The Spinnies

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

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 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. Throughout the assessment, we observed staff interacting with people in a warm and considerate manner. They took time to engage with individuals at their own pace, used respectful language, and demonstrated an understanding of people’s preferences and communication needs. Staff supported people in ways that upheld their privacy and dignity, including during personal care and day‑to‑day routines. People appeared relaxed and comfortable in the presence of staff, and we saw positive, trusting relationships had been developed. These caring approaches supported people to feel valued, listened to and respected.

Staff treated people as individuals and supported them in ways that reflected their personal preferences, communication styles and identities. During the assessment, we observed staff using people’s preferred communication methods, including recognising and responding to gestures, facial expressions and non‑verbal cues. This enabled people to express themselves comfortably and be actively involved in their daily choices.

Activities were personalised and meaningful, reflecting what mattered to each person. Staff adapted support so individuals could participate in ways that suited their interests, abilities and preferred routines. People were encouraged to personalise their bedrooms and shared spaces within the home, creating environments that felt familiar, comfortable and reflective of who they were.

These person‑centred approaches helped ensure people felt understood, valued and supported in a way that upheld their individuality and enhanced their wellbeing.

People were supported to have choice and control over their lives, and staff promoted independence in ways that were meaningful to each individual. We observed staff encouraging people to develop and maintain daily living skills, supporting them to build confidence and participate in tasks at their own pace. Staff understood people’s preferred communication methods and used these to help individuals express their wishes and make informed choices.

One relative told us, “[Name] is non‑verbal but [staff name] are brilliant with them. They know how to motivate them and really do support them to make their own choices, such as with clothing.” This reflected the positive, person‑centred approach we saw throughout the assessment, where staff consistently promoted autonomy, respected people’s decisions, and adapted support to meet their individual strengths and needs.

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted promptly to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. They demonstrated a strong understanding of people’s communication plans and were able to recognise when individuals might be experiencing pain or discomfort, even when they could not express this verbally. Staff also had good awareness of people’s known triggers and early signs of anxiety or frustration, enabling them to offer reassurance and support before behaviours escalated.

These caring and proactive approaches ensured people felt understood, supported and safe, and helped maintain their wellbeing throughout the day.

The provider promoted the wellbeing of staff and supported them to deliver person‑centred care. Staff told us they had previously experienced a period of instability and felt there had been a lack of consistent support. However, all staff we spoke with reported that since the interim manager had been appointed, the level of support they received had improved significantly, and they felt confident this would continue.

One staff member told us, “[Manager] has been really good. They’ve only been here eight weeks and already things are changing. I feel much more positive now.” Another staff member said, “We have been asking for support and help with things like increased funding for more hours for people. The manager has listened and acted straight away.”

These positive changes demonstrated the provider’s commitment to creating a supportive environment where staff felt valued, listened to and equipped to provide high‑quality, person‑centred care.