Astell Care Centre

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• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

People were supported in a caring and kind manner which supported their independence. There was a positive culture within the service. Visitors were made welcome.

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.

Staff treated people with kindness, compassion and dignity. People and their relatives commented, "The staff are so kind, the level of care is good", "Staff are very kind to her indeed" and "I am treated as an individual and treated with dignity, yes." One relative said, "They (staff) treat her with dignity - if anyone shouts it’s her!" We received a concern about the way a staff member had spoken to people. This had already been dealt with by the management team.

The registered manager said staff were monitored for their kindness and compassion via one-to-one support, observations and feedback received. Staff confirmed this to be the case. The registered manager told us, "It is important to me that all the staff are not only good at their job, but very kind and caring towards our residents."

Feedback received from healthcare professionals did not indicate any concerns with the kindness and caring manner of staff. One healthcare professional said, "Staff seem very kind. They have made a massive difference (to one person). They are calmer," and "I am amazed at how (person) has settled."

We observed a culture of kindness. Staff interactions were very good and we observed a good rapport between people and the staff team, including management.

People were treated as individuals and were respected by staff. People and their relatives said staff had gathered information about them to help them tailor care to their individual needs. One person said, "Staff know what is important to me. There are no gaps in my care." There was a range of planned activities for people to join in with, if they wished; if not, activity staff would spend one to one time with them.

Staff knew people well and how they wished to be supported and cared for. One staff member said, "(Person) likes things done in a certain way and that’s fine, we are here to help them continue on as they did before wherever possible. We have a care plan for each person to tell us how we are to help people as everyone is different."

Observations confirmed people were treated individually. For example, support was offered to those who could not feed themselves, while those who could, were encouraged to eat and drink well.

The provider had systems in place to ensure staff carried out person-centred care. This included monitoring checks on person centred care plans, walk arounds in the building and observations of staff.

People were supported to be as independent as possible and to have choice and control within their lives. Relatives said staff encouraged people to use walking equipment, special cutlery and to join in the activities.

Staff encouraged independence and offered choice and control to people. This included support to maintain contact with family and friends. Staff told us they knew people well. One staff member said, "We have couples live here. They see each other every day and sometimes go out for lunch. Its lovely."

Staff were seen to support people with their independence, for example, assisting one person to take their medicines after they were placed in their hand. Observations over lunch time we saw choice was offered to people on what they wanted to eat. One person was seen to choose one meal and then change their mind for another preference. One staff member said, "Residents choose what they want to do and what they want to eat."

Processes were in place to support independence, choice and control. Care plans detailed how staff should support people to remain independent, for example, brushing their own teeth or feeding themselves with the help of specialised cutlery. Care plans were reviewed when any changes occurred to people's needs.

People received care and support which was responsive to their individual needs. People said staff responded quickly if they needed help or support. One family member said, "I have not needed to use the call bell, but another resident needed help and staff were there very quickly." People and relatives told us their care needs were discussed regularly and updated when needs changed.

Throughout the inspection staff responded quickly to any requests or changes in people's needs, including anxiety. After an episode of anxiety with one person, a member of care staff said, "(Person) is often like that at this time of day. We are always on the lookout and at the first signs, we are there to stop the situation from escalating further."

During observations it was clear staff knew how to deal with any changing care or wellbeing needs. We saw examples of staff intervening to stop altercations from occurring or to support someone who was feeling overwhelmed or upset. One person was found to have some very recent skin damage which had not been shared with the nurse on duty. This was addressed immediately and a review of procedures took place to learn from this and to ensure it did not occur again.

The registered manager and provider valued each staff member. The regional manager told us, "Having the right staff is so important. We strive to have staff with good ethics and a very caring nature." Staff told us they were well supported. We received a number of examples where staff had been off work for a period of time and how well the registered manager had supported their safe return to work.

The registered manager ensured staff had the skills to carry out their role and supported staff to develop further. There was a training programme in place and additional training was supported to enhance specific areas of care, for example, allergen awareness. Staff meetings and support sessions took place to discuss a range of issues, including staff wellbeing and how the service could improve person centred care to people. Policies and procedures were in place to support staff, including procedures for lone working, freedom to speak up and mental health at work.