Hazel Homes for Autism

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.

Feedback from relatives about the kindness and care shown to their family members was wholly positive. A relative told us, “The carers are good and look after my [family member]. They look after them so well.” Another relative said, “The staff look after [family member] well. Every time I go there [family member] is always happy and laughing…I think [staff] care very much for them.”

Healthcare professionals that worked closely with the service, also gave positive feedback. One told us, “They are supporting their residents and providing a good quality of life.”

The home was warm, welcoming and homely. Pictures and objects around the environment were specific to people and illustrated their day to day life and activities they took part in. Relatives commented on the family like atmosphere at the home. A relative told us, “[Family member] is very comfortable there and I know to them this feels like their home. [Family member] likes to visit us but wants to go back there.” Another relative said, “The [people using the service] are like siblings. They all have very different needs, but they are always still together.”

Interactions between people and staff were kind, respectful and caring. Staff were attentive and responsive when people communicated their needs and wishes. They encouraged people to express themselves and they listened. Staff provided care and support discreetly whilst maintaining people’s dignity. When people wanted to spend time away from others in the privacy of their bedrooms, staff respected their right to do so.

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.

People’s choices and preferences were used to plan their care and support and meet their individual needs. Staff understood how to treat people as individuals and provided care and support in line with their needs and preferences. A staff member told us about one person, “[Person using the service] is Muslim so we provide halal food here and when we go out we make sure they only get halal food.”

Managers monitored and reviewed people’s care and support to make sure care plans reflected their current needs and preferences.

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

People had choice and control over how their care and support were provided. This was reflected in the way their care was planned and delivered. For example, people’s daily routines and activities were based on their personal choices, preferences, and needs.

Staff offered people choices and supported them to do as much as they could and wanted to, with activities of daily living. A relative told us, “They make sure they give [family member] a choice as this is what is important… I would like [family member] to be independent and do more…and now they can make their own food with supervision, to make sure they don’t get burned or hurt. [Staff] showed me a video of them making a pizza.”

Managers reviewed people’s records to make sure these remained up to date and current about people’s choices for their care and support needs.

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 knew people well and observant to the signs, triggers and other factors that might cause people to become anxious or distressed in the moment. They minimised the risk of discomfort or distress to people in the way that was most safe and appropriate for them. A staff member told us one person could become anxious about undertaking certain activities. They explained that they followed the person’s positive behaviour support plan, respecting the person’s needs in the moment and providing appropriate support to help them prepare. They told us, “[Person using the service] needs time to process things before they will agree to do it.”

Managers made sure staff were focussed on responding appropriately to people’s needs. The registered manager told us, “The people we look after, if you act in a way they are not used to this can unsettle them. So, I talk to staff to make sure they follow plans and not overcompensating.”

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

Staff were supported in their roles by managers. They told us managers were approachable, supportive and willing to listen to any concerns they had about their work. A staff member told us, “[Managers] are very supportive. If I need anything I come straight to them and they will help me and give me advice.”

Managers met with staff to identify and provide any additional support staff needed to carry out their roles effectively. The registered manager told us, “Like tomorrow, for example, we have staff training and a meeting and that is an opportunity for them to meet. There are 4 teams and it’s a chance for them all to get together. This gives them more time to spend time together and they have an opportunity to interact and have conversations where they share ideas and learning and good practice.”