Angel Mount Care Home

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 and their relatives consistently told us they were supported and treated well. People’s privacy and dignity was promoted and we observed people to be treated with kindness, compassion and patience. Care plans contained information on people’s life history and each person had an electronic screen in their bedroom which included the person’s preferences, these acted as a guide for staff. We witnessed both group and individual activities taking place and there was a great focus on staff wellbeing. However, concerns were raised by partners about staff and language barriers which may cause confusion for people living at this service.

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 felt staff treated them well. One relative said, “I have never seen staff to be anything but kind. Without a doubt they treat [person using the service] well and respect them.” Relatives told us people reacted well to staff interaction. One relative said. “Staff have not altered; they have always been wonderful. [Person using the service] face lights up when staff come into the room.”

Staff felt people were treated with dignity. One staff member said, “We promote dignity and maintain privacy during personal care; this is very important.” Staff told us there was enough time to meaningfully spend with people. They said, “There is enough time to sit and talk to people.”

Although partners felt people were treated well, they raised concerns about staff and language barriers where people living with a dementia need clear, concise and easy to understand language.

We observed staff to be kind, compassionate and treated people with patience. There was staff present in communal areas and for those who required 1-1 support, they always had staff with them. Staff appeared to know people well and allowed them their freedom to do as they wished whilst ensuring people were safe.

Relatives spoke positively in this area and felt staff knew people well. One relative said, “Staff refer to residents on first name terms and it’s a very calm environment most of the time.” Relatives praised the personalised murals painted in people’s bedrooms. One relative said, “[Person using the service] loves the personal mural that they have painted in the room. It really reminds them of [relative].”

Staff told us they knew people well and obtained feedback by speaking to people and their relatives. Staff advised of a church service at Angel Mount Care Home, where people could attend if they wished.

We observed positive interactions throughout the inspection and it was clear staff knew people well. During our observation we witnessed a person become distressed. Two staff members intervened by softly speaking to the person and taking them into the garden. This provided comfort and assurances to the person. On another occasion staff were comforting a person who was upset. This evidenced staff knew how to manage periods of distress well.

Care plans held a record of people’s communication needs and communication passports were tailored to suit each person’s individual needs. These passports included how the person would like staff to communicate to them and pictorial cards and prompts. Care plans also held a life history section which included a person’s likes and dislikes, previous work history and what is important to the person. This helped prompt meaningful conversations. In addition, each person’s bedroom had an electronic screen which included a life history section and preferences. This meant all staff who entered the bedroom would know how a person liked to be cared for making it a more person-centred experience.

Relatives felt people were kept occupied by a range of activities. One relative said, “There do seem to be a variety of activities and sometimes I find [person using the service] joining in and sometimes not. [Person using the service] is not made to do anything they don’t want to do and I have found a carer just sitting with them holding their hand.” Other relatives praised a recent shopping trip that took place and they said the garden area was a positive experience for people.

Staff told us they promoted people’s independence by encouraging them to do things for themselves. One staff member said, “Some residents depend more on staff; we encourage them to do things for themselves.” Staff went on to describe how one person liked to keep occupied so staff gave the person clothes to fold as they enjoyed this. Another staff member told us they had been teaching people their native dance as people were interested in learning this. The registered manager spoke about the party bus which was decorated and used for private events such as birthdays. This enabled people to spend time with their relatives whilst retaining their privacy.

We witnessed a range of activities taking place including a singer who was familiar with the service and clearly knew people well. Staff were seen to be dancing with people, colouring and using the electronic tabletop activity table. We observed both group and 1-1 activity taking place and it was clear staff gave people a choice of what they would like to do. There were several communal areas including 2 lounges for people to relax in as well as quiet areas should people prefer this.

Care plans held a detailed account of how people liked to spend their time and what their preferences were. Visits of relatives were actively encouraged and we witnessed many relatives visiting during our inspection process. Plans were in place to improve the garden space to ensure people could spend more time doing things they enjoyed.

Concerns were raised by relatives about staff not always recognising when people’s health needs changed but did praise the nursing staff for escalating their concerns. Relatives did feel staff acted swiftly when managing incidents of distress. One relative said, “Any potentially dangerous upset is quickly resolved without a big fuss.”

Staff felt people’s needs were responded to and advised on different ways they communicate to people to ensure understanding. One staff member said, “Some residents can’t communicate verbally. To understand their needs we use gestures and a white board so they can point to things.” Staff advised they act on concerns by alerting the nurse or the registered manager of any changes.

There was staff present in all areas of the home during our observations and we witnessed staff reassuring people and ensuring they were safe when distress occurred. However, as there were a high number of people receiving 1-1 care, the service appeared crowed and at times congested. The registered manager took this feedback on board and was looking at ways to reduce the number of people admitted to the service who required 1-1 care. Staff appeared to work together as a team when incidents occurred to avoid escalation.

Staff told us they felt safe in the workplace and did not feel any pressure was put on them. One staff member said, “No pressure, I am very comfortable, the management are very good. We work as a team.” Staff told us their workload was manageable and they had enough time to meaningfully spend with people without feeling rushed or pressured. Staff also spoke of career developing opportunities. They said, “Management always promotes promotions. They designate people to become champions such as pressure care and dignity. The director is really lovely and supportive. The director speaks to residents and staff.”

A range of training courses were available for staff to enhance their skills and knowledge. The director recognised staff achievements by an employee of the month scheme and hosted parties for staff who had recently had a promotion or passed a significant training course. Get togethers were also held for staff for cultural and religious events and to thank staff for their hard work and efforts. There was a suggestion box for staff feedback and we saw evidence these suggestions had been put into practice. There was a staff champion system where staff took the lead on different topics for example safeguarding and dignity. This gave staff an additional responsibility and empowered them to find out more about their role and guide other staff. We observed teamwork between staff and the management team and it was clear staff were supported in their role.