South Cary House

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 outstanding. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 told us they were treated well. One person said, “We’re small, it’s like a family, we know each other well.” Another person told us, “The staff are very nice and very helpful.” Relatives spoke positively about staff. One relative said, “They’re really nice staff and they’re caring. That’s all you need, staff that make a home. Mum really likes it if she’s happy, I’m happy.”

Staff spoke about people in a warm manner. One staff member told us, “We [staff] all try our best for the residents." We observed staff knocking on doors to people’s rooms before entering. Staff were available for people. Some people preferred to spend time alone, and this was respected.

Professionals felt welcomed by staff. One professional told us, “Staff are very caring for all my patients.”

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.

Staff called people by their preferred names. Staff were able to spend meaningful time with people. One staff member told us, “I have really good rapport with [person], I love making her laugh.” People’s cultural beliefs were respected. One staff member told us, "During lent [person] likes to go to church service" and “Vicar sometimes does Holy Communion.”

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

People told us they had choices and were in control over their lives. One person said, “I have a very active diary; on Thursdays I take part in the art sessions. I wasn’t able to do art when I was in school so it’s nice to be able to do it now”. Another told us, “I do something every day.”

People’s independence was promoted. One person told us, “I like to be independent; staff ask me if I need anything.” One person used adapted cutlery for their meals, which meant they could eat independently.

Staff enabled people to be in control over their lives. One staff member said, “We ask people what they want to do.” This reflected our observations during the assessment. Staff consistently encouraged people to make choices, for example during meals and when choosing to participate in activities. This meant people were supported in a way which enabled their independence and autonomy.

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 told us that staff responded to them promptly. During our visits we observed staff responding to people quickly. One person was calling out from their bedroom as they could not use their call bell and staff attended to them immediately on multiple occasions. Some people had additional measures in place such as sensor mats, to enable staff to respond to them.

Staff understood the importance of responding to emergency situations quickly. One staff member told us, “When the emergency call bell goes we all get there as soon as we can.” Staff told us they knew people well, so felt confident with identifying changes. This meant people’s needs were met without delay.

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 enjoyed working at South Cary House, they felt supported by the managers and the team. One staff member said, “I am definitely appreciated and valued here.” Staff told us they would recommend South Cary House as a place to work.

The manager listened to staff they told us, “Staff reported that their previous shift times were too long, so we reviewed them and reduced them.” There was an on-call system to support staff outside of management working hours. The manager told us that they placed great importance on staff mental well-being and had previously adjusted rotas to enable staff to access counselling appointments. This meant staff well-being was maintained, enabling them to provide good care.