Derby 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

People spoke highly of the caring approach of all staff and told us how happy they were to be living at Derby House. The extremely positive relationships that had developed between staff and people resulted in positive impacts on people’s well-being. During our inspection we saw staff were kind and compassionate and treated people who used the service with respect and dignity. Staff showed consideration for people’s individual needs and provided care and support in a way that respected their individual wishes and preferences. They told us they felt listened to and respected by staff and could talk to them about any concerns they had. Throughout our inspection we found examples of where the manager and staff team had been extremely thoughtful and gone to great effort to provide care and support which improved people’s quality of life.

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.

Staff treated people with kindness, empathy, and compassion. They received kind and compassionate care from staff who used positive, respectful language, which people understood and responded well to. The promotion of people's independence was absolutely paramount in the delivery of care and support. People told us they felt heard, valued, and understood. They said they were able to express their concerns and preferences openly and honestly. They spoke highly about the caring nature of staff. One person said, “My life’s got better because of the support of the staff. The staff are amazing.”They went on to say how they were now able to volunteer their time to help others in recovery every week.They expressed their pride in their loved one's recovery over the past year, their commitment to sobriety, and the remarkable fact that, thanks to lifestyle changes, there had been no hospital admissions during that time.

The provider's fundamental values included support, ambition, loyalty, uniqueness, transparency, engagement, and meaningfulness. The staff members we spoke with were well-informed about these core values and demonstrated a strong passion for their work.Without exception staff demonstrated compassion, empathy and understanding for the people they supported. Staff said they had developed strong, caring and respectful relationships with people and those close to them. One staff member said, “It’s a lot more than just a service. It's fantastic. It’s like one big family.” Staff were passionate about striving to build good relationships based on good communication, active listening and empathy. They told us how they worked hard to build open and honest relationships with people they support and their families and friends. Staff aimed to help people lead fulfilling lives and achieve their goals and dreams for the future. The registered manager said, [person] has the confidence to say    'No'. He went on to say [person] lives their life,their way, showing compassion and empathy to himself and others.

Feedback sent to the service from partners provided positive feedback about the care and support given by staff. Partners commented on the good relationships the service had built with people, they acknowledged the hard work and commitment of the staff team, another acknowledged the efficient and excellent care provided by the staff to the people using the service.

From our observations it was evident that the vision and values had been embedded into the way the home was managed and put people at the heart of the service. People were empowered to be in control of their care. The provider had recruited staff that had the right values, and skills to work with people who used the service. Relationships with staff were seen to be strong, caring, respectful and supportive. Staff interacted with people positively and used people's preferred names. Staff saw people as their equals and created a warm and inclusive atmosphere where they understood people's unique and complex needs and identities. Staff were observed to deliver care in a thoughtful and sensitive way that was adaptive to the needs of the person. We spent some time in the communal areas during the assessment. We saw that staff were consistently reassuring and showed kindness towards people when they were providing support, and in day to day conversations and activities. The interaction between staff and people they supported were inclusive and it was clear from how people approached staff they were happy and confident in their company.

People told us they were treated as individuals. They said staff knew about their personal history and what was important to them. One person said, ”I feel safe. The staff know me, they know when I am having a bad day the staff are always there to talk things through with me. It’s like a family.”

Staff we spoke with could tell us about those they supported and what was important to them. Staff know about people’s background, likes, hopes and needs. This included people's individual preferences, any health and welfare issues and promoting their independence. They talked about the intensive support people needed to improve their independence. Staff and managers spoke about treating people as equals and focusing on their strengths to enable build their confidence and independence. Staff respected people’s choices and supported them to live the life they chose.

We observed relationships with staff to be strong, respectful and supportive. Staff gave people opportunities and options and people were encouraged to make their own choices and express their views. Staff were excellent at recognising when people were distressed and provided extremely sensitive and respectful support to help manage this. The approach staff took helped create a calm and relaxed environment which helped to reduce the anxieties people experienced.

