Thimbleby Court

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. This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated outstanding. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

This service scored 95 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People were consistently treated with kindness, compassion and respect, in a way that enhanced their experience of care. People and relatives spoke very positively about the approach of staff. Feedback highlighted a caring and respectful culture, with one relative saying, “Absolutely kindness and respect. [Staff] knock the door before they come in, even the cleaners. They do it to the other residents, even if they are on their own. They are working in the home of the residents.” This demonstrated a strong understanding of dignity and respect in practice.

Staff were described as warm, friendly and attentive in their interactions with people. Relatives told us, “Yes, they treat [my family member] with kindness and respect. If walking past [my family member] they always ask if they are alright. [Staff] all call [my family member] by their chosen name. They do chat to them.” And “Oh yes, kindness and respect. They are always attentive. They get down to [my family member's] level when speaking to them. They spend time talking to them. They do not rush them.” Another relative told us, “They treat [my family member] with the care and respect that I would hope every care home should. They go above and beyond.”

Interactions observed during the inspection reflected this feedback. Staff took time to engage with people in a meaningful way, showing patience and understanding. People were supported at their own pace, and staff were seen to adapt their approach to meet individual needs.

Staff developed positive relationships with people and created a warm and inclusive atmosphere. One relative described how staff shared humour and built rapport, stating, “A carer always calls [my family member] sir, they have banter… they laugh about it.” This showed how staff created a sense of familiarity and comfort for people.

Small but meaningful practices were embedded across the service to support people and staff. This included recognising birthdays, supporting staff awareness of people’s needs through visual prompts and acknowledging when a person had passed away. These approaches demonstrated a thoughtful and compassionate culture that recognised the importance of both people’s experiences and staff awareness.

People were consistently supported as individuals, with care tailored to their preferences, needs and life histories. For example, one person who had previously been a walking stick maker was supported to share their skills by delivering a talk to others. This enabled them to reconnect with a valued interest and promoted confidence and social interaction.

Care was personalised in line with people’s preferences, including food choices and preferred routines. People told us they were able to make decisions about how they spent their day. One person said, “Everything is left to me to decide - when I get up, what I fancy wearing and I’ll go and have my meals and do any games that are on.” Staff used personalised approaches to provide reassurance and reduce distress. One relative explained, “Yes, [my family member] does get distressed… They talk to them and tell them what they are going to do. They interact with their doll/baby.” This showed how staff understood and responded to the person in a meaningful way.

Staff had taken steps to create an environment that supported people living with dementia, which promoted independence and engagement. There were examples of thoughtful approaches, including the use of rummage stations, which are boxes containing familiar items that people can look through and handle, and interactive features, including areas where people could engage in meaningful activities such as flower arranging. These supported people to remain active, stimulated and connected to familiar tasks and interests.

Staff supported people to achieve personal goals and wishes that were meaningful to them. Through a ‘Make a Wish’ approach, people were supported to reconnect with important aspects of their lives and identity. For example, one person was supported to visit their former school, while another was enabled to deliver a church service following their previous role as a lay preacher. In another instance, a person who had become anxious and withdrawn was supported over several weeks to build confidence to go out for a personalised day involving hair, nail and shopping experiences. This demonstrated a sustained and person‑centred approach to supporting people to overcome barriers and achieve meaningful outcomes.

People were supported to be as independent as possible and maintain control over their day-to-day lives. A person told us, “They help me up, set me up - then I can do what I want all day. It’s important to me to do what I can.” Staff encouraged people to make choices about their care and routines, supporting them to retain independence wherever possible. A person told us, “The staff encourage my independence, and I like it [like that.]”

The service had taken steps to create an environment that supported people to remain independent. For example, signage was in place to support people to find their way around the service, helping to orientate themselves and navigate independently.

Staff recognised the importance of nutrition and hydration, particularly for people living with dementia, and implemented changes to create a more enabling environment. This included the use of contrasting plates to support visual recognition, the introduction of hydration stations to encourage independence and access to drinks and a more relaxed and flexible dining experience. These changes enabled people to engage more independently at mealtimes. The impact of these changes was monitored through regular audits and observations to ensure the approach was consistently implemented and continued to support positive outcomes.

Staff demonstrated a proactive approach to supporting people’s independence and quality of life through a range of meaningful and structured activities. People were supported to engage in initiatives that promoted both physical and emotional wellbeing. For example, the service had introduced music therapy sessions and was supporting people to develop their own choir, providing opportunities for self-expression and enjoyment.

Staff promoted independence through meaningful engagement and daily routines. The service had embedded a “Daily Sparkle” approach, which focused on ensuring each person experienced meaningful engagement and positive interactions every day. Activities were tailored to ensure inclusivity and reflect people’s interests and abilities, enabling people to take part in ways that suited them.

Staff promoted a welcoming and inclusive environment where people were supported to maintain relationships with those important to them. Visitors were encouraged and made to feel welcome at the service, supporting people to remain connected with family and friends. Visiting pets were welcomed and provided comfort and enjoyment for people.

People received timely and responsive support when their needs changed or when they required immediate assistance. Staff recognised changes in people’s needs and responded promptly, ensuring people remained safe and supported. Relatives told us they were informed quickly when incidents occurred and staff took action without delay.

Staff were supported through training, including recognising deterioration, which enabled them to identify early signs of concern and respond promptly to changes in people’s condition. This supported timely intervention and helped reduce risks to people.

The service had introduced additional roles, including a hospitality role, which supported responsiveness across the home. This role helped to identify when people required assistance, ensured any gaps in support were addressed and provided additional opportunities for staff to spend time with people. This included talking with people, checking on their wellbeing and ensuring support was provided promptly when needed.

Staff responded to people’s needs in a flexible and person-centred way, adapting care throughout the day to ensure people were supported appropriately. This included responding to health concerns and day-to-day support needs.

Staff wellbeing was actively promoted through a structured and supportive approach. The service recognised the importance of supporting staff wellbeing and had developed a range of initiatives to promote this. These included regular staff wellbeing newsletters, which provided guidance on maintaining physical and emotional wellbeing, alongside access to an employee assistance programme offering confidential support and counselling.

Staff were recognised and rewarded for their work. The service had established recognition and reward schemes to acknowledge outstanding care and celebrate staff contributions. This helped to reinforce good practice and promote high standards of care across the service.

A wider range of staff benefits and support systems were available, which contributed to staff feeling valued and supported in their roles. These arrangements supported staff wellbeing, and morale, helping to create a positive and motivated workforce.

Staff spoke positively about the support available to them and described a culture where they felt valued and supported by management. A staff member told us, “[The home is] a nice, happy environment, relaxed but [staff] work hard. [Managers] make us feel valued as employees. For example, they sometimes do buffets for us.” They told us they could raise concerns and access support when needed, which contributed to a positive working environment and reinforced staff wellbeing.

This positive culture was reflected in the care people received. Staff were observed to be engaged and compassionate, demonstrating how a strong focus on staff wellbeing contributed to consistently kind and person-centred care.