Connect House

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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 felt staff treated them with kindness and their dignity was protected. People were encouraged and helped by staff to do as much as they could for themselves, to maintain their independence. We had not seen an improvement since our last visit, people continued to not be supported to have choice, control, and make decisions about how their support was provided. People were not supported to understand their rights and how the service would make sure these were respected. People’s friends and families were free to visit them with no restrictions.

This service scored 70 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People told us they were supported by staff with kindness, compassion, and dignity. Comments included, “They’re a friendly bunch in the main and let us ask for what we want.” “They’re lovely staff and so kind to me.”

Staff could explain how they treated people with kindness and protected people’s dignity. One staff member told us, “Knocking on the door before entering bedrooms, asking them if they would like support, given them choices, allowing people to do things that they can, personal care making the bed - and just let them know you are outside, and they can ask for help when needed.” The deputy manager told us dignity audits were completed monthly and spot checks to ensure people were treated kindly. This meant there was a system and process to check staff practice.

Partners told us they observed people were treated with kindness, compassion, and dignity. One partner told us they felt people were receiving “outstanding” care.

We observed staff were caring and respectful of people’s privacy and dignity. For example, staff knocked on people’s doors before going into their rooms and communicated with people kindly. We observed staff were caring in their approach.

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.

We received mixed feedback from people regarding independence, choice, and control. People told us they were not always supported to be independent. One person told us, “They won’t let me shave myself even though I help with my washing - but I’ve not had a shave this week yet. ” Another person told us, “They let me do as much as I can, and I think I’ve improved lately.” “I’d like to get my meals on time. And I’d like more things to do - like being able to paint or make models - I could still do that.” Some people told us they were not given choice and control what time they could get up or get ready for bed. One person told us, “Choose the night bedtime usually but they have a morning system of wash, dress and go to the lounge. They like us under their eye in the lounge! I wake up at 6 am often and I’m not used to that.” Another person told us, “They come in my room about 4 pm before tea and ask if I want to get into my night clothes - I don’t really mind as I’m more comfy in them. I have my last tablets about 9 pm then I can go to bed. But they wake me up at 6 am to get me up - too damn early.” This meant people were not always supported to be independent and not given choice and control regarding their care.

Staff told us they ensured people were given choice and control over their care and support. One staff member told us, “When they first get admitted from hospital to the home, we assess them and ask them how they want their care, what time they want to get up, how they like to be supported.” Another staff member told us, “People are given choices, mealtimes and if they don’t want them we ask them what they like, ask them what they like to drink, ask them what activities they like. If they are unable to communicate, we have pictures and be careful we don’t give too many choices to people and allow time for them to processes the information.” Although staff were able to explain how to support people with choices, control and remain independent we were not assured this was always put into practice due to people’s feedback.

We observed people were not always given choice and control regarding meaningful activities. We observed people sitting for long periods of time and lack of staff interaction. The management team told us they were in the process of recruiting a new staff member to support people with participating in meaningful activities. We did observe people having mobility aids to promote independence such as walking frames.

At our last inspection we found people were not always given choice and control over their care and support and at this on-site assessment people told us they did not always have choice and control. People had care plans in place however people told us they were not involved in them, and they did not always provide staff with clear guidance on how to support people to be independent as possible. People could easily access their friends and family. There were no restrictions on people having visitors to the care home. Staff supported people to access specialist equipment to support them to live as independently for example walking frames.

Staff responses to call bell rings varied. People told us, “My bell is on a cord and if I use it, they can be quite quick or they can be ages if they’re busy. If I’m desperate I’ll try and use my frame to go to my loo though I’m supposed to have help.” “It varies, it can be longer or never at all. I keep pressing again till someone comes.” “I’d be lost without my bell as I’m usually in my room and they’re good at coming.”

Staff were able to meet people's immediate needs. Staff told us they use to struggle to respond to call bell rings during busy times of the day, but this has changed now because they have delegated one staff member during busy time to respond to call bell rings to ensure people are safe. The deputy manager audited call bell response times to ensure staff were responding to people’s immediate needs within appropriate time frames. The deputy manager told us there have been times where staff have not always responded within appropriate time frames and action was taken to ensure a staff member during busy times is allocated to responding to the call bells.

Staff responded to people’s needs. We observed staff were able to provide support when people asked for support. We observed call bells were responded to promptly.

We did not look at Workforce wellbeing and enablement during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.