Cygnet Hospital Maidstone

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• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

We reviewed all 5 quality statements in the caring key question. This means we looked for evidence that the service involved patients and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last inspection we rated this key question as Requires Improvement.

At this assessment the rating has changed to Good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care. Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness. They respected patients’ privacy and dignity. They understood the individual needs of patients and supported patients to understand and manage their care, treatment or condition. Staff involved patients in care planning and risk assessment and actively sought their feedback on the quality of care provided. Staff informed and involved families and carers appropriately. However, records did not always show when a patient had received a copy of their care plan.

We have not awarded this service a score for Caring.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Caring.

We scored this quality statement 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff were discreet, respectful, and responsive when caring for patients. We observed all staff interacting with patients in a compassion and caring way. Staff gave patients help, emotional support and advice when they needed it. Patients said staff were friendly and there were always staff around if they needed support.

Staff had good rapport with patients and were actively engaging in therapeutic activities. We observed positive and engaging interactions between staff and patients, such as playing pool together, during an art therapy group and preparing for a walking group.

Staff supported patients to understand and manage their own care, treatment or condition.

Staff directed patients to other services and supported them to access those services if they needed help.

Staff understood and respected the individual needs of each patient.

Staff felt that they could raise concerns about disrespectful, discriminatory or abusive behaviour or attitudes towards patients.

Staff followed policy to keep patient information confidential.

We scored this quality statement 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service 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, unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

The service made adjustments for disabled patients – for example, by ensuring disabled people’s access to premises and by meeting patients’ specific communication needs.

Staff ensured that patients could obtain information on treatments, local services, patients’ rights, how to complain and so on.

The service offered a variety of good quality food. This was now clearly displayed on the ward, stating which week recipe timetable was being offered. Patients had a choice of food to meet the dietary requirements of religious and ethnic groups and to account for allergies and intolerances. The chef met with patients regularly as part of the weekly community meeting to get feedback on the food available. The hospital employed a dietician who could support with nutritional and dietary advice.

Staff ensured that patients had access to appropriate spiritual support. The ward had a weekly outing to a local church, which the patient group had requested. The hospital had a multifaith room available for patients to access. Chaplains visited the wards regularly.

We scored this quality statement 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff involved patients and gave them access to their care planning and risk assessments.

Patients told us they knew their rights. Patients had access to advocacy and advocates regularly attended the ward.

The ward held regular community meetings, which had a structured agenda and were well-attended by patients and staff. Patients could give feedback on their care, the ward and receive updates from key staff such as the ward manager, hospital leaders, catering and housekeeping.

Staff introduced patients to the ward and the services as part of their admission. The ward had a welcome pack available for each patient on admission, introducing them to the ward.

We scored this quality statement 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service 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 aware of and dealt with any specific risk issues, such as absence without leave risks, substance misuse, and care planned for these accordingly.

Staff identified and responded to changing risks to, or posed by, patients.

Staff used de-escalation techniques to reduce the need for physical interventions when patients’ behaviours became heightened. We observed staff reacting quickly to increased agitation in patients. We saw positive behaviour support plans in place, which helped guide staff in ways to de-escalate patients according to their wishes.

We scored this quality statement 3. The evidence showed a good standard. The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff felt respected, supported and valued.

Staff felt positive and proud about working for the provider and their team. The provider recognised staff success within the service. The service celebrated success through staff awards and takeaway for staff teams that had completed 100% of their training. The hospital has a range of staff focused events, such as colleague appreciation day, national admin day, catering and international nurses’ day.

Staff had access to support for their own physical and emotional health needs through an occupational health service. The dietician also supported staff through nutrition advice as part of weekly bulletin.

Managers supported staff who needed time off for ill health. Levels of sickness were low across the hospital.

Staff appraisals included conversations about career development and how it could be supported.