Whitestone Lodge

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating changed to good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 65 (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 treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. For example, people and family members told us staff were kind, caring and respectful towards them. We observed staff speaking with and about people in a kind and respectful way and knocking on doors before entering bedrooms and bathrooms. Staff welcomed visitors including a visiting healthcare professional. People received visits from healthcare professionals in private, we observed a healthcare professional attending to a person in the privacy of their own bedroom.

The provider did not always treat people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They did not always take account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. For example, there was a lack of opportunities for people to engage in meaningful and stimulating activities both in and outside of the home. On the day of our visit people were not offered to spend time in the garden despite it being a pleasant and sunny day. One person told us, “I sit here [lounge] most of the time watching Tele, I’d like to do more.”

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. For example, care records evidenced staff responded promptly when people were unwell, including contacting the person’s GP or 111 services. Staff responded quickly to people’s requests for assistance, we observed staff immediately assisting a person to the bathroom following their request to use the toilet. In another instance we observed a staff member comforting and reassuring a person who was visibly anxious and upset. The staff member stayed with the person until they were settled and regularly checked on their wellbeing.

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. For example, care records evidenced staff responded promptly when people were unwell, including contacting the person’s GP or 111 services. Staff responded quickly to people’s requests for assistance, we observed staff immediately assisting a person to the bathroom following their request to use the toilet. In another instance we observed a staff member comforting and reassuring a person who was visibly anxious and upset. The staff member stayed with the person until they were settled and regularly checked on their wellbeing.

The provider did not always promote the wellbeing of their staff, and support and enable staff to always deliver person-centred care. For example, staff did not always receive individual support to enable them to discuss their work and wellbeing. However, staff told us they felt generally well supported on a day-to-day basis.