward. Dignity champions were responsible for promoting and upholding the principles of privacy, dignity, and respect in all aspects of patient care. Their role included providing peer support and education, raising awareness of best practice, and acting as a liaison between people and staff to ensure any concerns around privacy or dignity were addressed promptly and effectively.

The service 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.

Staff ensured that people could access information about treatments, local services, the hospital safeguarding lead and local authority safeguarding team, how to speak up, their rights, and how to make a complaint. However, there was no information displayed about how to contact the advocate. Staff confirmed that the advocate attends the hospital regularly and can be contacted by people via email or with support from staff.

Staff understood and met people’s personal, cultural, social and religious needs. One person on Kelmarsh ward regularly went shopping for culturally preferred food, supported by staff.

A person on Kelmarsh ward was particular about the shape and colour of their tablets, preferring white tablets over pink. Staff liaised with the pharmacist to ensure the person’s individual needs and preferences were met.

Managers ensured that staff and people had easy access to interpreters and/or signers.

People were offered a choice of meals that met their dietary needs, including religious, cultural, and medical requirements. One patient was provided with finger food to meet their individual needs. Menus were displayed on the wards. People on Lamport ward were asked to select their meals for the entire week every Sunday. Staff and people told us this approach did not always reflect people’s changing preferences or needs and limited their ability to make daily choices. This practice was not aligned with person-centred care principles.

Staff ensured that people had access to appropriate spiritual support. For example, staff had ensured additional staff were available to assist one patient from Cottesbrook ward to Sunday morning church.

The service promoted independence and choice. Regular activity cancellations due to staffing shortages adversely affected individuals’ independence and progress towards recovery.

The provider supported some people to exercise independence and make choices about their care. For example, one person on Kelmarsh ward was working towards self-medicating, and staff liaised with the pharmacist to accommodate their preference for the shape and colour of tablets, ensuring person-centred care.

People were supported to access the community in line with their preferences and risk assessments. One person regularly went shopping for culturally appropriate food and attended church with staff support. Another patient enjoyed barefoot walks in the garden and was supported to do so safely through positive risk-taking.

However, staffing shortages sometimes impacted people’s ability to exercise choice and control. Two people told us they were unable to go on leave at nights and weekends due to insufficient staffing. One carer also reported that their relative’s therapy sessions and leave had been cancelled because of staffing issues.

The provider did not ensure people had access to a range of activities that promoted and support their independence, health and wellbeing. Staff told us that activities and one-to-one sessions were planned daily but were frequently cancelled due to staffing shortages. This impacted people outcomes and recovery goals.

While people were generally involved in care planning and had access to advocacy services, there was a lack of visible information about how to contact the advocate. This may limit some people ability to independently seek support.