Green Willow 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.

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 85 (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.

Our observations confirmed that staff supported people in a truly kind and compassionate way. A person told us, “My daughters come to visit me often, they always say how nice it is here and that they would want to live here one day.” A relative said, “[Person] is happy here and we are just as happy knowing she is safe. The whole atmosphere is one of calm and every member of staff always welcomes you with a smile whenever we visit.” Staff told us that compassionate and individualised care was their main priority. A staff member told us, “I feel like this is a family, like our home. The residents and families treat us with kindness and care, often asking about our own families and sharing stories about theirs. A few days ago, one resident’s daughter came to visit, when I opened the door, she hugged me and said she had visited last month and didn’t see me. That moment made me feel very emotional and valued. It shows the strong relationships we build here, and it makes me proud to be part of such a caring and supportive environment.”

The provider received thank you cards from people and relatives which expressed their gratitude to staff for their kind and caring nature. This exceptionally caring approach was also echoed by health professionals. One professional told us, “I have never heard residents express negative comments about the home. I have also observed residents going out on organised trips, such as visits to the beach via minibus.” The service showed compassion and inclusion to not only people, but their relatives too. The registered manager informed us that a relative of a person who recently passed away, was supported to visit the home and have Sunday dinner. This emphasised the services ethos of being a family. The registered manager added, “We make being here as fun as we can for the residents and for staff. We celebrate everything.”

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

Staff spent an extraordinary amount of time getting to know people as individuals to determine what was important to them. A relative told us, “The staff went above and beyond to settle [person]. Their patience and hard work has paid off. Nothing is too much trouble. The whole team are happy and professional and I know [person] is safe and treated as an individual.” Another relative told us, “Staff ensure their loved one had their makeup done every morning. Staff consistently supported [person] to choose what outfit and accessories they wanted to wear each day.” The relative said this was extremely important to the person. Staff prioritised what was important to people as individuals. They knew each resident’s interests and went the extra mile to ensure people experienced activities and days out specifically tailored to them. For example, one person being supported to a day out watching boules. Another person was supported to a day at a stable due to their love for horses and another was able to be supported back to their childhood home for afternoon tea, the provider also managed to obtain the original deeds to the property with the person’s parents’ signature on which created an emotional but special moment for the person. This exceptional person-centred approach made people feel overjoyed and allowed them to be seen as an individual and a valued member to the home.

People were highly engaged in the gardening club with people potting plants and enjoying the gardening. In the winter months, the provider noticed that a person’s mood was lower due to not being able to garden. The provider then arranged for plants that were in need of attention to be delivered to the home for the person to care for which gave the person purpose and increased their wellbeing. One staff member said, “Since joining the wellbeing team, I have been given the freedom to try new ideas to provide a stimulating activities programme for the residents. I have also been able to provide meaningful 1:1 activities and support those who struggle to engage.” This was also echoed by health professionals. One professional told us, “I have consistently found the staff to be very courteous and highly knowledgeable about the residents.” The registered manager ensured special occasions for people were remembered, such as celebrating their birthdays and anniversaries. They told us, “A couple living here had an anniversary. We created a romantic evening for them. They wanted salmon en croute to share, so we organised this.”Which gave the couple a special memory to cherish.

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

People had choice of what they wanted to do. One person told us, “I get choices, I get up at the same time most days, but that’s my choice. It’s all fairly relaxed here.” People's choices were respected. For example, people chose to hold a memorial service for a person who passed away. Staff supported this to happen and the person’s family were included.Staff knew people well. We observed staff offering people choices, such as where they wanted to sit, what they wanted to eat or what they wanted to do for the day. Staff promoted people’s independence and helped them reach targeted goals. For example, one person had difficulty walking independently when they arrived at the home. The staff supported the person daily with reablement and to build their confidence. They are now walking and spending days out with friends and family. A staff member told us, “I always offer people a choice, we never force anything, it’s their home, we just work here”. People were supported to settle into the home when they arrived, they were supported to integrate into the home and make new friends.

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.

Staff understood people’s needs and how to meet them. People were supported in a person centred way. One person was supported to move rooms to a quieter part of the home when staff identified difficulty sleeping was affecting their mood. Staff were responsive to people’s requests for help. We saw call bells being responded to quickly. One person told us, “I think there are enough of them [staff] you don’t have to wait that long, there’s always someone about” This was echoed by health professionals. One professional told us, “The residents always seem well cared for and the staff are prompt in seeking help when they have a concern over the residents”.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff consistently spoke extremely highly of the management team and the excellent individualised support they received. One staff member informed us that they were supported by the provider in a tremendously emotional time in their life and the provider funded for them to take driving lessons to visit their loved one and said “Overall, the level of support I have received has been outstanding.” Another staff member said, “During some of the most challenging moments in my personal life, the support from Green Willow has been truly incredible. When my partner was rushed into hospital, the management team immediately stepped in to support me, making sure I had everything I needed and giving me the time I needed to be there for my family. Green Willow is more than just a workplace, it truly feels like a home from home. We are one big family.” The family feel voiced by the staff had a consistently positive effect on people and their relatives. A relative said, “Green Willow is [person’s] home now and the dedication shown by the staff is a huge source of comfort to the family.”

The service had comprehensive mental health support in place, which has had a positive impact on staff. Staff members spoke of how the level of mental health support they received was exceptional. Comments included “It’s more than you would expect from an employer” and “It feels like an extended family.” Staff spoke greatly of the opportunity to progress professionally. We saw examples of staff receiving specialist training to develop and be promoted within their roles. A staff member said, “They invest in our development by enrolling us in a variety of courses. They also encourage us to expand our skills, for example by becoming medication trained.”

The significant support that management have put in place for their staff, prioritises their wellbeing and happiness at work, which in turn has had a key impact on people, creating a positive, consistent and caring environment.