Archived: Clitheroe Care 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 remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 65 (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.

Staff treated people with kindness, compassion and dignity; and had a caring attitude towards people and their relatives. Staff were observed to be kind in their approach to people. A relative told us, “The care is wonderful. The staff are very kind and gentle.” A person living at the home added, “I don’t like using the hoist, but [staff] are so kind and efficient I don’t feel scared.”

People’s privacy was respected and upheld. Staff received privacy and dignity training and could explain how they protected people’s privacy. Staff were observed to knock on people’s bedroom doors before entering, and privacy screens were available for use when required.

The provider did not always treat people as individuals or make sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They did take account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

People’s social and religious needs were not always met. Whilst staff were observed to be kind and caring, interactions were sometimes task orientated, and people told us staff did not always have time to sit and talk to them. A couple of people also expressed they would like more visits from the local church, to ensure their religious needs were fulfilled.

However, staff seemed to know people’s needs and preferences well. Care plans included detailed information about people’s personal histories, significant life events and important routines. A healthcare partner told us, “Staff seem to know [people] really well.”

The provider did not always promote people’s independence, but people were supported to know their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

The provider did provide access to some staff led activities and special events, but this was not adequate to maintain good wellbeing. Most people we spoke to told us there was a lack of day-to-day activities and community outings. A person living at the home said, “I would like more organised events and activities, perhaps more card games and bingo.” Another added, “It would be good to have things around for us to do like cards or dominoes, not always put away in cupboards.”

However, care plans promoted choice and control and people confirmed they were able to choose when they went to bed, when they ate and where they spent their time. People were able to enjoy visits from friends and relatives whenever they wanted, the service user guide stating, ‘we welcome visitors to be part of home life.’

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 recognised the different ways people communicated discomfort, pain or distress, including non-verbal cues. People’s care plans included detailed information about the changes to mood or behaviour and other signs of distress staff should be aware of, providing guidance about the necessary response.

Staff responded to people’s needs quickly, to avoid preventable discomfort or distress. People confirmed their call bells were responded to quickly and regular call bell audits were carried out to review the timeliness of staff responses. During our inspection, we observed staff checking on people and responding to requests for help in a timely manner.

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

The provider ensured staff had the necessary resources and facilities for safe working. Staff confirmed they had allocated breaktimes and the registered manager had recently introduced a staff room.

Staff were supported if they were struggling at work or in their personal lives. Staff supervision forms prompted discussions about staff health and wellbeing. In supervision records we reviewed, a staff member was offered additional support to improve their language skills and had been encouraged to consider their work-life balance.

The registered manager explained the steps they had taken to improve staff morale, including hosting a team building event at their own home. Staff confirmed they felt valued by the registered manager and provider. A staff member told us, “Yes, I feel valued. Staff got a voucher at Christmas, and I remember the [provider] calling me and saying I had done a great job.”