Breach 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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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.

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.

People told us they were supported by staff who were kind and caring. One person said, “If I had to describe the staff, I would say that they are nice.” Another person told us, “The carers are good; we all get on well together.” People told us their dignity was respected. One person said, “The staff don’t come into my room very often, but when they do, they knock on the door.” A further person told us, “The staff are very respectful. I’ve never heard them raise their voice if I were to see bad treatment. I wouldn’t put up with it, and I would deal with it immediately.” The atmosphere within the home was warm, friendly, and welcoming throughout the visit. People appeared relaxed, comfortable, and at ease in their surroundings. There was a positive and respectful culture, with staff engaging with people in a kind, patient, and dignified manner. All staff had received training in privacy and dignity.

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 told us they were treated as individuals and staff knew them well. One person said, “The staff know what I like and don’t like.” Another person told us, “I think the staff know me. They do talk to me. They ask me what I like and don’t like. I would say they are nice, kind and caring. Some of them are funny and helpful.” A relative said, “They (staff) respect [family member]. They are open with them and treat them as a person.” During our visits, we observed people doing what they wanted to be doing and positive interactions where people seemed relaxed, comfortable and engaged with staff was seen. People were supported to take part in activities which were meaningful to them. For example, one person spent time with a staff member completing a word search whereas other people were having a sing along to the musical Sound of Music. People told us the food was nice. One person said, “I like the food. Most of the time I get what I like. The staff know what I like and what I don’t like because they ask me.” Interactions observed between staff and people were genuine and caring, with staff taking time to listen, respond, and provide reassurance where needed. People were seen to be treated as individuals, and there was evidence of positive relationships having been developed between staff, residents, and visitors.

Care plans had been reviewed and updated. Several care plans we viewed included comprehensive personal backgrounds and life histories. Whereas other care plans we viewed lacked sufficient detail regarding a person's individual history. Despite this people told us their needs and preferences were met. A relative said, “They’ve (staff) made a conscious effort to find out as much as they can about [family member] life. They were particularly interested in knowing their history.”

People’s individual dietary needs and preferences were identified. For example, some people required food which was tailored to specific conditions such as diabetes and records reflected this.

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

People were encouraged to be as independent as possible. One person told us, "I do everything for myself. I can wash myself and dress myself, and I choose my own clothes." Another person said, "I go to bed any time I like in the evening; I decide for myself." Another person talked about how if they did not like what was on the menu, they could choose an alternative, saying, "I don't like having a hot lunch; I usually have sandwiches at lunchtime and a cooked meal in the evening."

People were encouraged to maintain important relationships and connections, which helped promote emotional wellbeing and reduce social isolation. One person said, "I have a telephone in my room, and I can speak to friends and family." A friend of a person using the service told us, "We visit [person's name] once a week. We always sit in the conservatory with them so we can have some privacy." Another person told us how they choose not to attend any resident meetings and did not want to join in with the activities and said, “I enjoy speaking to friends and family on the telephone; other than that, I watch TV and have friends visit me.”

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 responsive to people’s needs. Staff were knowledgeable about each person and knew the care they required to ensure their safety. People and relatives expressed staff were good at responding to people’s needs with a relative telling us how they were concerned about their loved one as they had a mark on their face which they were not sure whether it was eczema or not and said, “Staff had already referred them to the GP, and they had prescribed them some cream.”

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

Staff were dedicated to their roles; they told us they felt supported and enjoyed working at Breach House. They spoke openly and honestly about past challenges and highlighted the positive changes made since the last inspection. Staff demonstrated they were committed to their roles and to the people they support.