Support plans were written with the person and included information about their preferences and how they wanted to be cared for and supported. This meant staff knew people well and understood their needs when providing care. Support plans were focused solely on the individual with person centred care being the main emphasis, ensuring that people were treated as individuals. Support plans demonstrated that people’s communication needs had been assessed and met, to enable them to engage in their care, treatment and support, to maximise their experience and outcomes.

People said they had choice and control in their daily lives. They said they were involved in decisions about their care, including day to day decisions like planning meals to more significant decisions like changes in medication and changes to the environment or staff. One person told us, “I am now in control of my life and I feel safe."

Staff were passionate about ensuring people were empowered to express their views. Staff we spoke with could tell us about those they supported and what was important to them. They talked about the need to support people to take control of their lives and to regain as much independence as possible. For example, one staff member told us how the staff team had worked with one person them to rebuild their relationship with their family and how important this was to them.

The staff demonstrated an outstanding awareness of safeguarding and respecting individuals' human rights, enabling them to make informed choices regarding their support, treatment, and overall wellbeing. Staff and managers told us that they supported people to be as independent as possible. They give people choice and control over their lives. Staff we spoke with could tell us about those they supported and what was important to them. They talked about the need to support people to take control of their lives and to regain as much independence as possible.

People’s support plans reflected their choices and decisions and informed staff how their care and support should be provided.People were enabled to manage their own health and care when they could, and to maintain their independence.

People felt that staff knew them exceptionally well and were able to engage people in discussions about their immediate needs. One person said their lives had changed for the better since moving into Derby House. They said, “My life has improved because they [staff] have helped with my mental health, I wouldn’t be here without them. People and their relatives told us that they were able to raise concerns and that they felt they were listened to when they did so. People told us they were confident staff would respond to changes in their health needs.

Staff said the provider worked hard to instil a culture of care in which staff truly valued and promoted people's individuality, protected their rights and enabled them to develop and flourish. Staff said the provider was passionate about improving people’s quality of life and it was clear staff shared this vision and were proud to work for the service. . Comments included, "I love my job, it is like a big family," another staff member said, “People come to work here, and they stay working here.” Staff said they were given time to get to know people and understand what is important to them which helped them build positive relationships. Staff knew people well enough to recognise when there was a change in their physical or mental health. Staff said the service worked well in partnership with other health and social care organisations, which helped to give people using the service a voice and empowered them to live the lives they chose.

We observed clear, open and respectful communication. Staff had built trusting relationships through open and honest communication, active listening and empathy. This was reflected in the feedback from people using the service who felt understood and valued.

Staff were highly complementary of the providers' drive to continuously improve the service for everyone involved. Staff said the management team were passionate about improving people’s quality of life, and it was clear staff shared this vision and were proud to work for the service. Staff felt empowered. They were encouraged to share their ideas and make suggestions. The management team were keen to praise staff for individual contributions which had changed practice and work at the service. Without exception staff told us they loved their jobs. All the staff spoken with were committed , enthusiastic, and felt valued and appreciated. Without exception, staff told us they were not afraid to ask for help. They said we have a culture that encourages creativity, and the managers were open to change or new ways of working to solve any problems we have. Staff told us the managers were committed to improving the service and had the right skills, knowledge, and experience to do this. Comments from staff included, “The management team has a hands-on approach and leads by example. They are always approachable, and they have a genuine commitment to improving the lives of both the people that use the service and the staff. Another staff member said, "Our managers set an excellent example, which not only motivates us but also establishes high standards for the entire team."

The management team communicated their appreciation of the hard work and commitment of all staff and the huge impact they had on people's lives. Staff at the service had regular supervision. Supervision included formally organised one to one session, appraisals, peer support and regular team meetings. Team meetings enabled staff to discuss specific topics relevant to their roles and the needs of people living at the service. These included discussions about good practice and opportunities for the staff to teach others and share their ideas. We saw policies and procedures in place to ensure equality, diversity and inclusion was upheld. The provider told us they were fully committed to these principles and values and were a responsive service and were able to meet diverse needs.