The Glen Private Nursing Home

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 outstanding. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.
 

This service scored 95 (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 was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. Interactions between people, staff and relatives were warm, friendly and relaxed. People and relatives without exception spoke highly about the care delivered by staff and managers. The actions of staff helped people and their relatives feel confident in the care delivered. A relative told us ‘They [staff] have been so caring, they are very, very kind to both of us. It feels like we are working together, we are all trying to look after [relative].” Some relatives spoke about their initial reluctance to consider a care home for their loved one, and their feeling of stress and guilt in relation to this, but found that the high-quality care, support and attention to detail provided by The Glen Private Nursing Home had alleviated these concerns. Relatives told us, “The Glen [Private Nursing Home] has given both myself and my family great peace of mind. It has relieved any feelings of guilt we had about [relative] moving to a care home, as we know they are safe, supported and well looked after” And “My [relative] is very happy here, its amazing because I can finally sleep at night. My relative used to need a lot of support from us, but [relative] says they don’t need this from us now, we spend time together now visiting, not as carers.” Relatives told us staff worked hard to get to know them and the people they supported, and treated people with dignity and respect. A relative told us, “It’s that subtle way of staff knowing little things, like [relative] likes a toasted tea cake. They [staff] always introduce themselves when supporting someone and say what they are doing.” A person told us about how staff’s approach at the service had a positive impact on their well-being. They said, “Staff here call you by your name, it makes you feel like a real person.” The staff team worked with people and their relatives to understand what dignity meant to them, there was a dedicated dignity champion who led on this work. A staff member told us, “We had a tea and cake morning with people, their relatives and us, we talk about dignity and what this means for each person.” The service had built positive relationships with visiting professionals. A professional told us, “I feel the service has a very close and positive relationship with our organisation that has been built over many years of trust and experience.”

The provider treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. The provider took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. The provider understood the importance of getting to know what was important to people and their families and was by their needs and preferences. Where people had religious or spiritual needs staff and managers ensured people were able to continue their practice. This was achieved through community links with local organisations, services and volunteers. Where community access was not possible or preferred, the service ensured that activities took place at the service, either as group activities or as one-to-one support. For example, regular hymns and bible study sessions were available alongside separate visits to individuals from a chaplaincy service. A local toddler group visited the service on a regular basis and feedback from staff evidenced the benefit of this. A staff member told us, “A lot of the people we support used to be teachers, so the small children coming in is really valuable. They sing songs together, read books and plant flowers, people absolutely love it.” These initiatives had a positive impact on people’s well-being.

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 were consistently supported to have choice and control over their care, treatment and wellbeing, and staff showed a clear understanding of what mattered most to each person. Independence was encouraged and actively prioritised, with staff empowering people to do as much as possible for themselves while providing the right level of support at the right time. People’s goals and aspirations were supported through meaningful, collaborative working between staff, managers, people using the service and their relatives. This approach ensured care was highly personalised, aspirational and outcome focused. Records consistently evidenced how staff used targeted, individualised support plans to help people regain confidence, skills and independence. One person told us, “I want to go back to my home, the staff are supporting me to move more and supporting me to do the things for myself.” This reflected the service’s strong commitment to enabling positive outcomes. Our observations confirmed that people’s choices were always respected and independence was actively encouraged in everyday practice. Staff demonstrated compassion, patience and encouragement, particularly where people lacked confidence. For example, one person was observed stating they wanted to walk with support to the dining room but felt a nuisance asking for help. Staff consistently demonstrated empathy and warmth by responding with kindness and reassurance supporting the person to maintain dignity, confidence and independence. This evidenced a values led approach that was consistently demonstrated by all staff. People using the service experienced an outstanding range of personalised entertainment and activities, which were designed around their individual interests, life histories and personal preferences.Activities were reviewed regularly and adapted based on people’s wishes, abilities and changing needs, ensuring they remained meaningful and inclusive. A relative told us, “My [relative] used to be mad on horses, they arranged for ponies to come and visit the home” and “The types of activities change dependent on the needs of people in the home, they adapt to the residents.”
 

The provider was exceptional in how they 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 responded to people in a timely and caring manner. People using the service benefited from strong, positive relationships with staff, which meant their needs were recognised and responded to quickly and effectively. Relatives and people were fully involved in care planning and goal setting, and staff actively supported them to work towards their agreed goals.Staff were dedicated champions who took ownership of specific area of care, for example nutrition, moving and handling and infection control. People with specific needs received prompt and effective support, as evidenced in care records. For example, one person arrived at the service underweight. During their stay, staff provided targeted support that helped the person gain weight and return to a healthy level, which reduced the risks of malnutrition and skin integrity concerns. People with new or changing needs received proactive and well planned support. Records showed that staff and managers acted quickly to make sure their skills and training remained up to date. For example, the service introduced a dedicated Parkinson’s champion within the home who oversaw staff training and supported high quality care for people living with Parkinson’s disease. This ensured people were supported by staff who were highly skilled in relation to their individual needs.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff received regular training, supervision and appraisals to support them to complete their roles well. Staff spoke highly of the support they received from the management team. A staff member told us, “The manager is really accommodating for both work and personal issues, it’s a really good place to work.”