- Care home
Jubilee House Care Home
Report from 5 June 2024 assessment
Contents
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
People spoke positively about a caring and supportive staff team. Staff demonstrated empathy and understanding of people and took time to listen to them and respond in a meaningful way. Staff and leaders recognised the importance of people maintaining control over their lives to support their physical and emotional wellbeing. People told us they enjoyed the opportunity to engage in different activities and could choose what they wanted to do. Staff told us they were busy, but their workload was manageable and they felt appreciated by their managers.
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.
Kindness, compassion and dignity
People spoke positively about the caring and supportive nature of staff. Comments included: “The night staff are particularly good and kind. They’re always pleasant, understanding, thoughtful and know how I feel”, “The staff are very caring. They seem to understand and give me time” and, "The staff are wonderful." People told us staff treated them with dignity and respect commenting, "They do respect me. They knock before they open the door. They say my name and ask if they can come in and help me or talk to me” and, "They speak to me respectfully and listen to what I’ve got to say.” Relatives were equally positive. One told us “The carers are amazing. They treat [Name] affectionately, giving their time, cuddles and care and they’ve welcomed us as a family.” Another relative told us, "We think it’s great here. Everybody’s very friendly.”
Staff demonstrated empathy and understanding for people and told us they had time to spend with people and were encouraged to do so by the registered manager. One staff member explained, "My job is about respecting people for the person they are and their choices and preferences. No matter what anyone says, we do get attached and we want what is best for them. We treat them like family." We asked one staff member what made a good member of care staff. They responded, "A good heart. I treat them all as if they were my family, as if it was my Mum or Dad or my grandparent, and I think how I would like them to be treated." The registered manager explained they regularly walked around the home to monitor staff interactions with people to ensure they demonstrated the right values and respect for people. They told us about an occasion when a member of staff had stayed after their shift to cook a requested meal for someone who was nearing end of life. The registered manager explained, "If you can demonstrate to your colleagues that this is how we behave, then that will make it happen through the team. They don’t just treat it like a job."
A visiting healthcare professional told us, “I have never witnessed any behaviour that was not appropriate, and staff have always been very good with people." This healthcare professional told us staff always ensured they saw people in private and people looked well supported with personal care. They told us, "It is always 'the doctor is here, can we go to your room' and I have never had any worries about dignity. Everyone has always been appropriately dressed and well-looked after."
People were treated with kindness, compassion and dignity. Staff were aware of people and took time to listen to them and respond in a meaningful way. For example, during the afternoon a staff member recognised someone was sitting alone while others were joining in an activity. When the person confirmed they did not want to join the activity, the staff member sat with them and started talking about topics that clearly interested the person and brought them pleasure. This relaxed and thoughtful engagement had a positive impact on the person's wellbeing. Whilst staff were generally respectful of people's private space, we saw 2 people were being visually monitored in their bedrooms which was a breach of their privacy. This lapse in the monitoring system was immediately addressed by the registered manager when it was brought to their attention.
Treating people as individuals
People made many of their own decisions about their care, from what time they wanted to get up to managing some of their own medicines. Staff respected and promoted people's individual preferences.
Staff recognised people had individual needs, requirements and aspirations when they came to live at Jubilee House. They gave examples of where they had supported people to maintain their lifestyle choices when they moved to the home. Staff explained how they engaged people in discussions to ensure the support they received met their individual preferences. Examples given were a person who wanted to continue to drive and other people who wanted to carry on smoking despite the known risks. One staff member told us, "It is their home to live as they want to live with a little bit of support."
Our observations showed staff understood people's individual needs. We saw evidence of peoples individual characteristics being celebrated and posters promoted an inclusive culture.
Staff received training in equality and diversity to support their knowledge and understanding in this area. During the pre-admission assessment, people's culture, background, protected characteristics and previous lifestyle preferences were explored. Care plans developed from assessments considered people's strengths and abilities to ensure their individuality was not lost. Processes were in place to explore and celebrate inclusive events such as Pride Month.
Independence, choice and control
People were able to continue living their life as they wished to. One person sitting in the bistro area told us, "I spend most of my days here. I enjoy it as I watch the world go by. I choose not to go to the dining room for my food. I eat here because it is quieter." One person told us they needed a lot of support when they first moved to Jubilee House and explained, “I was holding on to everything for dear life. They asked if I minded them washing me down but now, I’m more able to do things myself and they respect that.” People told us they enjoyed the opportunity to engage in different activities and could choose what they wanted to do. Comments included: "I love dominoes. I don’t think I played dominoes before I came here but I love it", "They always include me in the activities. They know what I like” and, "[Name] does exercise classes, and has her hair and nails done when she needs.” People said they could have visitors when they wished, and relatives told us they felt welcomed into the home. One relative told us, "I’m able to visit and take [Name] out when I like. The staff accommodate that well. It has the feel of a family-type home.”
Staff and leaders recognised the importance of people maintaining control over their lives to support their physical and emotional wellbeing. Staff gave examples of people making their own choices and explained how people had retained independence with staff support. Staff also understood how vital social interaction was for people and valued that they were encouraged to spend time with people and join in activities. One staff member told us, "When there is an activity on, the manager makes sure all staff are able to attend and take part.”
People were treated as unique individuals. We saw staff respected people's choices throughout our assessment such as where people wanted to spend their time, what they wanted to eat and if they wanted to involve themselves in activities within the home. We saw staff understood the importance of people making decisions for themselves and this was promoted.
The provider had policies and processes to support people to maintain choice and control in their lives. This included unrestricted visiting and care plans that contained information about people's lifestyles and preferences for how they spent their days. People were given information about planned activities so they could choose which ones they wished to participate in.
Responding to people’s immediate needs
Relatives told us people’s day to day needs were being met. Comments included: "By and large, they look after her well”, "Staff understand [Name’s] needs", "I think [Name] gets what she wants when she needs it" and, "[Name] has not complained her needs are not being met." One person told us, “You get such good care. They (staff) are so attentive."
Staff and leaders explained how good communication with people ensured their immediate needs were known and met. One staff member told us, "We are always talking to people, asking questions and taking an interest in them. We might notice any changes in their behaviours and then we can take action." The registered manager told us they encouraged staff to spend time with people to build relationships and respond quickly to any concerns or anxieties. They explained, "I encourage the whole team to sit and chat with residents because it could be the maintenance person who someone tells they are not happy, and it is important all staff know how to pass it on. It is encouraging the team to be part of the resident's lives." Where people were not able to verbalise their discomfort or distress, staff carried out regular planned checks to anticipate their needs.
We observed staff responding to people's immediate needs. Staff offered regular drinks and snacks. Staff recognised when people might need some company.
Workforce wellbeing and enablement
Staff told us they were busy, but their workload was manageable. One staff member commented, “Twelve hour shifts are great and here we get paid for breaks. A pattern like this means I get more time with my children. It is a good work life balance.” Staff felt supported in their role and appreciated by their managers. One staff member commented, "People treat me with respect and management are ready to listen to my concerns.” Another staff member told us, "The things [registered manager] does blow you away. A resident passed away and she sent an email asking if anyone wanted to talk to her. If we have an event, she will send an email thanking everyone. It is really nice to get that feedback."
The provider promoted positive physical, mental and financial health with access to support networks and a range of benefits.