Ribble Valley 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 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 had not always ensured that staff treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

We read staff notes written to describe the emotions one person expressed and saw they were not always written in a compassionate way and did not promote the person’s dignity. We shared this with the manager and provider who said they would discuss this with staff members.

We observed staff talking to people in a respectful way and providing encouraging and caring interactions, which had a positive effect on people. Comments from people included, “Staff are very respectful and kind here,” “I'm happy with the staff, they are lovely. I have no complaints with any of them. Everybody is nice,” and “The staff are so good here.” One relative told us they had raised concerns with management about the attitude of a couple of staff, which was investigated by the management team. A second relative said, “I think the staff are very fair and kindly with people.”

The provider took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Staff treated people as individuals and made sure their care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences. Staff were able to tell us people’s preferences such as when they liked to go to bed and how they liked to be supported in the morning.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. One person told us, “I can go to my room whenever I want. I like to get up late. They [staff] help me get dressed and they help me choose what I wear.”

The provider and staff made sure people were engaged in meaningful hobbies and interests and provided activities that were truly personalised. We spoke with the staff member who oversaw activities, they told us, “I invite ideas and listen to people. I can learn about their past and develop current interests.”

After chatting with one person who was initially quiet and withdrawn, they discovered they used to grow their own vegetables and make soups. They were now provided with fresh vegetables and supported to make their own soups. This has promoted their wellbeing, and they now interacted more with others and engaged in a variety of activities.

A second person used to enjoy growing their own herbs. The person had bedroom doors that opened onto an internal courtyard. The provider built a raised bed near their bedroom doors so they could continue to grow their own herbs. They also built a small fence around the doors so they could maintain their privacy and enjoy their herb garden and outside space independently.

The provider also arranged for a guitarist to visit and sit and discuss guitars with a person who had said they liked acoustic music.

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Records showed the provider had acted on feedback from people.

We saw various occasions during the assessment of staff taking action quicky and effectively for people who required support. One person said, “I have a call bell. They always come when I use it.”

Staff told us they knew people’s needs well to recognise when someone was in pain or distress. There was a good level of communication and daily handovers took place to share any concerns, so staff could be alert to anyone at risk of clinical deterioration. During inspection someone became unwell/suffered a fall, staff took action to contact the paramedics immediately.

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 valued by the management team. They said they had regular opportunities to discuss any suggestions or concerns they had, and they were listened to.