Shannon Court

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

People’s comments about the quality of the care provided were generally positive and people were treated with care and kindness. However, improvements were required to ensure staff provided individualised support to people at mealtimes and robust records maintained relating to their fluid intake. Wellbeing initiatives were in place for staff.

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.

All people spoken with said they were happy with the care and support provided. A person using the service told us their eyesight had deteriorated over time which meant they found it difficult to watch the television. To compensate for this, they told us a member of staff read to them each night. Other people’s comments included, “They [staff] are lovely”, “The care I get is absolutely fine”, “Everybody walks around with a smile here” and “I am happy with everything.” Relative’s comments about the quality of the care provided was positive. A relative told us, “It’s [Shannon Court] a lovely place. [Person] is so well looked after, and the staff are so kind to [Person]. The staff try their hardest and are lovely. We’re so happy that [Person] is here.”

Staff told us daily meetings were undertaken to discuss the individual needs of people using the service. Staff demonstrated an awareness of people’s likes and dislikes and clearly knew people well, ensuring they responded to people if they were in pain, discomfort, or distress.

Partner agencies raised no concerns about the level of kindness and respect found at the service.

Staff were observed to be caring, kind and understanding, and to have a good relationship and rapport with the people they supported. However, we witnessed an incident during the lunchtime meal where staff did not respond to a person’s needs in a timely manner. This resulted in a delay to them receiving support to eat their meal, despite their meal being placed in front of them 15 to 20 minutes earlier. When this was brought to staff’s attention, immediate action was taken to support the person. We communicated this to the registered manager during feedback of our assessment findings. Following our assessment the registered manager wrote to us and confirmed additional observations of staff practice would be conducted by the management team to ensure interactions by staff with individual people at mealtimes were appropriate to meet their needs.

People’s privacy was respected. People received support with their personal care in private. Staff were discreet when asking people if they required support to have their comfort needs met. People were supported to maintain their personal appearance to ensure their self-esteem and sense of self-worth. People's clothing was seemingly coordinated, and people were supported to wear items of jewellery, such as rings and watches.

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.

People told us staff treated them well and they were happy with the support they received. People also told us they were supported by staff to maintain their independence where appropriate. A person told us, "Although I need some people to wash and dress, staff let me do as much as I am able and want to do."

Staff were aware of who and how people liked to be supported so as to maintain their independence. Staff told us people could choose what time they got up in the morning and the time they went to bed, what clothes they liked to wear, where they wished to have their meals and whether or not they wished to participate in social activities.

Staff were able to tell us how they enabled people to make day-to-day choices, whether these related to simple or more complex decisions. For example, staff told us about the support provided for a person who could refuse their medicines. If the person refused to take this, several attempts were made to administer their medicine, including using a different member of staff. However, as previously stated improvements were needed to ensure people were routinely given drink choices throughout the day and able to choose if they wished to watch the television or listen to music.

Our observations showed people were supported by staff to maintain aspects of their independence. For example, people had access to appropriate equipment, such as walking frames to help maximise their mobility and independence. Where applicable people were encouraged to retain their independence at mealtimes by eating independently or with minimal staff support. Staff confirmed that some people who were very reliant on staff for most activities of daily living, were actively encouraged to undertake some aspects of their personal care, such as washing their face and hands, and brushing their teeth, to maximise their independence.

People were supported to maintain friendships and relationships that were important to them. People were able to receive visitors without restrictions. A relative told us, “I can always visit when I want, I don’t believe there are any restrictions at Shannon Court.”

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.

People were supported by a staff team who felt valued and supported by the registered manager and senior management team. A member of staff told us, "We have good team leaders and management. They do not only care about the wellbeing of the residents, they look after the staff too. There are no barriers between the management and staff. We have the opportunity to raise concerns."

The provider understood the importance of staff wellbeing as there was an organisation wide strategy in place to ensure the wellbeing of staff. Suitable arrangements were in place whereby staff were recognised and rewarded for their hard work and going ‘the extra mile’ through the organisation’s OSKAR [Outstanding Service, Kindness and Respect] award scheme. Information was also available for staff relating to the Employee Assistance Programme [EAP]. This is a benefit that offers employees confidential support and guidance for personal or professional issues that may affect their work performance and for those struggling with their mental health. The registered manager told us an annual conference was held highlighting the organisations and individual service’s achievements.

The registered manager confirmed Shannon Court had a wellbeing champion who acted as a role model for promoting positive wellbeing practices and initiatives for staff. The staff workforce at Shannon Court were diverse, including representations from a range of different ethnicities, religions and LGBTQ+ communities. The registered manager confirmed appropriate arrangements were in place to recognise different multi-faith festivals and customs for staff. For example, arrangements could be made to enable staff to pray and considerations explored to assist those staff who need to fast as part of their religious observance.