Crawford 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 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.

Staff demonstrated an extremely kind and caring approach with people and consistently promoted their dignity. People and relatives repeatedly told us staff were exceptionally kind and caring, with one person saying, ‘I’m really happy, they are fantastic staff, they are the best.’ Staff consistently showed warmth and respect in every interaction, ensuring people felt valued and listened to.

This exceptional level of kindness had a tangible and powerful impact on people’s quality of life. We saw people were emotionally secure, relaxed, and genuinely at home, which enabled them to build trusting relationships, express their preferences confidently, and engage more fully in daily life. Relatives told us this compassionate culture reassured them that their loved ones were not only well cared for but genuinely cherished. Such emotionally supportive care contributed to people experiencing increased wellbeing, reduced anxiety, and a strong sense of belonging within the home.

We observed staff engaged in relaxed, friendly conversations, using humour appropriately and always maintaining privacy. For example, we saw staff completing feedback questionnaires with people in a manner which supported the person to be listened to and express their views, and this feedback directly informed improvements—such as adapting routines, activities and support plans to better reflect people’s preferences and enhance their daily experience. Where appropriate, staff were jovial with people and we saw people had chosen amusing nicknames for the staff and each other. People told us how they had agreed each name and staff joined in by using these names to refer to each other verbally and within written records. These names were commonly used in the household, and for some people, they were also incorporated into support plans as the preferred names by which they wished to be addressed. People told us they felt respected, and relatives described the home as “welcoming” and “like a family.” Staff always adapted routines to individual preferences, such as supporting people with their chosen activities around accommodating their favourite TV programmes and creating calming bedtime routines. Staff and people formed professional, yet close relationships.

The provider was exceptional at recognising and responding to people’s individuality. Care plans were highly personalised, reflecting cultural, social and religious needs alongside communication preferences. Staff knew people exceptionally well and consistently went above and beyond to understand and respond to their individual needs. This meant they were able to anticipate what would help someone feel settled, whether that was supporting them to pursue their preferred daily walks, shopping trips or other personal interests. One staff member told us, ‘People choose the activities they want to do – we follow their lead.’ As a result of this highly personalised support, one person’s levels of anxiety had noticeably decreased, as staff recognised the early signs of distress and tailored their approach to provide reassurance, choice and calm at exactly the right moments. Observations confirmed that staff respected peoples choices and routines and adapted support to avoid overwhelming individuals, particularly those with autism. The registered manager and staff demonstrated an excellent understanding of supporting people with their routines. For example, people decided when they wanted to go out and staff worked flexibly to support this. The registered manager and staff spoke about people with respect and admiration. For example, staff had spent time getting to know people to understand their needs and preferences. The registered manager told us how staff had supported a person, “Building trust was central to this process. Staff invested time in getting to know them as an individual, while supporting them to become familiar with the team and the new environment.” This approach ensured people were confident their individuality was respected and encouraged by staff who knew them extremely well in an environment which celebrated their strengths and achievements.

The provider always supported people to have independence, choice and control over their lives. People were encouraged to make decisions about daily routines, activities and healthcare, with reasonable adjustments in place to promote autonomy. For example, staff arranged flu vaccinations at a local pharmacy so people could attend independently rather than in‑house, and they took time to explain the purpose, benefits and potential side‑effects of the vaccination in ways people could understand. This ensured people were able to give informed consent and feel confident in their decision, promoting autonomy while supporting their health and wellbeing. Staff had completed detailed assessments with people about reasonable adjustments they might need to support them to attend healthcare appointments. Care plans included goals such as weight management, and staff worked collaboratively to help people achieve these aspirations. Throughout our inspection visits we saw staff included people in tasks around the home to make sure they were fully involved in everything which was going on.
People were able to spend time with others that were important to them, and staff supported people to make and maintain relationships. People’s independence was promoted by staff practice and encouragement, staff described ways they empowered people to retain autonomy and control.

The provider was exceptional at anticipating and responding to people’s immediate needs. Staff demonstrated deep knowledge of individuals’ preferences routines and triggers, which meant they could step in early to prevent distress and promote comfort. For example, a person’s evolving routine and holiday experiences were supported through patient relationship-building and thoughtful proactive planning that helped them feel safe, prepared and understood. Staff used simple, creative ways to support people. For example, by staying alongside them and doing tasks together which had a noticeably positive impact on reducing anxiety and helping people feel more confident in looking after their health. Observations confirmed that staff were alert and responsive, using gentle distraction, reassurance and familiar communication tools to meet urgent needs quickly and effectively. The registered manager told us how important it was to match staff with people and we saw this in practice. Staff completed one‑page profiles about themselves, including their interests and what mattered to them, so people could be supported by staff who shared their hobbies or communication style. This thoughtful matching helped people feel at ease and created natural rapport, which further reduced anxieties and strengthened trusting relationships. During our inspection visits we saw staff were exceptionally attentive and met peoples needs promptly and intuitively. This resulted in a calm, happy and relaxed atmosphere throughout the home, where people felt secure, listened to and genuinely valued.

The provider always prioritised workforce wellbeing and enablement, creating a positive culture that supports staff to deliver high-quality care. Staff described feeling valued and able to raise concerns openly, with regular opportunities for feedback through meetings, surveys and suggestion boxes. Flexible working arrangements and wellbeing checks by senior leaders were in place, alongside access to training and development, including PBS and autism-specific courses. Staff spoke positively about support, comments included, “Supervisions are good, we talk about any concerns and struggles, what's doing well and the future.” And, “We get check ins’ with managers providing emotional support and they ask if there's anything they can do. They're always asking about our well-being the management are very good very caring people.”