Merrington Grange

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 told us they liked the care staff, and we saw positive interactions between people and staff. Staff held people's hands when they wanted them to, and we observed people smiling and joking with staff.

People were supported by staff who were empathetic and understood how to meet their individual needs.

One relative told us “We feel that those who support him know him very well, understand his needs and really like him.”

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 person centred and tailored to people’s individual need, identifying people’s preferences and care needs. Relatives told us staff knew people well and understood how best to support them. People who were supported 2:1 wereencouraged to take part in activities within the community. Activities within the home such as the Makaton Choir were noted as being enjoyed by residents and staff.

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

Where people could not verbalise their choices, processes were in place for staff to ensure people could make choices, when possible. For example, pictures of different items were available to people to support them with making choices around what they wanted to do or what they wanted to eat or drink. We were told people had choices over how to decorate their own rooms.

Photographs used in care plans and placed within the manager’s office showed examples of service users maximising their independence.

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 understood people’s needs well. For example, when a person showed through their body language they were becoming distressed, staff would respond appropriately and quickly. Guidance in care plans was detailed and outlined various ways to engage with people. Relatives shared with us how well they felt staff knew their loved ones.

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

The registered manager and deputy manager engaged with staff in regular supervisions, appraisals and team meetings. Staff felt management were open to listening and felt supported and valued for their contribution.