Collingswood House

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

The key question of caring was rated for the first time at this assessment and was rated good. Staff were kind, compassionate, caring and enthusiastic. Staff had caring and supportive relationships with people. Staff treated people with dignity and respect when helping them with daily living tasks. Care staff knew about peoples’ individual needs and preferences and this knowledge was used in their care and support. People’s care planning had current information to promote people’s independence in areas such as their mobility, communication and going out into the local community. Staff were always willing to help in an urgent situation and staff had the skills and knowledge to recognise and know what to do should they visit someone who was in distress. Staff were being actively supported by the service. The service worked hard to support their staff with team building activities and reward schemes, and staff were positive about their employer.

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 relatives told us they found the staff kind, compassionate, caring and enthusiastic. One relative said, “They’re gentle and kind, know what they’re doing and talk to (the person) all the time.” People and their relatives’ comments told us staff communicated with them well and in a respectful way. People’s comments showed staff treated people with dignity and respect when supporting them.

Staff commented on the caring and supportive relationships they had with people. Service managers described specific occasions when staff had gone out of their way to support people.

Health and social care partners did not give us any negative feedback on the service.

People told us the care staff knew about their individual needs and preferences and this knowledge was used in their care and support. From our contacts with people and staff, we heard the role of peoples’ families was supported by the service, and they were supported to be involved in their relative’s care and support.

We heard from office staff and managers how they knew and respected people’s individual likes and dislikes. It was evident staff knew people as individuals and formed close relationships over time.

The service had detailed care planning, which was reviewed. These plans gave staff information to help them give appropriate support on visits.

People told us they and if appropriate their relatives, took part in their care plan reviews. They also said they knew many of their staff well.

Staff generally knew people well and so were able to support people in line with their preferences and choices.

The service ensured people's care plans had current information to promote people’s independence in areas such as mobility, communication and going out into the local community.

People told us how the care staff were always willing to help in an urgent situation and described occasions when they had done more than they had to under the terms of the contract of support. For example, a person was found by the staff member visiting to have fallen and the service took responsibility for accessing emergency health care and stayed with them.

We heard of occasions where staff stayed with people when in distress and the service had then organised alternative staff for the remainder of the care staff’s visits.

We heard from the management of the service and read about how staff were being supported by the service. Where staff were struggling at work or personally, we heard of situations where the management team had gone the extra mile to support the staff member through a crisis. Generally, staff were very positive about their employer.

The service worked hard to support their staff, through for example, awareness of benefits in their pay systems, team meetings and gatherings, and reward schemes.