Mapleford Nursing 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

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were mostly supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care. People were treated with kindness, and we witnessed positive interactions between staff and people using this service. We observed a range of activities taking place. Relatives felt their loved ones were treated well and staff felt supported by the registered manager. People’s dignity was not always maintained and we found people’s personal care needs were not always tended to. Staff told us that care interventions felt rushed, and staff did not always respond to people’s needs appropriately. We could not be assured a person-centred approach was adopted as we found concerns around people’s personal care provision.

This service scored 65 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The service treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion, however, people’s dignity was not always maintained. We observed some people to have long, unclean nails with chipped nail polish and people’s oral health care needs were not always maintained. One relative told us that although their loved one was always clean, they sometimes looked unkempt and on occasion wearing someone else’s clothes. Staff told us that although they felt people were treated well, care interventions were at times rushed due to the staffing levels. One staff member said, “People get the care they need but it can be rushed.” Relatives did however praise the staff, and their comments included, “The carers are loving, warm and welcoming” and, “I have found the carers to be very friendly and polite.” Partners felt staff knew people well.

The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. Care plans held a record of people’s communication needs as well as preferences and life history. Staff told us they knew people well and could find out about a person by speaking to them or reading their care plan. We observed positive interactions between staff and people using this service and staff always spoke to people in a kind and caring manner. Relatives praised the inclusivity of the service and told us of how the chef made a specialised meal so they could eat with their loved one. Relatives also spoke highly of the staff team and how they treated people as individuals. One relative said, “Every member of staff knows everyone’s name and they always find time to stop and chat with residents and with relatives.”

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Care plans indicated how people liked to spend their time and there was a music themed room for people to enjoy as well as accessible outdoor space. We witnessed both group and individual activities taking place and pictures from a recent outing were seen. Activities were discussed in resident meetings and a newsletter was sent to people and their relatives with details of this. Staff told us they promoted people’s independence. One staff member said, “We promote independence by encouraging people to select their clothes and do things for themselves with supervision.” There was a designated activity co-ordinator employed, and staff told us they also undertake daily activities to prevent boredom and social isolation. Relatives praised the activities on offer and felt their loved ones were kept occupied. One relative said, “The home has been brilliant from the start. They have restored their [person using the service] quality of life, they are speaking again, gets involved with activities, gets to go out and do things in the community, and it had got to a point when they were at home, they weren’t able to do these things. It gives me peace of mind that they’re at Mapleford and that they are safe there.”

The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. However, staff did not always respond to people’s needs in the moment. An incident occurred during the assessment process which resulted in a person becoming injured which did not appear to be dealt with appropriately. Staff also told us that due to staffing levels, care was often rushed which impacted on people’s personal care needs. There were staff present in all areas of the service at the time of the assessment and we did not hear nurse call bells sounding for any great length of time. Staff told us how they would communicate with people who cannot communicate verbally and knew people’s needs well. Relatives told us that any concerns they have about their loved ones would be addressed in a timely manner with regular updates from the staff team.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. A range of training courses were available to staff to enhance their skills and knowledge. An employee of the month scheme was in place as well as other recognition awards including long service awards. Staff buffets were provided several times a year as well as a bonus at Christmas time to recognise the efforts made by staff. Staff told us they felt safe working at the service and that they were treated well. One staff member said, “I am treated well. I have a good home and work life balance. They (registered manager) don’t put pressure on me to work, they give you the option. They treat you like family.” In house promotions were apparent and staff were encouraged to take on extra responsibilities to enhance their knowledge such as becoming champions in designated areas.