Herons Park Nursing 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 staff were carrying and compassionate. A person told us, “The staff are sociable and friendly, there seems plenty of them”. Another person’s relative told us, “They are very caring, very much so”.

We undertook a Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI), which is a method used to observe how care is delivered in practice, particularly for people who may not be able to communicate their experiences verbally. During the SOFI, we saw numerous caring and meaningful interactions. Staff were warm, attentive and encouraging, and consistently supported people in a way which upheld their dignity and comfort.

Throughout the inspection, there was a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Positive relationships between staff and people using the service were evident, and staff clearly knew people well. They used this knowledge to tailor their approach, enabling them to offer reassurance and compassionate support. Care and support were delivered in line with people’s preferences and wishes.
People’s privacy and dignity were consistently respected. Staff provided support in a discreet and sensitive manner and ensured people could spend time alone when they wished.

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 and their relatives told us staff knew them well and treated them as individuals. Staff were able to describe people’s individual preferences and demonstrated they knew people well. Staff respected people as individuals and encouraged to them take part in activities of their choosing. For example, one of the residents enjoyed cheese and a specific type of wine. The service accommodated this and launched regular, inclusive cheese and wine tasting socials for people, their relatives and friends. We saw people and their relatives enjoyed a selection of wines, cheeses and snacks in vibrant community atmosphere.

Care plans included detailed information about people’s life histories, preferences, and what was important to them. The environment supported people’s independence. For example, some people used dementia-friendly furniture with half open design so people could see what clothing was in their drawers.

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 encouraged and supported to do as much as they could for themselves, to maintain and develop their independent living skills. People’s care plans reflected this approach, what they were willing and capable of doing for themselves safely, and what they needed staff support with.

People were supported to maintain relationships with family and friends, which was important to their wellbeing. A person told us, “My relations visit me regularly they come at all times.” Another person said, “Visiting is totally flexible, weekends as well.”

Information about significant relationships was recorded within care plans to help staff understand what mattered to people. Relatives were invited to take part in events and activities with people.

Staff told us when people chose not to take part in group activities, they were offered one-to-one activities tailored to their interests and preferences. Staff also encouraged people to maintain their independence by supporting their strengths and involving them in everyday activities. During our inspection we saw staff encouraged a person to walk independently as far as possible.

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 were observant and responsive to changes in people’s condition. They monitored people closely and took time to communicate effectively, ensuring they understood what people needed in the moment.

We observed staff responding to people in a calm, caring and reassuring way. Staff offered immediate support when people appeared distressed or in need of reassurance. Systems were in place to monitor response times of call bells and other methods of requesting support, which showed staff responded promptly to people’s needs.

Care plans for people who might experience periods of anxiety or distress provided guidance for staff on any known triggers, how to recognise signs of anxiety and the steps they should take to relieve this. Staff we spoke with knew people well and were able to describe in detail how they would support people during these periods and steps they would take to promote calm.

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

Staff felt supported, valued and able to carry out their roles effectively. They described a positive working environment where colleagues and managers offered help and encouragement. Staff were provided with training to give them the knowledge and skills to carry out their day-to-day roles.

Supervisions were carried out regularly, and any concerns could be raised and addressed. Staff told us the manager held regular staff meetings, but there was also “daily catch ups” to ensure any changes were known. A member of staff told us, “At our supervision, we can put forward our ideas as we know people so well, and their needs change, we put forward to line manager, and they would listen.”