Alderwood 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.

We assessed a limited number of quality statements in the caring key question and found areas of good practice. The scores for this area have been combined with scores based on the rating from the last inspection.

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 75 (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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. The provider had a strong culture of kindness and compassion that extended beyond people to their relatives and visitors. Feedback we received during and after the assessment reflected this.

Staff were very attentive and adjusted the style of care to the needs of the person they were supporting. Staff were patient and caring during meal time support; a calm and peaceful meal time experience was created for people. This busy sitting was well managed by staff. We saw staff reassure people with actions and words. When people showed any signs of anxiety or distress, staff recognised these cues and acted on them, alleviating their anxiety and providing reassurance for people. Staff consistently treated people with kindness and respect, honouring people’s wishes while offering gentle encouragement and support.

People and their relatives were complimentary about staff and their caring approach. One person told us, “You can’t fault the staff here; they are all very caring. They are all so respectful and kind.” A recent online review read, “Residents are treated with care and dignity within a secure environment. Residents are encouraged to take part in activities most days; these are popular and varied, and this builds a good atmosphere.”

Relatives we spoke with complimentary about the service and survey results supported this. A visitor who had travelled a long way said, “The staff are very understanding; they always make us feel welcome. They are very caring with [my relative] and help her when she gets confused.” Staff had received dementia training, which was evident in their interactions with people. During the inspection we observed staff demonstrate kindness and compassion through personalised approaches that upheld people’s dignity.

We did not look at Treating people as individuals during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.

The provider was exceptional at promoting people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Promoting and maintaining people’s independence was embedded across the staff team, and this was evident in the way staff encouraged people to do as much as they could for themselves. At lunchtime we observed that people were consistently offered choice in a way that supported their independence and preferences. We observed staff providing lots of personalised care; where people were able to eat independently this was acknowledged and respected. When support was required, for example, in cutting meat into more manageable pieces, this was done discreetly after asking the person if help was needed.

Care plans reflected any hobbies or past times people enjoyed, both now and prior to coming to live at the home. Staff were made aware which social activities people enjoyed and tried to encompass these within outings or indoor activities. For example, those who liked gardening or were interested in plants had recently enjoyed trips to a local garden centre and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) garden nearby. The home also had an outdoor space people could access during warmer weather.

The activity coordinator was recognised and acknowledged for their efforts in the home. They, along with other care staff, encouraged people to take part in meaningful activities and be active members of the home. One person told us about the string quartet that had recently provided an enjoyable afternoon of entertainment and said, “Last week we had a visit from the local music college, a string quartet. It was marvellous, right up my street. I couldn’t have been happier, and to see the joy on some of the other residents’ faces; they just lit up the room.” Staff supported people to engage in tasks that reflected their interests, routines and sense of purpose.

The registered manager had created excellent links with the community and evidenced the home's involvement in numerous community projects during 2025. One of these was a close partnership with the local Dancing with Dementia group. This community group recognised the importance of music and movement for everybody, not just for people with dementia. They provided the home with free entertainers, delivered dementia friends training to staff and people attended monthly music and dance sessions at a local hall, when transport was available. We have covered this in more detail under the partnerships and communities quality statement in the well led key area.

We spoke with one person having a one-to-one activity in her bedroom; this was her preference as she liked to stay in her room. The person told us the activity co-ordinator made a point of visiting them every Wednesday for a good chat, which they looked forward to. Staff recognised the importance of social inclusion and created opportunities for all to either participate in or observe activities to reduce the risk of social isolation.

Reviews about the home and the activities were extremely complimentary when we checked on-line reviews. One reviewer said, “The home is warm and friendly. The staff interact well with the residents and have lots of fun, enjoying activities with them. The staff are supportive and kind. I would recommend this home to anyone who wants their loved ones to feel loved, cared for and supported.”

We did not look at Responding to people’s immediate needs during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.

We did not look at Workforce wellbeing and enablement during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.