The Limes

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 received exceptional care from a staff team who had made outstanding effort to not truly get to know them as individuals and understand how best to support them in line with the preferences, likes and dislikes. As a result, people were very relaxed, and content being supported by the staff team. Relatives were fully confident and full of praise for the support staff gave to their family members which enabled them to live their lives to the fullest. Staff knew how important it was for people’s wellbeing for them to have choices in every aspect of their support and to be as independent as they could be. They promoted this choice and independence for people at every opportunity. This resulted in amazingly positive experiences for people.

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

Without question, the way staff supported people in a kind and compassionate way, had a massive impact on their quality of life. Staff were incredibly patient and understanding when supporting people in all aspects of their daily life. They fully understood how people may find it more difficult to understand some aspects of their support. They took their time when supporting people, explaining what they were doing in minute detail to ensure people were happy and relaxed. We observed people to be very content and happy as a result. A relative said, ‘‘Staff always go the extra mile to make sure [family member] feels good and not anxious. I am so glad I have found the service. Thank the heavens for the staff team.’’ Another relative told us, ‘‘The staff are phenomenal and the most kind and caring people I could ask for to care for [family member]. [Family member] is so happy and can’t wait to go home after visiting me.’’ People were supported with dignity and respect at all times by the staff team. For example, staff respected people’s choice to spend time by themselves but stayed on hand to support and keep people safe. People had intensive support from multiple staff members through the day, however the staff team made it their priority to not make people feel like staff were with them all the time. One person showed they wanted space and staff moved away and gave them time in a living room seamlessly leading to the person becoming happy and relaxed immediately. A relative told us, ‘‘In other services [family member] has lived in it has been very obvious that staff are with them to help them. Staff here have somehow managed to keep [person] safe but also not make it seem like they are over their shoulder all the time. It has made [family member] feel so much more like their own person rather than someone who always has to be with staff. It has been fantastic.’’

The staff and management team went out of their way to make sure people were fully treated as individuals. Extraordinary effort was made to make sure people’s individual support needs, likes, dislikes and preferences were considered in every aspect of their support. As a result, people had excellent experiences living at the service. One person used to harm themselves when they were upset, however no longer did this since living at the service due to how well staff supported them. Their relative said, ‘‘It is a complete miracle. [Family member] used to hurt themselves all the time but I do not think it even crosses their mind now as the staff support them so well. Staff truly see [family member] as a person rather than a number and are fully invested in doing what is best by them.’’ Another person had been supported to access the community again since living at the service having found this difficult living in their previous home. Staff had worked with the person and their relative to find out the best ways to support the person as an individual leading to them accessing the community on a daily basis. Their relative said, ‘‘[Family member] lost a lot of their confidence over the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff have worked really hard to help and prompt them to get out and about again and this has been excellent.’’ The registered manager and provider prioritised people’s individual needs in all aspects of their support. People’s care plans were exceptional in the way they captured how to support people in the best way possible in line with their individual needs. Staff knew people very well as a result. A relative told us, ‘‘I am incredibly impressed with how staff support [family member]. Staff work with them and us to identify how best to support them in line with how they need to be supported. They do so much more for themselves now as a result of this.’’

The registered manager, provider and staff team completely understood how important people being in control of their support was. They knew people had been restricted in many aspects of their support in the past and took it upon themselves to make sure people were no longer restricted. For example, people no longer had physical interventions to support them when they felt upset thanks to staff ensuring they were in control and able to make choices on a day-to-day basis. A relative said, ‘‘For [family member] to be creative they need a lot of choice and staff fully appreciate this. They are fully in control of their lives now and are in the best place they can be.’’ People were now having regular personal care as they had been given the full choice and control as to how and when this happened, whereas before they found this more difficult. The impact this had on people’s wellbeing and self-esteem was phenomenal. This was outstanding evidence of how well supported people were at the service. A relative told us, ‘‘The difference being supported to make their own choices in relation to personal care has made to [family member] has been very noticeable. They look great, are proud of this and clearly are getting the best support they can have.’’ People had been supported to be as independent as they could be in all aspects of their lives. One person was delighted to show us how staff had supported them to stripe their bedding which had been something they had wanted to do for a long time. People were supported to independently access the kitchen area and prepare snacks and staff supported people to be independent with their personal care. A relative said, ‘‘[Staff] work with [family member] and us to identify where they could be more independent and put plans in place to support them with this. It is great they are their own person and doing things more by themselves. It means a lot to them.’’

Staff understood the importance of being on hand to support people if they felt upset or needed some reassurance. Throughout the day, staff were incredibly responsive to people and supported them immediately when they showed signs they needed support. For example, it was very important to one person that they chose when to leave the service and go in to the community and this had to be immediate. Staff knew what signs the person showed to indicate they were ready to go and supported them to leave as soon as they were ready. Their relative said, ‘‘[Family member] has always found waiting difficult but also does not like being told to do things. Staff have got such a good balance going on and [family member] is so confident now.’’ People were supported to have their immediate needs met at any given moment by the staff team. For example, people were supported to make snacks and drinks when they needed these and were also supported to engage positively with staff when they showed they needed this support. A relative told us, ‘‘[Family member] is happy and relaxed because they know staff are on hand all the time. They know if they need something they get it. No waiting around. This has worked really well for them, and I cannot thank the staff enough for supporting them in this way.’’ The registered manager and staff team had put incredibly detailed plans in place for people in relation to signs indicating they needed immediate support. These gave staff the knowledge and confidence to know how to support people immediately to ensure they did not become anxious or upset. A staff member told us, ‘‘From the first day we work here we are encouraged to know exactly what signs people might give to show they need us to help them feel better. The plans are extremely detailed, so we know exactly what we are doing. We support the person before they become upset as being proactive is better than being reactive.’’

Without question, staff gave us tremendously positive feedback about how well they were supported in their job roles. The registered manager and provider understood how important staff wellbeing was and how this directly impacted the support people received. They focused on having regular discussions both formally and informally with staff to make sure they had the right support to be the best they could in their job roles. They put measures in place to support staff in the best way possible. One staff member said, ‘‘[Registered manager] and [provider] are very supportive. They have helped me take time off for [personal reason] at very short notice and understood the reasons for this. I think the way they support us is the reason why we all work so well together as a team. We are all so willing to help out at moment’s notice thanks to the support we have.’’ Working at the service was the first job in this country for some staff. The provider had fully supported staff members to understand all aspects of the job role and also to undertake qualifications to support them in their new job roles. A staff member explained the significant impact this had for them and how appreciative they were at being given the opportunity to be the best they could be. Another staff member explained, ‘‘Working with [people] can be quite a challenging and demanding role but thanks to the support from [registered manager] and provider] it does not feel like this at all. They are always on hand to support and are truly a part of the team. They know the people living here and know what happens on a day-to-day basis meaning they truly know how to help us if we need it. I have never worked in such a wonderful place before.’’