Radcliffe 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 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.

Due to identified risks, staff carried out regular observations of the young people while taking into account their individual needs. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the young people, including their likes and dislikes. Interactions between staff and young people were seen to be polite and good-humoured. Both young people spoke positively about specific staff members they felt comfortable approaching for support. One young person commented, “They’re great, the staff are good."

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.

The service used a ‘model of care’ framework to inform the development of individual support plans. This framework outlined the process staff were to follow when planning and delivering care, with the aim of supporting young people to develop their independence and achieve their short and long term goals.

Training had been delivered by the Occupational Therapy team on the use of activity planners and to improve staff understanding of the assessments completed with the young people.

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

Both young people were subject to agreed restrictions, with individual staff support provided throughout the day and night to manage identified risks. Daily routines were flexible, allowing the young people to make choices about how they spent their time. Opportunities were available away from the home, including activities such as shopping, attending the gym, walking, and swimming. Arrangements were also being made for the young people to complete a programme of education.

Staff described their approach to promoting independence, including supporting the development of daily living skills. “We encourage them in making their meals, doing their laundry and preparing them for adulthood” and “Showing them how to do things, then giving them space to try on their own. Being there to guide, not take over and allowing them to make mistakes and learn from them.” However, both young people expressed that there could be further opportunities to participate in meaningful activities within the home.

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.

The young people were supported by a small staff team. A programme of training was in place to help equip staff with the skills required to meet the young people’s complex needs.

The internal multidisciplinary team (MDT) included occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and mental health professionals. The MDT supported staff in developing and implementing strategies to manage identified risks. Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) plans were in place, providing guidance for staff on how to respond in different situations and reduce distress. These plans were regularly reviewed by the MDT.

Individual sessions were held with the young people, providing opportunities for private discussion with staff. Communication within the team was supported through daily handovers and regular team meetings.

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

Staff said the team worked well together. Staff said they were kept informed about any changes in need so they supported the young people in a way they wanted and needed. Information was shared through the handovers, debriefs and team meetings.

We saw information was also provided in the staff handbook to help support staff well-being. The provider has an Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential support from a qualified counsellor who can offer personal support.

Policies and procedures were also in place to guide and support staff. These included, whistle blowing, bullying and harassment and stress management which outline systems to support staff.