- Care home
The Evergreens
Assessment report published 26 October 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
We carried out this inspection on 16 October 2026. This service was previously rated as good. We carried out this inspection to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continued to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus on any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.
People and their relatives spoke positively about the care and support provided and told us they felt safe living at the service. Staff also spoke positively about the service and described it as a homely place to work.
The provider had effective systems in place to help protect people from the risk of abuse. Staff understood their safeguarding responsibilities and knew how to recognise and report concerns. They were confident raising concerns and felt these would be acted upon appropriately by the management team.
Staff understood how to record accidents and incidents and escalate concerns when necessary. Accidents and incidents were reviewed by the management team to identify themes, trends and opportunities for learning. Where improvements were identified, appropriate action was taken and learning was shared with staff.
There were enough staff to meet people's needs safely. Staff received regular supervision, attended team meetings and completed training relevant to their roles. A range of competency assessments were also completed to provide assurance staff had the skills and knowledge required to support people safely. Staff spoke positively about working at the service, felt part of a team and told us the management team was supportive. A staff member said, “People are safe living here because we are a strong consistent team who know people well and know when something is not right, the management is good, they listen and are responsive and we have good training.”
Medicines were managed safely, including medicines prescribed to be given 'when required'. Staff responsible for administering medicines had received appropriate training and their competency was assessed.
People and their relatives were positive about the decoration and condition of the service. Equipment, utilities and the environment were subject to regular checks to promote people's safety. Where these checks identified actions, these were recorded and followed up. External specialists and contractors were used to undertake works and checks where necessary.
People's needs were assessed before they moved into the service and reviewed regularly to ensure their care continued to meet their individual needs. Care plans were person-centred and covered key areas of people's needs and associated risks. People and their relatives were involved in the care planning process. Staff knew people well, understood their individual needs and risks, and knew where to find the information needed to provide safe and effective care. A staff member said, “Care plans have a lot of information and they are regularly updated, I love reading the back story and there is a focus on learning about the person and their history.”
People's nutrition and hydration needs were assessed, and care was provided in accordance with their individual needs. Where required, referrals were made to speech and language therapy (SALT) for specialist assessment and advice, which was reflected in people's care plans and practice. Staff were aware of people's allergies, intolerances and swallowing requirements. We observed food and drink being prepared in line with people's assessed swallowing needs. People and their relatives were kept informed and involved in their care.
People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which form part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how DoLS were managed. Staff and the management team worked within the principles of the MCA. DoLS applications were made appropriately and were overseen by the management team. People had choice, control and freedom over their lives and were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions.
People were supported by caring and compassionate staff who promoted their choices and independence. Staff spoke to and about people with warmth, recognised their individuality and respected their dignity. We observed positive interactions between people and staff, and people appeared relaxed and comfortable in their company.
People and their relatives told us people were treated fairly and their rights were respected. Staff understood people's right to be treated equally and described how they empowered people to make individual choices about their daily lives, including what they wanted to eat and wear. Staff understood their responsibilities in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion and knew how to raise concerns about discriminatory practice. Training, guidance, policies and ongoing monitoring supported inclusive practice. People's and relatives' views were sought through surveys and used to inform improvements within the service.
Governance systems were operating effectively and enabled the registered manager and provider to maintain oversight of the quality and safety of the service. The registered manager carried out a range of audits, and there was provider-level oversight. Where areas for improvement were identified, actions were recorded and monitored through a continuous improvement plan.
The service sought feedback and looked for opportunities to improve people's experiences and outcomes. The registered manager demonstrated an understanding of the importance of continuous improvement and described work being undertaken to further develop the service, including redecoration of the home and improvements aimed at enhancing people's quality of life.
People's experience of this service
We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experiences of people who could not talk with us. Our observations showed people had opportunities for meaningful engagement and activities. Staff interacted positively with people and supported them to take part in activities and spend their time in ways they enjoyed. People appeared happy, relaxed and comfortable in their environment.
Throughout the inspection we observed warm and wholesome interactions between staff at all levels and people and their relatives. Staff, including management clearly knew people and their relatives well and had built up good relationships. This was confirmed in the feedback we received from people and their relatives. A person said to us, “Staff ensure I am well looked after and they do look after me very well, very well indeed. The staff speak to me like a person, I am not spoken “at” and they chat to me like we have known each other for a long time, like we are old friends or family. My guests always feel welcome when they come and will always comment on the staff’s happy and engaging approach. I don’t know what to say other than it is a wonderful place and I am so happy to be here. I would highly recommend The Evergreens.” Another person told us, “The staff are wonderful here, kind and caring and always willing to help. The are always smiling and have a good attitude, nothing is too much, they really go above and beyond. I feel listened to and I know all I need to do is ask. They do very well with my medicines and they are always on time, and they have never made a mistake. My family feel they do not need to worry about me, and we can simply enjoy our time together.” A relative said, “The staff are very respectful of my family member’s choices and independence. Polite, kind and treat them like an individual.”
People were offered choices about their day-to-day lives and were supported to spend their time doing things they enjoyed. People had opportunities to take part in activities that reflected their interests and preferences. We observed people making choices about how they spent their time and enjoying positive interactions with staff. A relative said, “Everyone is treated very individually, and everyone's needs and wishes are different and catered for, The Evergreens do not have a blanket approach, everything is individually person centred.”
Relatives reported they would not hesitate to raise any concerns they had and felt their concerns and general feedback was listened to. A relative told us, “I would feel comfortable raising any concerns with a senior member of staff. I am confident that concerns would be recorded, passed to the appropriate person and addressed promptly, with any actions and follow-up communicated to me.”
Throughout the day, people were supported in a manner that promoted their privacy, dignity and independence. Staff responded promptly to call bells and remained attentive to people’s comfort, wellbeing and personal care needs. A person said, “I feel very safe and well cared for, I have no concerns for my safety whatsoever, the staff know me and will help in a second, when I press the bell the staff are here straight away, doesn’t matter if it is day or night.”
People received care from kind and compassionate staff who knew them well, understood their individual needs and provided support in a responsive, respectful and person-centred way. A person said, “All the staff are very good, they kind and hardworking, I really like them all.”