Lychgate 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 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 spoke positively about the approach and attitude of staff. One person told us, “Staff are really friendly.” A relative said, “Staff are very friendly and they always chat to [family member], not over them.”

During our inspection, we observed warm and respectful interactions between staff and people using the service. Staff spoke positively about people and demonstrated a good understanding of the importance of maintaining dignity and respect. A staff member told us, “I go the extra mile by spending additional time with residents who need emotional reassurance, helping with personal preferences such as hair care or room organisation, and supporting them during difficult moments. Staff work hard to provide a good service and maintain dignity and respect.” Another staff member said, “I believe providing compassionate care often means offering reassurance and support beyond the minimum expected standards.”

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 records contained information about people's likes, dislikes, routines, interests and life experiences, which staff used to deliver personalised care and support. Staff knew people well and were able to describe their individual needs, preferences and the things that were important to them. This helped to ensure people received care that reflected their wishes, promoted their independence and supported their wellbeing. A staff member told us, “We have a resident who follows a vegetarian diet due to their religious beliefs. Staff and management ensure they are provided with a wide range of vegetarian meals, which are freshly prepared each day. Extra care is taken to ensure their food is prepared safely and separately from meat items in line with their beliefs.”

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 supported to maintain their independence and make choices about their care and daily lives. A staff member told us, “Although there is a planned menu, before every meal staff ask residents about their preferences, offer alternatives, and cater to their individual needs and choices.”

Staff supported people to access the community and attend activity events at the service. A person told us, “I am going out soon [staff member] takes me out, I went out yesterday.” A relative said, “I am really happy [family member] goes out weekly to a coffee shop; they have game nights; [family member] will play snooker or football.” Another relative said, “I believe my [family member] is able to access the community when it is safe and appropriate for them to do so. Staff carry out risk assessments on the day and work with [family member] to plan activities, appointments, and outings.”

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 responded to the call system and carried out regular checks to monitor people's needs and respond promptly when support was required. Staff demonstrated a clear awareness of people who needed closer observation or more urgent assistance and took action to ensure their needs were met in a timely way.

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

We observed a calm and positive atmosphere at Lychgate House, where staff worked effectively together to provide good-quality care and support. Staff told us the provider treated them well and supported their wellbeing. A staff member said, “I feel appreciated because our directors encourage staff to share ideas and continuously look for ways to improve the quality of care. This creates a positive working environment where everyone works together to achieve the highest possible standards for our residents.”

The provider recognised staff may have individual needs and told us, “We recognise staff may have different needs and reasonable adjustments may be required to prevent someone from being disadvantaged at work.”