Woodways

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 provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has changed to outstanding. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

This service scored 90 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. Without exception people and relatives told us they were extremely happy with their care and support. We observed staff treating people with empathy, kindness and respect. People were involved within their community, people were getting to know local businesses, such as the local fruit and veg shop. A relative said, “It's a good service, in fact it’s excellent. What I like about it is that [name] needs occupying, and the staff support them with this. [Name] has got a good lifestyle. [Name] has come on no end and matured a lot, is more independent, and their apartment is lovely. It's very safe. Staff have organised a weekend away with me as well. They have consulted with me on it. There has never been an issue, but I know if there was, they would resolve it. If I needed to live in a care home, I could live there.” Dignity champions were in place, and respect and dignity were explored through team meetings and management team quality audits. People were involved in formulating their own menus and supported to cook their own meals, staff sat and ate with people, to provide a nice meal-time experience.

The provider treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. The provider took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. People and relatives were extremely positive about their care. The service was designed in line with people's needs. A sensory room was in place for people to use, which included sensory toys, lighting, music and mats and bean bags for people to sit on. People had access to a garden area, which included activities for people to partake in, such as football, garden parties and BBQs. A new pizza oven and BBQ was recently built, and people were involved in planting new pots and flowers. A person had been supported to care for their baby dolls in a swimming pool, which they enjoyed and another person felt calmer when they sat alone and had a vape. People had been supported to register to vote. A staff member said, “We have a good relationship with people, I would miss people if I no longer worked here. We have supported 1 person to communicate more, and they now speak and have nicknames for staff. We do things to make people happy.”

Staff looked at ways to enrich people’s lives. The provider was exceptional at promoting people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People chose what they liked to do each day. Staff supported people to plan their day-to-day lives around their wishes. A staff member said, “People make their own choices, staff never assume people can’t choose. Whatever people want; we explore ways we can make it happen.” People lived in their own personalised apartments. People were involved in decorating their apartments and decorating communal areas. For example, staff supported one person to shop for new furniture and people had decorated the sensory room walls with their own artwork. We observed staff offering choices to people about how they would like to spend their time and what they would like to eat. 1 person was supported to manage their own financial transactions whilst out shopping, which they had previously been unable to manage. Another person was supported to learn to do their own cooking for the first time, as they had previously not had any cooking skills. A person said, “I like to sing on the karaoke and the music man has helped me learn musical skills. I am happy living here. I wouldn't change anything, I get good support.”

The provider 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. People had their needs met by staff who knew them well. People had plans in place to assist them to become more independent, for example some people had weekly planners in place, to work towards completing activities of daily living, such as household chores, cooking and activities since living at the service, this had improved people’s independent living skills, sense of pride and belonging, and given them a sense of achievement. Without exception people told us staff met their needs. A person was supported to go out for breakfast, as this is what they enjoyed. Another person was supported to get tattoos they wished to have.

The provider demonstrated a sustained and embedded commitment to workforce wellbeing and enablement. Staff consistently told us they felt valued, listened to, and well supported in their roles. The leadership team were described as approachable and fair, with an open-door culture that encouraged staff to speak up and contribute ideas. Staff reported high morale and a strong sense of team cohesion.

Staff received regular one-to-one supervision, which was used not only to monitor performance but also to provide space for reflective discussion, raise concerns, and agree personal development goals. Supervision records showed that these sessions were used to celebrate achievements, identify additional training needs, and ensure staff felt included in decision-making about people’s care. Staff told us this made them feel supported, respected, and involved in the direction of the service.

The provider had implemented a range of initiatives to promote staff wellbeing and recognise contributions across the team. These included attendance bonuses, employee of the month and employee of the year awards, a staff “hall of fame” board, and regular team-building outings. In addition, an employee assistance programme was available to all staff, offering a 24-hour confidential mental health support line.

Recognising individual contributions in this way helped foster a culture where staff felt appreciated and motivated. Staff told us that seeing their work acknowledged gave them a sense of pride and personal investment in the service. These efforts supported staff retention and helped maintain a stable and motivated workforce, which directly benefited the people using the service.

One staff member told us, “Woodways is a place that I wanted to work, even before I was employed. It is a place where we support people and do the best at looking after people. I am happy to work here and have regular supervisions. It is a lovely place for people to live.”