Abbots Lawn

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 were treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity. They knew people well and were able to use this knowledge to ensure people had choice and control over their lives. Where safe to do so, people’s independence was encouraged as much as possible. People were treated as individuals and care was delivered in line with their needs and preferences. People and their relatives were given regular opportunities to feedback on their care so it could be shaped in regard to what was important to them. The provider had a strong ethos of promote well-being of both people who used the service and staff.

This service scored 75 (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 care and support from staff who knew them well. Every person we spoke to was complimentary about the caring nature of the staff. People described them as, “Amazing,” “Lovely,” and, “Supportive.”

Staff were skilled in talking to people and established a rapport. The relationships between staff and people receiving support demonstrated dignity and respect. Staff spoke fondly about the people they support, often referring to them as ‘like family’.

The caring ethos of the service was evident. External professionals spoke positively about the kindness of staff at Abbots Lawn. One comment was, “They support some people with very complex needs, but do so very well.”

Throughout our visit staff interacted with people in a warm and friendly manner. It was evident that people were comfortable in the presence of staff and even when people experienced moments of distress, staff were quickly on hand to support and comfort the person in a calm and gentle manner.

People and their relatives told us that they received the care that they wanted and were happy with the care received. A relative told us, “[Person] is settling in really well, surprisingly so, it’s a credit to the staff. It is good to see [Person] participating and enjoying ‘normal’ life.”

Staff knew what people could do for themselves and areas where support was needed. Relationships between people and staff were warm, friendly, and sincere. Staff were able to tell us detailed information about people's current needs as well as their backgrounds and life history from information gathered from people and their relatives.

We saw that staff focused their attention on providing support to people in a way in which was personalised to them. We observed people smiling and chatting. The overall impression was of a warm, friendly, safe and lively environment where people were happy.

The provider had processes in place to ensure they gathered as much information about a person to ensure they were treated as an individual. This started before a person was admitted to Abbots Lawn and formed part of the initial assessment process. There was a strong ethos about well-being at the service and this included ensuring people’s individual needs were documented and upheld through daily care.

Feedback from people and their relatives about choice and control was positive. People told us they “feel involved,” and could “make choices.” Relatives confirmed this, telling us that they knew staff would promote their loved ones independence as much as it was safe to do so.

Staff knew people well and were knowledgeable about how to promote people’s choice and independence. They told us about a person who had been labelled as a ‘wanderer’ at a previous service. They said, “’Wandering’ is encouraged at Abbots Lawn. [People have] freedom of movement. especially within the safe confines of the garden.”

Throughout our time at Abbots Lawn, we saw people were able to choose where they went and how they spent their time. This was particularly evident at lunchtime when people were given choices over their meals and drinks. We saw staff consistently asking people whether they would like to engage in activities or spend time in different parts of the home.

The provider had a strong ethos regarding promoting people’s dignity and independence. There was guidance in people’s care plans to enable staff to support in a least restrictive way and promote independence, choice and control as much as possible. Visits from loved ones were actively encouraged with no restrictions.

People and their relatives felt staff were very responsive to people’s needs. People were actively encouraged to give feedback on their care and regularly had the opportunity to express their needs and wishes.

Staff used a person-centred behavioural approach, using diversion strategies based on what worked well for people to support them in times of upset. They were knowledgeable about potential risks to people and gave examples of the possible triggers and action they took to support people during these times. Conversations with staff reflected the guidance in people's support plans and risk assessments.

Staff were able to describe how they supported people in a positive way to manage distressed behaviours. We saw a person upset towards staff. Staff were quick to calm the person down by giving them some chocolate and explained, “[Person] was confused as they were hungry and unable to find the dining room.” Staff told us, “Usually if people are aggressive, it means their needs aren’t being met. Meet their needs and they are calm. It’s really quite simple.”

Staff spoke positively about working at Abbots Lawn. Comments included, “I love it here”; “We work really well together” and “[Management] look after us”. Staff had access to regular supervisions where they could raise any concerns they may have, they also had regular joint staff meetings where ideas could be shared to promote good well-being of staff.

The provider has a robust system in place to promote staff well-being and provide support to staff when needed. This includes an employee well-being app where counselling can be accessed, regular opportunities for staff to give feedback, a buddy scheme for new staff members and a monthly Employee Appreciation Day.