Heathside Retirement 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 80 (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.

We received very positive feedback from people and their families. People told us, ‘The staff are very helpful and kind’ and ‘I can’t fault them in any way.’

We observed people being treated with dignity and respect. Visiting professionals reported no concerns about the care being provided and told us people had positive relationships with staff.

We observed staff were sensitive to people’s needs, offering care discreetly to ensure peoples dignity was respected at all times.

Staff reported no concerns. They told us, ‘Yes, there is a culture where people are treated with dignity and respect. All the staff care’ and ‘I treat everyone like they are part of my family.’

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.

There was a stable staff team where staff knew people very well. This supported person centred care. Information about people’s personal, cultural, social and religious needs were assessed initially and updated as the staff got to know people better. This information was in the care plans we reviewed.

We observed staff chatting with people and people told us staff made the time to get to know them as individuals. We observed good relationships that appeared to have been built over a period of time. People told us, ‘I would say the staff know my likes and dislikes. They do spend time to have a chat when they can.’

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, ‘I have a key worker. [Staff] knows that I don’t want to lose my independence, so I dress myself. I have had to give way a bit on the showering. I do shower myself, but I have to have someone with me now for health and safety.’

We observed staff supporting people to do what they were able to. They did not deskill them by automatically completing a task without consideration of the individual’s abilities. People were not rushed.

The home recognised the importance of activities and employed staff to provide a diverse range of activities, both in groups and one to one. They used technology and had invested in improved broadband so people could use computer tablets and iPads to shop online and to facilitate virtual calls and visits. The service has also embraced virtual reality technology to engage people in activities, to the delight of people using the technology.

People had access to the community and entertainment and activities were also regularly provided by external groups.

People told us, ‘I’ve just had my nails done. There are activities. We do hand and arm exercises and play bingo. They keep us occupied’ and ‘There are plenty of activities. Exercises, bingo, arts and crafts, and there are always a lot of outside entertainers coming in. The staff also take me to the pub up the road that does a quiz every week, so I enjoy and look forward to that.’ A visiting relative told us, ‘They do a lot of activities. The Zumba lady comes in, the hairdresser, chair exercises, they have a lot of parties, and they invite all the relatives to them. We have had some lovely times here. They make everybody welcome and encourage everyone to join in.’

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.

The home was very calm and there was a good atmosphere throughout the inspection. Staffing levels were safe, and communal areas were always staffed. Staff were responsive to people’s needs, and we did not observe anybody waiting inappropriately for care. One or two people were observed sitting alone but when prompted by staff to join the other residents they chose not to, and this choice was respected.

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

Staff told us they felt valued, and they were very positive about the support they received.

The management team were visible, hands on and there was an open culture where staff felt able to access support when required. Staff told us, ‘[Manager] really looks after you, you can approach [manager] with anything. [Manager] is kind and understanding’ and ‘We are like a family…they take care of our wellbeing and provide support.’