Richmond Village Aston on Trent DCA Also known as Richmond Retirement Village

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 85 (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 respectedtheir privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People and relatives told us staff treated them with dignity and respect and expressed staff were kind and compassionate. One person said, “I am treated very well; the carers are good. They help me to get in and out of the bath and are very aware of my privacy as they wash me. They put towels over me as soon as I am out of the bath and dry me off.” Others told us, “The staff are caring, professional and do a very good job” and “The carers are very polite, kind and caring.”

Care plans were written in a compassionate and dignified way, demonstrating the provider’s strong and embedded commitment to respectful, empathetic, and person‑centred practice. Staff were motivated to provide compassionate care, feedback from people showed that they

provided support and care with empathy and attentiveness. A staff member told us, I treat people how I would treat my family member, being calm, listening and always being respectful.”

A professional also told us they were treated with professionalism by staff and leaders. They commented, “On every occasion I have communicated with the registered manager and the wider team, they have been responsive, accommodating, and proactive. The registered manager in particular, has always been professional, respectful, and extremely helpful balancing professionalism with a genuinely kind and personable approach.” This reflected a deeply embedded culture of kindness and respect that extended across all interactions, both internally and externally.

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’s health, social and personal needs were assessed and monitored frequently which ensured their care was person-centred. People’s individual needs and preferences were detailed in their individual care plans, containing information which was important to them. This included their individual needs, preferences, routines, life history and goals, enabling personalized care delivery. Staff understood the importance of treating people as individuals and followed their care plans.

The provider was exceptional at promoting people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and well-being.

People felt staff supported them with their independence. A person said, “The carers provide the care I need in order for me to live as independently as possible.” A relative told us, “[Relative] walks with a stick, and the staff encourage them with their mobility; staff always make sure that the stick is next to [relative], so that they can walk around the apartment independently. The encouragement keeps my [relatives] mind going.”

Staff understood the importance of promoting people’s independence and choices. Staff encouraged people to do as much as they were able to for themselves prompting their independence. A staff member said, “We always offer choice to our residents and let them continue with their own independence.” We reviewed information on how the service had made positive impact on people’s lives. For example, one person had been supported to return home and live independently, following a period of experiencing difficulties. Staff support included support with medication, daily living tasks and companionship, which helped the person regain their independence and confidence. Another person was receiving care and support from staff enabling them to continue to live independently in their apartment, which was important to them. This showed people were actively involved in making choices and maintaining their independence.

The service was set up to work collaboratively with the provider’s independent living and assisted living services, as well as the care home on the same site. This meant where people’s independence increased or decreased, they would be supported to move between services to ensure the support received was appropriate to their level of independence.

People who received care in their own homes had access to a wide range of meaningful opportunities across the village that enhanced their independence, choice and well-being. This included the wellness spa, library, gardens café and restaurant. People and relatives spoke extremely positively about the wide range of activities, and the support to encourage people to participate and get involved. Comments included, “There are lots of activities here that you can join in if you like. I go to the chair exercise 3 or 4 times a week, and we have quizzes. You can join in if you like, and I’m happy here. I’m on friendly terms with all the carers. Lots to do, and

people to meet.” And “[Relative] is very active, they go to the pool, the cafe, the restaurant, has transport to the supermarket, goes to Pilates class, mind focus groups and is very social. Nothing but praise how the service supports to do all this.”

People across the village had access to the ‘Good Neighbour Scheme,’ which was led by the ‘Residents Association’ and provided informal support, companionship, or reassurance between neighbours, enabling people to feel connected and independent. People had the choice to be part of the scheme if they wished.

Leaders also told us people could access the ‘Falls Support Group’ which had been successful at one of the providers sister villages, explaining it was based on an NHS falls programme and facilitated by the registered manager. People were supported to contact the GP if they had concerns around falls and provided support and advice to rebuild their confidence. Monthly wellness check clinics also took place, offering weight and height monitoring to support people to maintain their health and independence.

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.

People told us they felt supported and that their needs were met by staff. A person told us, “I couldn’t be safer. The carers make sure that everything is ok.” Staff told us they would take action if they were concerned about people’s needs and understood how to escalate concerns. This included seeking help when there was a change in a person’s needs or in an event of an emergency.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

The provider had developed a ‘Love working here’ plan with the aim of creating a fun and inclusive workplace, which looked after staff, supported career development and progression and strong leadership. This included actions such as career conversations, departmental appreciation days to celebrate staff contributions, and the introduction of a ‘protecting our people’ policy to help staff feel safe at work.

Staff spoke positively about working at Richmond Village Aston on Trent DCA and praised the support from management. Staff expressed they felt valued and respected by management. Comments from staff included, “I always feel my work is valued by my manager who always shows their appreciation to us” and “Yes, I do feel valued and I enjoy working at Richmond Village Aston on Trent DCA. It’s a nice place to work and they are very accommodating.”

The service promoted an inclusive culture; leaders told us they supported and respected the diversity of staff. Records showed staff had undertaken equality and diversity training. The ‘Be

you at Bupa’ initiative promoted a culture of belonging and psychological safety encouraging staff to be themselves.

Robust systems were in place to support staff to speak up, such as a listening hour and an open-door policy. Staff told us they felt listened to. A ‘You said, We listened’ initiative was in place so staff could see how their feedback was being used to make changes. Following feedback from staff, investment into staff facilities had been made. This included a ‘Reflection’ room for staff, which was used as a quiet space.

The provider had various benefits, incentives and rewards in place to show staff appreciation. The provider held a staff day, which celebrated staff and their achievements also providing an opportunity for staff to bond and build friendships. Fun videos and slideshows were created to show staff how much they were valued by colleagues, leaders and people who used the service. Staff were able to nominate one another for providing excellent care. An internal social networking site was well used to recognize and thank staff for their efforts.