Aspect 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 80 (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.

One relative told us, their loved one ‘gets on with all the staff’ and described staff as patient. The relative went on to tell us the care their loved one received was excellent. They told us, “They have made [person’s] life bearable.”

One person told us staff were available to talk to if they needed anything.

Staff demonstrated an understanding of how to maintain people’s dignity. One staff member explained how they are sure to engage in sensitive conversations in a private place, away from other people.

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.

Care records captured people’s life history, preferences and needs. They outlined how individuals wished to be supported, as well as their likes and dislikes.

Staff understood people’s individual needs and how best to support the person. One staff member told us, “We get time to read the care plans. They are informative. They contain an ‘All about me’ section and you can read their likes and dislikes, but you get to know [the person] working with them as well.”

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 wellbeing.

People told us they had a choice about how they spent their day. One person told us how sometimes they chose to relax and sometimes they engaged in activities outside of the home. People were encouraged to take part in a life skills programme where they were supported to engage in activities to strengthen their everyday skills and improve their quality of life. This included domestic tasks, managing their health needs, medication, and finances. This had led to people successfully moving on to independence in their own homes, with a decreased amount of support.

Staff knew how to promote people’s independence and gave several examples of how they do this. One staff member told us, "We always promote independence. I always try to encourage [person] to shower in the morning and take pride in their appearance." And another explained "I don't do everything for them. I do it with them. I'm here to empower them.”

One person told us they were being supported to develop greater independence when accessing the community. We observed a discussion where the person expressed pride in their progress and a wish to further increase their independence. The registered manager took the time to clearly explain the steps involved in achieving this.

Relatives praised the progress their loved ones had made since moving into the service

Team meeting minutes and handover records indicated that managers consistently promoted and reinforced the importance of supporting individuals to become more independent, with this topic being regularly revisited.

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 to meet people’s needs, with one relative describing staff as ‘brilliant’. A healthcare professional told us staff go ‘over and above to meet people’s needs’

The management team demonstrated a responsive approach to meeting individual needs. One person told us they were supported to move to a room which had shower facilities that better met their needs.

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

The provider valued their staff team and responded to any requests for flexibility with their working hours when needed. Staff members were able to work around caring responsibilities and family commitments.

Staff members were valued by the management team. One staff member told us, “Every staff meeting we get recognition." Another staff member told us, “I feel like I've gotten better as a person through working here."