Walsingham Support - 1 Ashley 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,dignityand respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key questiongood.At thisassessmentthe rating has changed torequires improvement.This meant people did not always feel well-supported, caredforor treated with dignity and respect.

This service scored 45 (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 did not consistently demonstrate kindness, empathy, or compassion towards people. During a Sunday afternoon site visit to the home, agency staff were present on shift. We asked the agency staff to tell us the names of people they were caring for and what their likes and dislikes were. The agency staff Were not familiar with the names of those in their care despite working in the home on several occasions. When questioned further they told us to speak to permanent staff if we had more questions.

We observed staff staying in the kitchen despite people needing support. We also observed agency staff to be sitting at the table on their phones whilst people sat in front of the television.This feedback was relayed to the registered manager following the visit, leading to prompt corrective action.

We also received some feedback about staff purchasing items of clothes for people which resulted in undignified care for one person.

Nonetheless, several positive and caring interactions from other staff members were noted. Overall, relatives reported significant improvements since the appointment of the new registered manager,stating that people were treated with kindness and perceiving staff, in general, as kind and compassionate.

One person required personal care to be provided by female staff and the registered manager confirmed this always happened.

The provider did not always treat people as individuals or make sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. The provider was not meeting the principles of Right support, right care, right culture because they had failed to develop personalised plans to help meet people’s needs. People were not always engaged in structured, planned meaningful activities in the home. We spoke to the registered manager about this,and they explained lack of staffing as a consideration However, we observed staff had opportunities to provide activities in a group setting, yet this was not considered as an option.

During our observations, we witnessed an incident involving an agency staff member who moved a person to behind the sofa area while other people were eating. This action constituted restrictive practice. We promptly brought this matter to the attention of the registered manager to ensure appropriate oversight and consideration of people’s rights and well-being.

People were supported to maintain relationships which mattered to them. Family and friends were welcomed, and staff gave people the privacy and space they needed to be with and enjoy time with their family members or friends.

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. There was no evidence to suggest people were given choice with the food they ate. We observed staff deciding on what people ate and whilst there was a menu it was not always followed.

“We observed staff supporting people to eat without offering any choice. Food was placed directly in their mouths, even though the care plan stated they should have small bites and be encouraged to take breaks.”

Another person was able to use a specialist piece of equipment to eat, but staff did not provide this, they supported the person to eat in silence.

Due to staffing issues people were not able to attend events which were important to them such as religious events. The registered manager recognised this needed to be reviewed as people’s needs had changed since moving into the home.

Relatives told us people had choice about their clothes and how their room was decorated.

The provider did not always listen to and understand people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff did not always respond to people’s needs in the moment or act to minimise any discomfort,concern or distress. Due to the staffing levels at times people had to wait to receive support. For example, one person needed to go out but there was not enough staff available.

We observed incidents occurring in the lounge when 1 person was distressed, the impact could have been avoided if staff were present there.

However,we observed staff listening to people and taking their time to respond in the moment to minimise any discomfort. Where people had limited communication, we observed some staff supporting people in a caring and compassionate way,anticipating their needs and acting promptly to ensure people had the support they required and were not distressed.

The provider supported staff wellbeing. Staff told us they felt well supported. One staff member said “I do feel supported by the register manager, she is approachable and listens to us staff. I feel comfortable going to manager.”

Staff told us they felt there was good teamwork, and they supported each other,and they confirmed they had regular supervision and were given the opportunity to send feedback to the provider.They also felt if they had concerned the provider would address them.

Staff feedback from a recent survey showed staff were very happy in relation to their role and teamwork.