Field House Residential Care Home for the Elderly

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. We observed positive relationships between people and staff. Relatives told us, “They [staff] are brilliant, very caring and kind” and “They [staff] treat us with respect, always have a smile on their faces.” Another relative said, “The staff are lovely, they do treat [family member] as well as me. I feel [family member] is safe; they are very easy to talk to and very approachable.” Staff were observed speaking to people in a gentle and supportive way, taking time to explain what they were doing and ensuring people were comfortable. Professionals noted that residents were treated with dignity, kindness and respect, and that staff knew people well.

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. Care plans were personalised, reflecting cultural, social and religious needs alongside communication preferences. People and their relatives told us that staff took the time to get to know their family members as individuals. Staff were repeatedly referred to as “patient” and “kind.” A relative told us, “They [staff] definitely do not rush, they are so gentle.” Another family member said, “They [staff] always have time for [relative], they are always attentive and they make [relative] feel like they belong there- it’s [relative]’s home.”

People were fully respected as individuals and encouraged to take part in activities of their choosing. The activities coordinator told us about the “make a wish” initiative in place, whereby individuals had been supported to undertake a range of activities such as attending a football match, going on trips to the seaside and visiting local landmarks. One relative told us, “[Staff member] has taken [family member] to church…whatever they can do for the residents they try to accommodate with what they want.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People were happy with how they were supported by staff and the care they received. Care records included how people should be encouraged to remain as independent as possible. A relative told us how the registered manager had worked with them to promote their family member’s independence, despite their declining health. The registered manager spoke passionately about the importance of people having choice and we saw that supervision, team meetings and spot checks were all used to embed this culture within the wider staff team.

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. People were supported by staff who were familiar to them, which enabled staff to anticipate and meet people’s needs quickly and in ways that was the most effective for the individual. Members of staff demonstrated empathy and care for people.

Relatives told us that their family members needs were met in a timely manner. One relative told us that when their relative used the call bell system, “they [staff] come quickly; they are very good, [name] does not have to wait long.” Staff also ensured that people’s health needs were met promptly. A relative told us, “They [staff] do get a doctor in for [family member]’s chest infections as they have previously ended up in hospital…they are quite quick with anything like that.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Members of staff were well supported by the management team, with regular supervisions and team meetings, alongside more informal day-to-day guidance. Many staff reflected on the changes at the service in the last few years, noting a significant change in culture and the positive improvement to morale. A staff member told us, “I absolutely love it. We are a friendly home, a homely home...we work well as a team. I think we have really got a good system going.” Staff had opportunities for personal and professional development, and peer support was used effectively to share skills and knowledge.