Elm Lea Residential 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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People and their relatives told us that they were treated with kindness and compassion. Relatives told us staff treated their loved ones with kindness. They told us, “They are all interested in the residents,” and “The staff are lovely, very pleasant.” Relatives told us their loved ones were happy and well looked after. They told us, “She's always cheerful there. All the residents seem to be happy there,” and “The care I see them provide is good care. The staff they genuinely care about the people there.”

We saw people being treated with kindness and dignity. When people needed support to use the toilet this was done in a discreet way. Care records about people were completed in a kind and dignified way. We observed people looked happy and engaged throughout our inspection. Relatives told us, “He is in good spirits. We ask him and he says he's happy,” and “He’s very happy and it’s good to see. He always has a smile.”

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’s care plans were person centred and detailed people’s life histories. Staff and the registered manager understood how people wanted to be supported in ways that suited them, knowing how much people wanted to be engaged in activities or if they preferred individual activities. Relatives told us, “They always tell me, without me asking what mums been doing, for example that she won bingo” and “Their number 1 priority is [person’s name].”

Staff understood what was important to people and supported them with this. A relative told us, “His appearance was always very important to him. The home has worked really hard to preserve that. He is always well presented. He smells clean. They shave him and support him with all aspects of care.” Relatives told us that staff knew their loved ones well, which was important to them. They told us, “I always get a warm greeting. They all know who I am.”

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

People and their loved ones were able to tell us how staff supported people to maintain as much independence as possible. Staff told us, “We try to encourage people to do what they can. When we offer to give them a bath or a wash, we encourage them to wash themselves. By supporting their independence or choice it helps them.”

Staff told us the important of people being involved in their care, and how they supported people to make decisions. A relative told us, “She chooses her clothes. She likes to wear the same thing, the carers encourage her to wear different things, but she like the same ones. She makes choices. She dresses the way she has always dressed.” Another told us, “She's very independent about her choices and decisions. No one ever tells her she can’t. They accommodate her. The staff are very kind there.” Staff understood people’s right to make decisions and relatives told us that staff took time to talk through things with their relatives. One relative told us that when their loved one chose to spend time in their room this was respected by staff.

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 and the registered manager knew people well and were alert to any changes in their presentation. Staff told us they observed people daily and reported any changes to the senior staff who took action to seek support from other professionals. A relative told us that when their loved ones needs changed, staff and the registered manager adapted their support to keep the person at the service. They told us, “They worked with us to keep him there, to give him a place that felt like home.”

Another relative told us that staff were alert when their loved one’s food and fluid consumption reduced and ensured they were seen by health care professionals to check for any infection. They told us, “From that perspective I know dad is looked after. They are very proactive. I don’t see anything that makes me worry or makes me question if he is going to be ok.”

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

Staff all told us they received good support from the registered manager. Staff told us, “It’s a good home to work in,” and “Yes, I feel very well supported by both management and colleagues,” and “I have always found support available whenever I need it.” Staff received regular support and supervision where they were able to raise any concerns or issues, which they told us the registered manager resolved quickly. The registered manager covered shifts when necessary to enable staff to take leave and to ensure that staffing levels remained consistent.