Dovecote Residential 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

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. At the last inspection we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

This service scored 85 (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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. A relative said, “Carers are always popping their heads round the door to make sure [person’s name] is ok and doesn’t need anything. I would say there are about 3-4 of them doing that in the hour I am there.” A person said, “I recognise their faces; I can’t remember their names. I trust them. They listen to me.” Another person said, "They are respectful, absolutely, they are wonderful.”

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. The staff team actively promoted an approach where people were truly respected and valued as individuals and empowered to be partners in their care. One person said, “They don’t rush or harass you in any way. They are all very kind and helpful, I get a cuddle from most of the staff. I do what I can to help myself, they encourage that.”

The service was exceptional at promoting people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Staff worked hard to promote people’s independence and enable individuals to lead a fulfilling life. People were supported to experience a wide range of activities and broaden their horizons. The activity co-ordinators were passionate about the role and had carefully developed a programme of events which were tailored to everyone’s tastes. The activities were very varied, including 1-1 sessions and routine access into the community and to social events. The staff had formed very strong links with the local community and since the last inspection have strengthened them. The local community village hub visit the home every week to run a bingo session and 20 people from the village join residents completing this activity. The activity co-ordinators also link in with the local school and this has led to a good working relationship whereby the children share artwork with the home and came to sing with the residents. A relative said, “They (care Home) have forged very good links with the local community and allow them to hold meetings there for free and include the residents who can. They also include them (residents) in their (local) events on the Green.” A person said, “I can’t fault them, as they are always encouraging us to do what we can and get involved with activities when we want. We can go out to the pub, shops and the theatre as well as do things in-doors.”

The service was exceptional in how they listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. Staff were very knowledgeable about each person using the service and could describe their needs, including how any of their cultural needs were met. Staff, as a part of their assessment, looked at how unmet needs might be having a negative impact on a person. For example, one person constantly felt distress. Staff gently worked with the person to find the underlying cause, which related to family members they had lost touch with many years ago. Following this discovery staff contacted various agencies and found the long-lost relatives. They then sensitively got in touch with them and they agreed to visit. This meeting assisted the person to move past the distress it had caused them. A relative said, “Staff seem flexible enough to go with [person’s name] moods and choices, so I feel they are in the best place for them. Especially given how their health was going downhill in the sheltered accommodation.”

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff confirmed that the management team supported their wellbeing to make sure they could give their best to people when at work. A staff member said, “Since the change to the management team we have seen a big difference. They have really helped us to see how to provide good care and this has made us much better carers, which makes us feel so much better.” Staff described how their work was routinely praised and recognised within the home. The provider sent us evidence to demonstrate their consideration of staff well-being and how they encouraged the staff team to have an active voice in the operation of the home. Staff discussed how the management team had provide them with support and enabled them to work flexibly.