The Willows

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 remained good.

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.

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.

People and their relatives were very complimentary about the care they or their family received. A relative told us, “It is like coming to see family when I am here, I don’t just talk with my (relative) I also chat with the staff and other residents to see how they are”. Another said, “I no longer need to worry about (relative) as the care that they receive in here is brilliant, everyone is so friendly and professional, I know (relative) is safe and well looked after”.

Staff supported people with patience and respect, offering reassurance when needed. We observed visiting professionals and relatives being treated with kindness and genuine interest from the moment they arrived. There was a peaceful, relaxed friendly atmosphere throughout and everyone was included. People were relaxed and comfortable in the presence of staff. The registered manager monitored interactions between staff and residents living with dementia, recognising the importance for them to still have interaction and communication with others.

The service was recognised by the local end of life nursing team as being able to provide compassionate end of life care and told us that they recommend the service to families who are unsure where to place a loved one at the end of their life. All staff were trained by the nurses in the "Six steps of end of life care" meaning they were capable to provide compassionate care and support to families and their loved one.

People and their relatives spoke in exceptionally positive terms about the care they or their loved ones received. One relative told us, “It feels like coming to see family when I am here. I don’t just spend time with my relative; I also chat with the staff and other residents to see how they are.” Another shared, “I no longer worry about my relative because the care they receive here is brilliant. Everyone is so friendly and professional, and I know my relative is safe, comfortable, and very well looked after.”

Staff demonstrated kindness, patience, and respect at all times, offering reassurance whenever it was needed. We observed visiting professionals and relatives being welcomed warmly, treated with genuine care and interest from the moment they arrived. The service had a calm, relaxed, and friendly atmosphere where everyone felt included. People were at ease and appeared comfortable and confident in the presence of staff. The registered manager actively monitored interactions between staff and people living with dementia, fully recognising the importance of meaningful communication and continued social engagement.

The service was recognised by the local end‑of‑life nursing team for its ability to deliver highly compassionate end‑of‑life care. The team told us they actively recommend the service to families who are unsure where to place a loved one during the final stages of life. All staff had received training from the nursing team in the Six Steps of End‑of‑Life Care, ensuring they were well equipped to provide sensitive, dignified, and compassionate support to people and their families at this crucial time.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Peoples’ personal, cultural and religious beliefs were understood and met and there were processes in place to support these. Staff knew peoples’ communication needs well.

Policies were in place around equality, diversity and inclusion and staff received training for this.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff worked in a person-centred way allowing people to access a range of activities which reflected their preferences and wishes. This included shopping trips, religious visits, cooking, art and lots of different games as well as celebrations for birthdays and events like Christmas, Easter and Mother’s Day. A relative told us, “My (relative) does so much more here than they did when they lived alone, I love seeing([relative) joining in and seeing how much they enjoy it”. Care plans detailed how people liked to dress and what activities they liked to do and how they liked to be supported. Staff told us that they took people out on day trips, residents had expressed a wish to go to the Imperial War Museum, they enjoyed a meal in the café when they were there. One staff member told us, “I give the help and the provider gets the transport”. People were supported to make choices and informed decisions by staff who knew them well.

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

People were supported by staff to access external health and medical care services as and when required. Staff were aware of peoples’ healthcare needs and knew how to respond to any immediate healthcare emergencies to prevent people from becoming distressed or unwell.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

The provider used supportive ways to ensure that staff well-being was paramount. Staff were able to provide excellent care to people living at the service through support and communication. Staff told us how much they liked working at the home and the manager was good. All staff spoke highly of the management team and said it was an amazing place to work and that it felt like being part of a family. Staff told us how the managers and provider supported them to deliver the best care they could and develop professionally and personally in their role. The provider had enrolled staff to complete NVQ’s from various departments within the service and with the support of the manager 2 senior carers completed their Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and Computer Based Test (CBT) which allows international nurses to register and work as a nurse in the UK. The provider and manager spoke about how important it was for staff to be happy and feel valued. We saw evidence of this as various reward schemes were available to staff including an enhanced bank holiday incentive.