Fitzwarren 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, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question outstanding. At this assessment the rating has changed to good.

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

This service scored 70 (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 treated people with kindness, empathy, and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff also described positive and respectful working relationships with colleagues from other organisations.

Staff knew people well and were able to describe their individual preferences, interests, and support needs.

The manager told us birthdays were celebrated and recognised as important occasions. For example, people’s doors were decorated with banners and balloons, and the kitchen provided a birthday cake and cupcake so the person could blow out a candle and celebrate with friends, family, and other people.

Staff told us they always sought permission before entering people's rooms and respected people's personal space and choices. One staff member said, "I have time to stop and chat, which makes a difference to their day and mine. It makes things more social and adds general conversation to people's lives."

Comments from people included, “Its lovely here the staff are nice” and another person said "We have a great team today”.

A relative described staff as “Friendly, warm and always available.”

We observed staff supporting people in kind and compassionate ways.

The provider treated people as individuals and aimed to ensure their care, support, and treatment reflected their needs and preferences. Care plans included information about people's likes, dislikes, and personal preferences to support person-centred care.

Staff were able to describe the needs of the people they supported and provided examples of how care was adapted to meet individual preferences. Records reflected people's wishes and choices where these were known and documented.

The manager provided examples of how staff sought to respond to people's interests. For example, they told us about a person who enjoyed talking about motorbikes and how staff had arranged a visit from a member of a local bikers' group to support the person's interests and wellbeing.

A relative told us, “My [relative] enjoys music events and staff deliberately seek them out and encourages attendance.”

This demonstrated that systems were in place to support the delivery of personalised care and help staff understand what was important to the people they supported.

The provider promoted people's independence and supported them to have choice and control over their care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff described how they involved people in day-to-day decisions wherever possible. One staff member told us, "I ask people where they would like me to put their clothes, as this makes them feel more involved and gives them a sense of control in their environment."

Relatives also shared positive examples of how people's independence was promoted. One relative told us, “Staff arranged for [relative] to have a key so they can lock their door when they are on their own.”

The manager provided examples of how people's preferences and social interests were respected and encouraged. For example, 1 person enjoyed hosting a curry night with friends every couple of months. Staff supported this by helping to arrange a suitable social environment for the person and their guests, enabling them to maintain important relationships and participate in activities they enjoyed.

The provider could not always be assured that people's needs were responded to in a timely way. People and relatives described delays in receiving support after requesting assistance through the call bell system. People told us staff would sometimes acknowledge their request, deactivate the call bell and return later to provide support. Comments included, "Staff will say they will come in a minute; normally this means three-quarters of an hour," and another person said, "It's the waiting game."

Concerns about call bell response times had also been raised at a relatives' and friends' meeting in March 2026. Relatives shared similar experiences. One relative said, "My relative had to wait 30 minutes to go to the toilet," while another said, "Sometimes my relative waits a while." The manager told us they had reviewed call bell monitoring data following feedback received from relatives. However, the experiences shared by people and relatives indicated the data did not always accurately reflect how long people waited for support, as call bells could be cancelled before assistance had been provided. As a result, the provider's monitoring systems were not always effective in identifying delays in care or providing assurance that people's needs were being met promptly.

Although the provider had systems in place to monitor call bell response times and reviewed data when concerns were raised, the discrepancies identified during the assessment indicated the information available did not always reflect people's experiences. We discussed this with the manager, who acknowledged the concerns and agreed to review the issue further.

The provider demonstrate that staff wellbeing was promoted or that sufficient measures were in place to support staff to deliver person-centred care.

Staff told us they felt valued and supported by the provider. They spoke positively about the wellbeing support available, including access to a wellbeing package, same-day online GP appointments, employee discounts and access to a chaplain for confidential support and discussion, regardless of religious belief.

Staff also told us they had received support to help them manage the emotional impact of their role, including discussions around end-of-life care and bereavement. One staff member described these opportunities as beneficial in helping them reflect on how caring for people at the end of their lives affected them personally.

The manager told us they operated an open-door policy and encouraged staff to raise concerns, seek advice and discuss any issues affecting their wellbeing or work. Unit managers were responsible for providing staff supervision and annual appraisals, helping to monitor performance, identify development needs and provide ongoing support.