The Haven

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. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

A staff member told us that people had grown in confidence over the past two years. We asked how this had been achieved. They said, “Staff encouragement, working at each person’s pace, and consistency in the staff team.” They said people felt safe with staff who knew them well and this had helped them to try out new activities and to grow in confidence.

Staff knew people well and how best to support them. We observed a warmth in the interactions between people and staff. People’s relatives spoke very positively about the relationship between staff and their loved ones. One person’s relative said they spent time with staff when their loved on needed medical attention. They said, “I could not have asked for better care, attention and caring response from the staff.” A health professional told us, “From what I have observed, his team treat him with kindness and compassion.”

Staff spoke with us about how they ensured people’s privacy and dignity, and we observed staff supporting people to ensure their dignity was maintained. A staff member told us, “We need to be in vigilant with people due to epilepsy, but there are ways of providing support. For example, we can be in the same room with a curtain half drawn so that we can speak with the person but still give them their privacy and dignity.”

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 were able to choose what they wanted to eat. Staff told us, that one person would lead staff to the fridge or freezer if he wanted anything different to the menu.

Each person had a keyworker, and a monthly keyworker checklist was completed. Records included information about wellbeing, activities, goals, health, and contact with family. People’s families valued the regular contact with staff and the updates they received. A relative told us, “The newsletter has been great as I asked for some way to be kept in the loop/kept up with what he does all week. The newsletter has addressed that, and the photos included are a really nice touch.”

A social care professional told us, “I genuinely look forward to my visits and I feel appreciated. Staff are kind and the home is well managed. The clients always come first.” A relative told us that they were very happy with the care provided. They said their loved one had “Gone from strength to strength.” They said, “We are very lucky to have him there.”

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

Each person had their own preferences in relation to how they spent their time. When we visited, the home was busy, reflecting people’s active lives. Each person received one to one support so they could go out daily. There were opportunities for people to go out for meals and café trips and shopping for personal items.

People were encouraged to take part in household tasks. Those that were able were encouraged to take their plates back to the kitchen after their meals. They were also supported as needed to do tasks such as loading the washing machine or emptying it. People were encouraged to make drinks and to make their own breakfast and lunch where appropriate. Staff told us that two people loved baking and one person liked to help with food prep and cooking.

Staff supported people to maintain important links with family and friends. People, met with or visited their relatives and where needed staff support was provided. Phone calls were also facilitated. Once a month a staff member took one person to visit with their relatives. The relatives confirmed this and said, “He likes to visit and spend time with us, “But when he is ready, he will give us a big hug and sign to staff ‘home.” They said that this gives them confidence to know he is happy at the Haven.

Staff told us that they used to have supermarket deliveries but now they go out and do the shopping twice weekly and people are involved in this activity. People enjoyed walks to the park and bus or car rides. An aromatherapist visited the service weekly to spend time with each person.

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.

Each person received one to one support so staff could respond to their individual choices and decisions daily. Staff told us that sometimes activities were planned but people indicated that they did not want to do the activity, so they always offered alternatives. Staff told us they were more consistent in using Makaton signing (a form of sign language) and using objects of reference to help people make informed decisions about activities.

A relative told us, “If [Person] expresses through his body language that he doesn’t want to go out, the staff have got to know him well enough that they understand and respect that. I feel reassured that they have got to know him and do understand him when he tries to communicate his wants and needs. I can’t really ask for more than that.”

One person was finding the stairs difficult, so when a room became vacant on the ground floor, they were offered the choice of moving down. This had worked well and had lowered the risk of accidents and incidents.

One person had certain routines that they needed to follow. This sometimes caused them to delay mealtimes. A staff member told us, “We need to give him space and when he is ready, he will eat. When he is hungry, he will go in the kitchen to indicate he needs food. If we try prompting him to eat food, he won’t, until he decides he is ready.”

A person’s relative told us, “They know when he is in pain, the subtle and not so subtle clues. They know him better than us. If there is a problem, they are straight on to it and call the GP.”

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

Staff told us they felt supported and could go to either the registered manager or the deputy when they needed advice, guidance, or support. Staff told us they did not need to wait for supervision as they knew the door was always open if they had any concerns or worries. A staff member told us, [Registered manager] is very supportive and approachable.”

All staff attended supervision every 3 months and had an annual appraisal. They had opportunities to discuss their development and raise any concerns, including those relating to their own health and wellbeing. Staff meetings were also an opportunity for staff to share their views and receive support as needed.