Elizabeth 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 service 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.

Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness. They respected patients’ privacy and dignity and did their best to involve them in their care.

Staff understood the individual needs of patients and supported patients to understand and manage their care, treatment or condition in a way they could understand.

Staff involved patients in care planning and risk assessment where possible. Managers actively sought patient and carer feedback on the quality of care provided. Where patients had consented, staff informed and involved families and carers appropriately.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

During our assessment we observed some kind interactions between staff and patients. We saw staff provide patients with help and support at the time they needed it.

Staff addressed patients by their preferred name. It was clear that staff knew the patients well and had built a rapport. We had positive feedback from patients and carers about the helpfulness of staff.

Staff respected patients’ privacy and dignity. Staff knocked on bedroom doors and awaited a response before entering. Staff ensured patients had appropriate clothing and toiletries.

Staff directed patients to other services when appropriate and, if required, supported them to access those services. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with respect and professionalism when visiting the service or attending meetings.

Staff understood individual needs of patients, their physical, psychological, cultural, social, religious and spiritual needs. Initial information was gathered during the admission process. Staff supported patients to speak with relevant spiritual leaders or attend preferred places of worship, where possible. The hospital had a quiet space available for daily prayer. Kitchen staff offered a variety of foods in line with individual faith, such as Halal meals.

Staff attempted to involve patients in their care planning by having regular conversations with patients to understand what they wanted from their care and treatment, discussing how staff could support them in their recovery. General feedback was welcomed during community meetings and during MDT meetings.

Some patients were far from their home and were pleased staff were arranging visits with people important to them where possible. Where the patient had consented, staff communicated regularly with families and carers to update on progress.

Information provided was adapted where needed to ensure patients could understand, for example, in easy read format or pictorial form. Staff were able to offer information leaflets to patients in different languages, as and when needed. The manager ensured staff and patients had easy access to interpreters and / or signers.

Staff encouraged patients to be as independent as possible, although offered appropriate support and guidance when needed.

Staff informed patients of their rights if detained under the Mental Health Act and recorded when discussions had taken place. Informal patients were made aware that they could leave the wards and were advised to speak with staff first. Patient information boards held relevant information such as how to make a complaint, how to access advocacy, how to speak with a solicitor for advice if needed, and how to contact CQC.

Staff tried to involve patients in planning their care. We saw some patients had declined this offer, which staff documented[CP1] [JW2] . Staff continued to make efforts to discuss their care plans with them if they had previously declined. Patients attended their MDT meetings where progress, ongoing treatment and future plans were discussed. Staff invited relevant external professionals from the patient’s home area to attend relevant meetings.

Staff responded to patients’ needs in a timely and respectful way. Staff we spoke with knew the patient’s individual risks and how to support them during times of distress. Patients’ preferences and views were recorded in care plans where patients had been willing to discuss these.

Staff used de-escalation techniques to reduce the need for physical interventions when patients’ behaviours became heightened. Staff used verbal de-escalation, offered quieter or more private areas for use (such as their bedroom or the garden), and distraction through simple activities to minimise the risk of the situation escalating.

We saw staff during the assessment taking time to listen to patient’s needs, and to identify preferences, for example around meals, drinks and activities.

Patients and carers we spoke with raised no concerns about staff meeting individual patients’ needs during times of distress. Patients and carers said staff spoke kindly to people and were patient with them.

Staff we spoke with felt respected, supported and valued by senior staff. Staff spoke positively about working at the hospital. Some staff had progressed within the company and had been promoted into more senior roles.

The manager could access additional support for staff with physical and emotional health needs through an occupational health service as and when required. Psychology staff facilitated regular reflective practice sessions which were open to all staff.

All staff had an annual appraisal of their work. This included a discussion around training needs and career development, and how this may be supported internally.

The service’s staff sickness levels were lower than the national average. This had ranged between 1% and 2% between June and September 2025.