Marian 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 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 65 (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 were treated with kindness, compassion and respect. People told us staff were kind and they had good relationships with staff and others living at the service.

A person told us, “The staff are nice, I can have a laugh with them.”

Staff spoke fondly about the people they cared for. Staff were kind and supportive when caring for people. They spent time with people and engaged in conversations about subjects which interested the person. Staff and people appeared relaxed. Staff smiled and laughed with people throughout our visit. Staff were quick to reassure and comfort people when needed.

Relatives told us staff were caring and kind.

The provider did not always treat people as individuals or make sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They did not always take account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

People’s religious beliefs were recorded; however, information about people’s disabilities was not consistently recorded and this could lead to unmet needs, for example sensory disability and cerebral palsy. Staff spoken with clearly understood people’s individual needs and how best to support the person. A staff member told us,“We know people’s needs really well.” A relative told us, “The staff are all very caring, and [person’s name] really loves the staff.”

The provider did not always promote people’s independence, so people did not always know their rights and have choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Care plans did not consistently provide staff with guidance about how to maintain and promote people’s independence. People were not actively encouraged or provided with opportunities to increase their skills and independence with household tasks. In addition, the layout of the home limited people’s opportunities. There was only an industrial style kitchen, and people had limited opportunity to access this area.

People were supported to make choices about meals and activities, and house meetings and key worker meetings took place. We observed staff offering people choices about where and how to spend their time and what to eat. Staff explained how they used different methods to help communicate with people and enhance their understanding. This included visual clues, pictures and words in ways people could understand.

Some people attended local day centres and people told us they enjoyed attending these. One person told us they had a ‘good day’. The staff provided support with social and leisure activities at home. These included games, craft sessions, puzzles and cooking sessions. People told us they enjoyed these activities.

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 were available and attentive to people’s needs. Staff acted when they identified changes in people’s needs and told us what they would do to minimise anxiety or distress. Staff were present to provide people with support when needed, and they told us what they would do in an emergency.

Staff spent time chatting to people and encouraging them to participate in activities, including arts and crafts. Staff knew people well and adapted their communication and interactions accordingly. The home worked with health and social care professionals to ensure people’s health needs were monitored.

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

Staff felt supported and enjoyed working at the home. One staff member told us, “I like working here, the manager is supportive and listens.” Another staff member said, “The manager is approachable.”

Staff told us they received the guidance and information they needed to carry out their roles, and this included handovers and team meetings. One staff member told us, “We’re a really good team, we work well together, because we did set shifts we get to know each other well.”