Annefield Grange

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

We assessed all quality statements within the caring key question. People were treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. Staff respected their privacy and upheld their dignity. People were asked about their needs, views and wishes and staff delivered person-centred care. Staff supported people to be as independent as they were able and responded promptly when people required support.

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.

People and their relatives all told us staff treated them with kindness and respect. People described how staff knew them well and they felt able to talk to staff and ask for support when they needed to. One person told us, "Staff here are kind. I think it’s a great place. I am as happy as I can be." Relatives were very positive about the staff and management, and all said they were kind and caring. Comments from relatives included, "[Staff are] really helpful and friendly, I can’t fault anything. They [staff] would always chat and are never too busy to stop and talk to [relative] and make sure they were ok”, "Whenever we leave after a visit, we don't worry as it feels like we are leaving [relative] with family as all the staff are so warm and friendly, they really know [relative] well and we can't fault them" and "The ambiance at Annefield Grange is one of friendliness and the staff all seem happy in their work."

The registered manager described how they gathered information from people or their relatives about their life histories, families and interests. This meant staff could support them in the best way. The registered manager and staff clearly demonstrated they cared about people living in the home and provided kind and compassionate care.

External professionals told us they felt staff at Annefield Grange were all kind and caring. One external health professional said, “This little team is so loving towards their residents. As a [professional] of 30 years, I find this outstanding. I'm very impressed.”

During the 3 days of our visits to Annefield Grange we observed a positive caring culture where staff showed kindness and compassion to people and clearly knew them well. We also observed kindness and respect among people and the way they spoke to each other. For example, one person who had a diagnosis of dementia and sat with their eyes closed a lot of the time, dropped an item on the floor. Another person, got up and walked over to them, gently saying, “I have just picked this up as you dropped it.” We also observed friendly banter and laughter between people and staff, and it was clear there was a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

People were routinely asked their views on the service. This was done through informal one to one conversation with staff and the management team, through residents’ meetings and through feedback surveys. People also had reviews of their care and staff discussed with them when there were changes to their health and contacted external professionals as and when needed. One relative said, “Staff know [person] well, they can tell when he is upset about anything.”

The registered manager described the care planning process and how they or the deputy spent time with people to capture their needs, beliefs, choices and any protected characteristics. Staff clearly knew people well and understood their individual needs, wants and wishes.

Throughout the inspection, we observed all staff speaking to people in a respectful way.

People's care plans demonstrated their views and opinions were sought and they were able to have their support needs designed to meet their individual needs. Their religious, cultural, sexual, and social needs were discussed and considered when care plans were developed for people.

People had access to the equipment they needed to maintain independence and were involved in decisions about their life and how much support they needed from staff. People and their relatives told us they were supported to maintain contact with each other, and relatives were always welcome in the home at any time. People's religious beliefs and needs were considered, and they had a religious minister who visited the service. In addition, they were offered the opportunity to go out to visit local amenities and some people regularly went out with friends of family. One relative said, "We are always welcome in the home and there is always things on for them to do or events to celebrate days like Christmas or Easter." Activities were provided within the service to offer people opportunities to socialise with each other and have mental stimulation. The provider employed an activities member of staff who supported people with a variety of activities including arts and craft, reading books of their choice, film afternoon, music and entertainment. People were also supported to go into the community. For example, they went for coffee, to the shops, to a local social group and to the beach for ice cream. Future events were discussed at residents’ meetings and included a trip to the cinema and arranging a mini music festival in the garden in the summer.

The registered manager told us they maintained contact with people's friends and family with their permission to do so. They assessed people's needs and discussed with them any risks and their areas of interest. This helped to ensure the management team could consider the number of staff needed and any equipment to safely meet people’s needs, whilst encouraging as much independence as possible. An activities staff member was employed whose role was to provide a variety of activities which included group activity and one to one support. In addition, they had volunteers and an outside provider come into the home to provide further enrichment.

We observed staff speaking to people offering choice and involvement in decisions. We saw relatives visiting when they wanted, and they were involved in supporting decisions about care. We also observed people going out into the local community with friends. In addition, we carried out an observation using our observation tool (SOFI) and saw staff supporting people to maintain independence. For example, we saw one person using an adaptive drinking cup so they could independently drink, and staff remind another person to use the bathroom so they maintained their dignity.

Robust assessment and review processes were in place to help ensure people were supported to access activities, maintain contact with family and friends and maintain their independence.

People told us staff were supportive and came when they needed them. One person described, “Staff can be busy at times, but always respond to my call bell and explain why I may need to wait a little longer for support.” Relatives told us they felt there were enough staff available and they were responsive to people's needs. Relatives’ comments included, "Staff don’t seem rushed and have time to chat with [relative]throughout the day", and, “[Staff] seem laid back and friendly."

Staff clearly knew people well and understood their needs and risks. Where people had been assessed to need equipment, staff ensured this was in place or near the person and reminded them to use it where needed. Staff communicated well with people and used supportive language to encourage the person and understand risks.

We observed staff promptly recognising the change in one person's health. They immediately contacted their GP to get a health check and their family, who were then able to visit. This prompt recognition from staff led to better outcomes for the person and appropriate changes to be made to their support and care plan. We also observed staff recognising where people needed support to reduce immediate risk. For example, one person who was walking independently along a corridor, should have been using a walking aid as they had been assessed to need this. A staff member used supportive language with the person and reminded them of the need for the walking aid, whilst another retrieved the aid. This meant they were responsive and reduced the likelihood of harm.

All staff we spoke with told us they enjoyed working in the service. One staff member said, "I feel this is the best the home has been, I always leave work in a good mood." Another said, "We are a good and very supportive team, and feel we are valued by the management team." The registered manager told us they supported staff and encouraged them to share good news or any concerns. They also promoted ideas from staff to improve the service. One staff member told us, "I feel we [staff] are listened to by the [registered] manager and deputy and if we have ideas they are always considered and discussed."

The provider ensured staff had regular supervision and meetings to discuss their role and wellbeing.