Spirit 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

We looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. This was the first inspection for this service since its registration with CQC. This key question has been rated as good.

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 recognised the importance to treat people with courtesy and respect. The provider adhered to their privacy and dignity policy. We received very positive feedback through our ‘Give Feedback on Care’ process. People on the pulmonary rehabilitation programme told us the sessions were delivered with enthusiasm, expertise and apparent enjoyment. People found these sessions highly motivating due to the manner of the physiotherapist. We also received very positive feedback for those taking part in the weight management programme. People described the team as very supportive and professional. They took the time to explain the process, answer all questions, and ensure they felt comfortable with the plan moving forward. A common theme throughout most feedback was that staff were compassionate and non-judgemental.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences. Personal, cultural, social, religious and equality characteristic needs were understood and met. Systems were in place to make sure people were treated in ways that suited them. The provider was passionate about delivering individualised care and had the skills and knowledge to understand how to ensure the programmes were personalised. People received individualised care as the service tailored exercises to suit the needs of the patient. People also received a personalised programme for weight loss management. Phone calls and questionnaires were completed to understand the patient's individual needs. Reasonable adjustments were in place for people completing pulmonary rehabilitation. For example, not all people were able to do the ‘sit to stand’ test as they were wheelchair users. Therefore, the provider adapted the exercises to seated movements and sent a video tutorial to demonstrate the exercises. Both programmes were available in multiple languages, with braille and large print resources available. Feedback through our ‘Give Feedback on Care’ process told us that patients felt staff were very accommodating and took time to explain the programme in an accessible and reassuring way.

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People on the weight management programme had chosen to do so as this was a service people paid for. The service for both programmes provided people with the information and guidance that enabled them to make informed decisions about their care. Staff shared examples of how they supported people to have choice and control over their own care and to make decisions about their care and treatment.

The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. There were processes in place to ensure the service stayed alert to people’s needs. They engaged in discussions to address people’s immediate needs. People on the weight loss programme completed prescription questionnaires, including topics like side effects. The answers were multiple choice and automatically correlated with risk ratings. If a patient was to select an answer that indicated high risk, a clinician would be alerted to respond quickly. Staff had completed basic life support training. The venues chosen to deliver the pulmonary rehabilitation sessions were always near a defibrillator to ensure they were best equipped to deal with medical emergencies. The service had a major incident policy that outlines the emergency procedures.

The service was exceptional at demonstrating the value of caring for their staff and promoting their wellbeing. In 2025, the service was voted the best health and social care company to work for in the UK. Leaders had taken steps to recognise and meet the wellbeing needs of staff. For example, staff received lifestyle discounts, had their birthday off work, had access to a 24/7 emotional support helpline and counselling sessions, had enhanced maternity/paternity pay, had access to free online fitness and mindfulness resources, had an eye care voucher, emergency loan scheme and holiday purchase scheme. There was flexibility in working arrangements, allowing a healthy work-life balance. Continuous professional development opportunities were promoted. Leaders recognised staff achievements and created ‘WOW awards’ to acknowledge their success. The service took part in social activities such as bingo and quizzes. ‘Spirit Fest’ was an event created and well attended by staff. This enabled staff members to meet in person and socialise. Leaders had regular check ins with staff, wellbeing was always an agenda item. We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from staff, with a common theme of feeling valued as part of the team, and the organisation’s commitment to staff wellbeing and development made it a great place to work. Staff felt there was a positive and inclusive environment where employees could thrive.