Ampersand

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

The key question of caring continues to be rated good. We assessed the quality statement ‘Independence, choice and control which has been assessed as good. People were supported to be as independent as possible. Staff supported people’s rights and gave them choices about their care and support.

This service scored 70 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

We did not look at Kindness, compassion and dignity during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.

We did not look at Treating people as individuals during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.

Staff described how they supported people with choices and maintaining their independence. Staff told us, "We ask the residents where they want to sit, and do. We know the residents very well and tend to have idea of what they want. We observe and offer help to people. For example, if a resident is sleeping in their chair we would ask them if they want to go to their room for a nap. Whatever people can do for themselves we let them. For example if they can wash their face, we let them do it instead of taking over." Another staff member told us, "We know the residents very well and understand what they like but we still ask them." A staff member described how they assisted people to make choices, "When I’m assisting a resident to dress, I present two clothes and let them pick one. We (staff) discuss menus with them before. If they change their minds when the food is being served we offer them other options. We know what each person can do we encourage them to do it even it is something very small." Staff explained how they respected people's choices, "I make sure residents are given choice. They tell me when they want to go to bed, their choices are respected. Giving them independence gives them control. I encourage them to do what they can do by themselves."

We observed the lunch time meal, people were asked if they wished to have their lunch in the dinning room, most of them chose this option. The tables were laid whilst they were sitting there and condiments were placed on the tables they were also given a choice of drinks to have with their meal. Everyone who was having pork chops had their meal first and there was plenty of staff around to support them with this from cutting up their food to offering support to eat to those who needed it. One person became very agitated and left the dinning room the staff were quick to follow them to offer them reassurance and spoke to them in a calm way before bringing them back into the dinning room to finish their lunch. In the afternoon we observed people asleep in the communal lounge, staff told us this was people's preferences. Staff asked people if they wanted to go back to their rooms for a nap, but everyone chose to stay in the lounge.

People told us staff knew them well and how they liked to be supported. One person told us, “ Most of the staff know me very well”, and another told us “ Yes the staff know what I like to do and know my family are important to me”. Relatives told us, staff gave people choices including meals and about personal care. One relative told us, "They always offer them choices – but (name) can be a bit naughty, they do not always want a wash, or a shave. I know the staff respect his choice but they can’t do anything other than encourage him."

People's care plans and risk assessments included what people could do for themselves. There was guidance for staff about how to support people to be independent, such as supporting a person to give their own insulin injections. Staff set up the injection pen with the correct amount of insulin and then the person gave themselves the injection. There were processes in place to review people's plans when their needs changed including when people's abilities improved or fluctuated. Care plans included guidance for staff to support people with mobilising and how to adapt this support to make sure the person remained as independent as possible depending on how well they felt.

We did not look at Responding to people’s immediate needs during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.

We did not look at Workforce wellbeing and enablement during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.