Prince Michael of Kent Court

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

We assessed all quality statements in the responsive key question and found areas of good practice. People received care that was personalised to their needs and preferences. Care plans were person centred, and information was provided to people in a way they can understand. Systems were in place to manage complaints.

The environment was designed and maintained to a high standard. Communal areas were comfortable and appropriately equipped. The registered manager was carrying out a programme of refurbishments across the home and at the time of the assessment was making some rooms sensory. Family members were very positive about these changes. The registered manager and staff spoke about the importance of having regular staff work with people as people enjoyed being cared for by the same staff.

This service scored 82 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People received personalised care and support. Relatives told us they were involved in reviews about their family members care and treatment. One relative told us they were working with staff as their loved one’s needs were changing and the home was supporting them. It was evident staff understood the importance of delivering support which was person centred.

The provider was transitioning to a new care planning software, and this meant care plans were not always being reviewed in line with the providers policy. The registered manager was working on an action plan to address this.

Senior staff understood the importance of the needs of the people who lived in the home.

Each unit had regular care staff and staff told us why this was important as people enjoyed seeing familiar faces. When people’s needs changed staff worked with them to meet their needs, for example, by supporting them to move to another unit in the home.

The registered manager was renovating some bedrooms within the dementia unit. The rooms were called sensory rooms and were being personalised to people’s interests. A sensory room, also known as a multisensory environment, contains objects that have been selected to stimulate the five senses. The purpose of stimulating all the senses is to keep people engaged and help reduce the stress associated with having dementia and other conditions that cause memory loss. Family members were asked to consider what interest, colours and sound the person would like. At the time of the assessment, no one had moved into these rooms, but the registered manager was working with family members to agree design and layout.

People had information about their home and the services provided, there was information displayed in corridors about the facilities and agencies who visit the home. The deputy manager explained information was updated when required and if people needed a specific format this could be accommodated.

The provider was meeting the requirements of the accessible information standard, information was available in formats that supported people. Over the years the needs of the people living at the home had changed and many people were living with dementia, the registered manager arranged for dementia training for some people living at the home so they could understand the impact this was having on their friends who lived at the home.

People were treated as individuals and their views sought and listened to. People and their relatives we spoke with told us they knew how to make a complaint if they needed, however they felt any “niggles” would be addressed by the registered manager.

The registered manager told us people using the service were supported to make a complaint if needed and confirmed that complaints were listened to and responded to appropriately.

One relative said the registered manager was “approachable”. People were involved in how their home was run, the registered manager held meetings with family members and there were also drop-in sessions in the evening for family members to come in.

Staff made sure people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when required.

The registered manager understood the importance of people being a part of their local community. People were supported to access and be a part of the community and participate in activities that they were interested in. One person enjoyed boats and staff arranged for people to go on a canal trip. Senior staff also reviewed people’s needs on a regular basis and changes of care were implemented to reflect this. We reviewed referrals between senior staff and the relevant health and social care professionals which confirmed the provider responded to any change in people’s needs appropriately.

People were encouraged and supported to follow their own religious and spiritual beliefs and had their human rights respected. The home supported people who had different religious beliefs and all beliefs and cultures were respected and celebrated. The registered manager told us this was a core value of the home. The home recently celebrated the Jewish festival of Hanukah and staff welcomed family and friends to a celebration BBQ where they enjoyed entertainment and games. The home also hosted a monthly supper club which focused on a country and the food and entertainment was specific to the country. People agreed the country and were asked to choose the menu and entertainment. We saw examples of the supper club reflecting Sweden for the Eurovision.

Staff understood that people’s human rights must be observed, including their right to be treated with dignity and respect. Staff respected people’s human rights, and this was evident in how care was provided. Staff were empathetic, kind and respectful in all of their interactions with people. The registered manager spoke about the importance of meeting the needs of staff and people by celebrating all events within the “Equity, diversity and inclusion calendar”. In the main sitting area, there was a cart which was themed to celebrate different cultures, for example Chinese New Year and St Patrick's day. Staff told us this was an important tool to engage people in activities and celebrate the diversity within the home.

People were supported to plan for the future. Staff had received end of life training, and they felt they had the necessary skills to support people. People’s care records contained information about their future wishes and preferences at the end of their life. For some people we saw they had informed the service in advance about their wishes at the end of their life when they were still able to express this. These wishes had been clearly recorded to ensure they were followed when the time came. We saw positive feedback from relatives when the staff had worked to ensure their loved one’s end of life wishes were respected.