Flora Innes 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

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness,dignityand respect. At our last assessment we rated this key question Good At this assessment the rating hasremainedGood.

This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care

This service scored 80 (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, compassion and genuine respect. They knew people well and had a clear understanding of their life stories, personal histories and what mattered most to them. This knowledge helped staff provide support in a warm, personalised and dignified way.
People’s privacy was respected and staff ensured people had space and control over their personal routines.
Staff understood people’s wishes and preferences, including how they liked to communicate, spend their time and structure their day. We saw that people were supported to maintain close relationships with their relatives, with staff helping facilitate visits, phone calls and shared activities that were meaningful to them. People told us staff were caring and attentive, and that people were always treated with dignity and respect. Staff understood the importance of contact with family. One relative told us that they were restricted to visit the home but the staff, “Bring (the person) to me instead”.
This consistent approach ensured the person felt valued, safe and comfortable in their home.
 

Staff demonstrated an exceptional commitment to treating people as unique individuals, showing deep respect for their identities, preferences and protected characteristics. They took time to understand each person’s cultural background, personal history, communication style, dietary needs and religious or family traditions, ensuring these were meaningfully reflected in day to day support.
Staff could clearly explain how protected characteristics such as ethnicity, disability, religion or belief, were considered when planning and delivering care. For example, people’s religious beliefs were respected and staff supported those who wanted to attend church services regularly.
Staff were able to tell us about people and how this knowledge helped them to offer care that truly reflected who each person was. We observed staff support people, who were clearly comfortable and knew staff well. People smiled when staff approached them and it was clear staff understood their needs and wishes exceptionally well. One person described a member of care staff as, “His friend”.
We saw care records which evidenced people were supported to maintain close connections with their relatives, facilitating visits, phone calls and family events in ways that upheld people’s rights and preferences. We saw photographs of celebrations. An external professional told us, “The service values are person-centred care, dignity, respect, and Independence."
One relative told us their, “Relative now lives the life (they) very much deserve”.
This deeply personalised approach ensured people felt truly valued, respected and recognised as individuals, which is central to outstanding care.
 

People were supported to make choices and maintain as much independence as possible in their daily lives.
Staff understood people’s communication styles and used accessible tools such as visual prompts, pictures, simple language and objects of reference, to help them express their preferences clearly. People were encouraged to be involved in everyday tasks with staff providing the right level of support to help them build confidence and develop new skills if they showed a wish to do so.
Staff respected people’s choices about what they wanted to do each day, what they wanted to eat and how they preferred to spend their time. People were involved in decisions about their support, and that their preferences were reflected in care plans. We saw minutes of meetings where views were considered and requests met where possible. An example of this was supporting somebody to trial a driving lesson. This approach meant people experienced good levels of independence, choice and control in their everyday lives. This helped to reduce any distress people might experience
 

Staff were alert and responsive to people’s immediate needs, demonstrating awareness and sensitivity in how they observed, communicated and engaged with individuals. They took time to speak with people in ways that suited their communication styles, ensuring they understood how the person was feeling and what support they wanted at that moment. Staff were skilled at finding out the most appropriate and respectful way to respond, adapting their approach to match each person’s wishes, needs and preferences. This meant people felt listened to, reassured and in control.

A staff member told us they, “Understood that open communication was important between people receiving support and staff”.

Staff showed an understanding of the different ways people with a learning disability may express discomfort, pain or distress, recognising both verbal cues and non‑verbal signals such as changes in facial expression, body language, behaviour or levels of engagement. They responded promptly and sensitively when they noticed even subtle signs that something was not right. When staff were concerned about a person’s wellbeing, they escalated issues quickly to senior staff or healthcare professionals, ensuring people received timely assessment and intervention. We saw clear examples of staff documenting observations thoroughly and working collaboratively with external professionals to prevent deterioration in people’s health.

The service had developed an excellent relationship with the local health centre nursing team. This helped to ensure the people they supported received personalised health support within.

This proactive, skilled and person‑centred approach meant people received immediate, tailored support that protected their wellbeing and dignity, ensuring their needs were always met quickly and to a high standard.

Staff told us they felt well supported and empowered in their roles. Leaders fostered a positive and open culture where staff felt valued, listened to, and confident in raising concerns or seeking support.
Regular supervision, practice sessions and team meetings supported staff wellbeing and provided opportunities to share learning and discuss best practice in supporting people with a learning disability.
New staff completed a comprehensive induction, including training specific to learning disabilities, which ensured they had the knowledge and confidence to provide safe, respectful care. Ongoing training opportunities were readily available and actively encouraged.
Workloads were effectively managed, and staffing levels were sufficient, allowing staff to work without feeling rushed and to support people with patience and dignity. This supportive environment enabled staff to remain motivated, skilled and confident in delivering high-quality care.