Meade Close

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 changed to requires improvement. This meant people did not always feel well-supported, cared for or treated with dignity and respect.

The service was in breach of legal regulation in relation to treating people with respect.

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.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff engagement varied depending on their skills, knowledge, and confidence.

We observed some staff worked well with people and understood their individual needs. However, others appeared less confident with little meaningful engagement with people. This was supported by some of the relatives we spoke with who felt some staff were more proactive than others when engaging with their family member.

Relatives also felt people’s personal belongings could be better treated. Whilst looking around the home we also saw labels had been stuck on the front of people’s wardrobes to signpost staff where people’s belongings should be stored. This was not always being done, with some wardrobes left untidy. This was to be addressed with staff. Relatives said more attention could be given to areas of personal care, such as facial hair, cleaning of nails and oral care. A review of records showed staff recorded these tasks had been carried out. However, we were told oversight was to be strengthened to prevent tasks being missed or inaccurately recorded; any poor practice would be addressed.

People’s relatives spoke positively about relationships they had with individual staff members and felt their family members were generally well cared for. We observed staff assist people in a dignified way when providing personal care support. People were supported discreetly and in private.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences.

People’s care plans were personalised and contained information about their individual wishes and preferences. Staff spoken with had a good understanding of people’s needs and wishes and treated them as individuals. Healthcare professionals who visit the home said, “They [staff] all seem to have great relationships with the residents” and “The person I support is very happy living there.”

Activities and opportunities were planned based on people’s individual preferences. We were told some people no longer had access to external day care provision. Alternative arrangements were being sought and additional support hours had been funded so people could be supported to take part in activities of their choosing. The relative of one person spoke positively about the action taken by staff following changes in day care support. The team had made alternative arrangements so the person could take part in a variety of activities such as shopping, skiing, and attending shows.

Whilst looking around the home we saw people’s bedrooms were very personalised, reflecting their individual personalities.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences.

People’s care plans were personalised and contained information about their individual wishes and preferences. Staff spoken with had a good understanding of people’s needs and wishes and treated them as individuals. Healthcare professionals who visit the home said, “They [staff] all seem to have great relationships with the residents” and “The person I support is very happy living there.”

Activities and opportunities were planned based on people’s individual preferences. We were told some people no longer had access to external day care provision. Alternative arrangements were being sought and additional support hours had been funded so people could be supported to take part in activities of their choosing. The relative of one person spoke positively about the action taken by staff following changes in day care support. The team had made alternative arrangements so the person could take part in a variety of activities such as shopping, skiing, and attending shows.

Whilst looking around the home we saw people’s bedrooms were very personalised, reflecting their individual personalities.

The provider did not always promote people’s independence; people did not always have choice and control over their own care.

People were reliant on staff to support them in maintaining their independence, offering choice in their daily routines. As already stated, staffing arrangements were not always flexible and needed to be planned so people took turns in accessing the local and wider community, whilst maintaining adequate staffing levels within the service.

During our visits we saw some people were being supported to take part in community activities. Another person was being supported on a 1-2-1 basis. However, we saw no meaningful engagement taking place with this person. A further person was ‘visiting’ from a neighbouring bungalow and was sat watching television so staff could assist in providing personal care to others.

Relatives and staff also felt there were limitations due to staffing arrangements. One relative said, “Overall, I feel [person] is well cared for and I have never felt they were very unhappy; however, her happiness seems less than before. I believe this is due to a reduced understanding of her needs and changes in staff."

The provider understood people’s needs. Staff responded to people’s needs to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Relatives spoken with said staff responded appropriately to people’s changing health care needs. One relative told us, “[Person] has recently been poorly. [Staff] pushed for the GP to attend and sought advice from 111 as well as keeping family informed.” Another said staff recognised potential triggers which impacted on the people behaviour. We were told, “Staff seem attentive to [person] needs, especially when they are vocal.”

The provider cared about and promoted the well-being of their staff. A recent change had taken place within the management team. Senior managers were providing on-going oversight and support. New management appointments had been made helping to strengthen leadership and provide further stability and support for the team.

The staff handbook provided information about a number of incentives to staff helping to promote their well-being. This included; Employee Well-being Rewards, Stream - any day can be a payday and discounts and vouchers to save on everything from your weekly shopping to your next holiday or family day out. Staff also had access to ‘employee assistance programme’, a confidential helpline and well as access to a free online GP service.