Woodside

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 service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.At our last inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection 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 90 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The service 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.Feedback from people, relatives and healthcare professionals was overwhelmingly positive. One relative said, “It is exactly how we want our family member to be treated, with utter kindness and devotion. It is always with love and acceptance and makes [person] feel valued. [Person] is very important to the staff and this shows.” Another relative told us, “I cannot fault the kindness they show, they treat [person] with the upmost dignity and acceptance, and I know my loved one is happy and loves their staff.” A health and social care professional told us “I believe that the people within Woodside are very well looked after and are consistently treated with dignity and respect. Staff demonstrate a caring, person‑centred approach and work proactively to support residents’ safety, wellbeing and quality of life.” Our observations confirmed these views. Interactions between staff and people appeared genuine, respectful and person-centred, creating a welcoming and homely atmosphere throughout the service. Staff knew individuals exceptionally well and supported them to engage in meaningful activities. Every interaction reflected patience and respect, promoting autonomy and enhancing emotional and physical wellbeing. This culture of kindness and compassion was embedded in everyday practice, ensuring people consistently experienced exceptional care that prioritised dignity, respect and choice.

The service 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 service took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.Care was highly personalised, with people always treated as individuals. People’s bedrooms reflected personal tastes. The home was planning an imminent revamp and redecoration, and the people had been in the heart of how the home will look. Celebrations were tailored to each person, with birthdays marked by personalised parties and gifts, this included gifts to family members from the person. Regular themed events, such as Mexican night, pizza night, quizzes and national celebratory days created vibrant opportunities for continuous social engagement. People’s religious and cultural needs were respected, with staff supporting individuals to attend local church services regularly.Monthly photos and summaries of activities captured what mattered most to people, ensuring their likes, dislikes and feelings were heard and acted upon.This proactive and person-centred practice empowered staff to tailor care that promoted autonomy, dignity and emotional security, ensuring people received individualised care. Relatives and external professionals were overwhelmed by the large choice of varied activities available. One relative said, “There is always something going on, and [person] is always doing something new and interesting, they are living their best life.” Another relative told us, “Without a doubt they give [person] an incredible life, the staff will just bend over backwards for this, [person’s] social life is incredible, I don’t see them because they are always out, clubs in the evening, boat trips, making and maintaining friendships.” A health and social care professional said, “I have never seen a home where activities and trying new things is paramount, there are no boundaries to what people can try and enjoy.”

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People had choice over how their care was delivered and how they spent their time. The promotion of independence was a focus for the service. People had visitors as and when they wished. People with families were encouraged and supported to keep in touch. The service regularly put on events for families and people to get involved with. The importance maintaining relationships was a priority for the service. Staff encouraged people to do as much as they could for themselves. The atmosphere at the service was vibrant, with people involved in a wide range of activities at the service and in the wider community. People also enjoyed down time. Various assistive technologies were being used to support people with their independence and promote inclusion. Care plans reflected people's wishes and promoted their independence. They included the activities people enjoyed and wanted to take part in.

The service 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.The service was highly responsive to people’s individual needs, preferences, and changing circumstances. Staff were consistently available to tend to people and were able to instantly provide person centred care. The ways in which staff responded to people’s immediate needs was exceptional. People had specific staffing requirements both inside and outside of the service. As a result, people had been fully supported to increase the amount of time they spent going out in the community and were also able to do what they wanted and live a fulfilled life. Staff prioritised people's needs, wishes and comfort. Knowing people well helped them anticipate when people might need support to avoid experiencing preventable discomfort or distress. We observed people did not need to wait for support when they needed it from the staff team. The people living at the service had multiple health conditions. Staff were knowledgeable and fully aware of how to support people in any situation at a moment’s notice. Health and social care professionals were complimentary about the service and staff. One professional said, “The care team know the individuals who live in this service really well and provide supportive and individualised care.” Another professional told us, “Implementation of my input is instant.”

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. There was commitment to the wellbeing of staff. Staff felt able to approach the management team if they were concerned about something or were experiencing challenges because of their personal situations. The service had implemented a Mental Health First Aider. Staff praised the management team for respecting their diversity, treating them kindly and fairly. The service was proactive in their approach to their staff team morale and ensuring the staff felt appreciated. Staff’s wellbeing was discussed during supervision meetings. The registered manager told us,“We have a lot of recognition schemes in place, both small; as well as bigger schemes. When staff support at a moment’s notice we like to provide recognition, this may be with a small gift as a thank you. We have on going team building events, which could be a social meet up or a visit to a water park for team building. On the anniversary of one of our people passing away we all got together and had pizza. This was to enable the staff to acknowledge what they did for the person and remember them.” Staff feedback about working at the service was positive. Comments included, “Staff preferences are always considered by management”, and “The management think about our wellness all the time and will make sure we have our breaks and this includes them stepping in to support.”