Helen Ley 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 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 described a caring and respectful staff team. Comments included: “All the staff are very good, the care I get here is great”, “I am so happy with all the staff, not a problem with any of them”, “The staff are very caring, I can’t fault them” and “They are always respectful and kind.” All the staff we spoke with demonstrated a high level of compassion towards people. One staff member explained, “The key is remembering these people had different lives before their accident. I talk to them about their interests and values and try and incorporate these in their treatment. I remember who they were and who they still are.” Staff understood and respected the individual needs of each person and showed understanding, a non-judgmental attitude, and a desire to maintain their dignity when providing care for them. One staff member commented, “All quality of care is important to the simple fact of being compassionate and showing respect and dignity.” During our on-site assessment we saw kind and respectful interactions between people and staff and the atmosphere was calm and relaxed. Even when staff were busy, they retained their caring and professional composure in their interactions with people and each other.

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. People recognised they needed high levels of support from staff but valued the fact their preferences and choices were known and respected. During our on-site assessment we observed exchanges which demonstrated staff knew people as individuals. One person told us, "What amazes me is that all the staff know your name. I had been here a week and went through the lounge, and they all knew my name. Knowing my name makes it a personal touch to it being my home." A relative commented, “[Name] has a morning routine, it is her choice and if she wants to change it she can.” Some people had chosen to have a higher level of privacy and control over their bedrooms. This was clearly signed so staff and visitors to the home could respect people’s rights and choices. Staff received mandatory training in equality and diversity and explained how they adapted their approaches in response to people’s personal preferences. One staff member told us, “It is about learning and understanding the individual and what they want. You have to put yourself in their situation and if you can do that you will be a good carer because it shows you understand."

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Staff understood the importance of promoting independence and supporting people to regain everyday life skills. For example, risk management plans promoted independence but were flexible in providing a greater level of support when people needed it. People told us how important it was to maintain some independence in their lives. One person told us, “I can go anywhere I like; I am not restricted at all.” Another person explained how they had been able to maintain control over one aspect of their clinical care. This person commented, “I manage it myself and I don’t need any help, and they said that is fine. As much as they allowed me to take control of it, the offer is there for me to have help if I need it." The therapy team offered themed group sessions to meet people’s social, physical and emotional needs, including dance, music, and art sessions. People told us they benefited from these sessions and enjoyed the engagement. One person told us, “The therapy and the activities mix in, it works for me.” Another person told us, “I enjoy the activities and everything we do.” Staff had reasonable expectations about how people spent their time and understood people did not need to be constantly involved in therapeutic activities. People could make their own choices about what they wanted to do and could enjoy unrestricted visiting in the home. Some people told us they would like more opportunities to spend time in the local community. Managers recognised this was an area for further improvement.

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. People and their relatives told us people’s day to day needs were being met. Comments included: “The staff never object to doing anything” and “They are very prompt to do whatever I need.” Staff understood the importance of communicating with people to ensure their needs were known and met. We saw staff responding to people’s immediate needs. During our on-site assessment, the emergency alarm sounded in a person’s room. Staff responded promptly and in numbers to ensure the person’s safety and immediate needs were responded to without delay.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff told us they felt supported by their team and the wider staff group. They told us if they had an issue, they felt they could raise it with the senior management team and they would be listened to. Staff told us there was a well-being package they could buy at a discounted rate through the provider. The package gave them access to private dental, medical and counselling services. In addition, staff had access to a limited number of free counselling sessions to support their mental wellbeing.