Holly House Care Home

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 service involved people andtreated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. At the last inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection 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.

Staff always treated people with kindness, compassion and dignity, and staff fostered warm, trusting relationships with the people they supported. People and relatives consistently described staff as friendly, caring and respectful, and said they felt valued. Relatives told us, “The staff are lovely… they are warm, friendly and cheerful and really try to make people feel welcome” and “[Person’s name] is happy, well supported and cared for.” Staff were observed speaking to people in a gentle and supportive way, taking time to explain what they were doing and ensuring people were comfortable. Professionals repeatedly noted that residents were treated with dignity, kindness and respect, and that staff knew people extremely well. People appeared settled and at ease, and staff responded with empathy when people were distressed or needed reassurance. This consistent culture of compassion contributed to the calm, positive atmosphere throughout the home.

Staff were exceptional at treating people as individuals and tailoring care to their unique needs, preferences and aspirations. Staff had an in‑depth understanding of people’s personalities, preferences and routines, and relatives consistently told us staff knew their family members, “very well.” One person told us how staff had supported them to vlog about their wartime experiences and share this on social media. This had led to a great deal of interest from people around the world and within local media. The person described how people having an interest in hearing about their experiences really increased their well-being, as it gave them a great sense of being valued. Another person discussed how staff really understood their difficulties around hearing and consistently used a whiteboard to communicate, which they found really assisted them effectively communicate their needs and remain as independent as possible. Staff demonstrated a strong person-centred approach, actively involving people in care planning and decision-making. Professionals also highlighted the highly personalised approach, explaining that residents were supported as individuals and appeared happy, settled and well cared for. Feedback from relatives and professionals confirmed that staff understood and respected individuality, culture and personal goals. Staff took time to learn about people’s histories and used this knowledge to shape daily support, activities and relationships, resulting in consistently positive individual experiences.

Staff were exceptional at promoting people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Care plans were developed with people, and where appropriate, with families and advocates, to ensure people’s wishes and preferred ways of living were central to all decisions. For example, one person had always been actively engaged in the local community and had believed moving into a care would mean they could no longer do this and they described how this thought impacted their mental health. They had shared this with staff and immediately measures were put in place to ensure the person could continue to enjoy the things they liked. Staff had worked with the person’s family and friends so arrangements could be put in place for the person to continue to go to the clubs and church services they valued. If their health was poor they organised for people from the church and clubs to come and have the activities in the service. The person discussed how staff’s consideration around ensuring they could continue to actively contribute to the community now and in the future made them feel like they were safe and could face anything that was ‘thrown at them.’

Staff encouraged people to stay as independent as possible, and professionals repeatedly described the home as proactive, person‑centred and respectful of people’s autonomy. They noted that staff implemented professional advice promptly and worked in ways that upheld people’s dignity while enabling independence, including through the use of technology, which supported people’s safety with minimal restriction. People continued to lead very active lives and staff support them to go to their churches and out with friends to local pubs and clubs. People described how this meant they continued to lead very meaningful lives and their quality of life was improved because staff supported them to follow their previous routines. Relatives told us staff asked for their input, kept them informed of changes, and respected daily choices, such as routines, food preferences and how people wanted to spend their time. People felt listened to, involved and supported to maintain control over their care.

Staff always responded to people’s immediate needs in a timely and compassionate manner. People told us they felt confident that staff would act quickly if they needed support. Relatives described timely responses to emerging health concerns, including occasions when staff acted “immediately” and contacted professionals without delay. Professionals corroborated this, explaining staff made appropriate referrals, provided accurate information and followed clinical advice to ensure people received the right support at the right time. Staff were knowledgeable about individuals’ needs and adapted care when circumstances changed. Relatives consistently reported being contacted quickly when their loved one’s health changed, which gave them confidence in the staff team. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. We observed staff were responsive to individual’s needs and people confirmed this was the case. Staff were knowledgeable about each person and could describe their needs.

The provider was exceptional at supporting workforce wellbeing and enabling staff to deliver high‑quality, compassionate care. Staff repeatedly described the home as “the best” they had worked in, and reported feeling trusted, valued and well supported by management. Leadership was visible and approachable, and staff said concerns were acted on promptly and that they were encouraged to share their views. Regular supervision, appraisals and training ensured staff felt confident and equipped in their roles. Professionals also commented on strong morale, effective teamwork and a culture of openness, noting that staff were knowledgeable, proactive and consistently implemented advice. Staff described a positive, friendly workplace where they enjoyed coming to work and felt able to progress. This strong, supportive culture contributed directly to the high‑quality, person‑centred care people received. They described feeling well supported by approachable managers who provided regular supervision and valued their contributions. They discussed how the provider was extremely supportive and really cared about their well-being. One staff member said, “[The provider] has been absolutely fantastic. I needed to take time off and was worried about how this would affect my job, but he said to take the time I needed, and my job was perfectly safe.” Another staff member said, “During the recent bus strike [the registered manager] let me pop out and pick my partner up as it would take 40 minutes to do that rather than having to pay the taxi fare. It was such a wonderful help.”