Heatherstones 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. At our last assessment we rated this key question Good. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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.

The provider was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

The provider demonstrated an exceptional culture of kindness, empathy and respect. Staff consistently treated people with warmth and genuine compassion. People, relatives and other professionals consistently described the care as ‘excellent’, ‘outstanding’ and ‘going above and beyond’. This strong values-based approach ensured people felt valued, safe and deeply respected.

Kindness extended beyond the people using the service. Staff showed respect and compassion in their interactions with colleagues, external professionals and partner organisations, contributing to a supportive and positive working culture. Staff took their time to listen, build meaningful connections and offer emotional reassurance. Comments from people included, “Staff are always polite, kind and generous. Every one of the staff always go out of their way to attend to my needs. Nothing is too much trouble for them, which relaxes me” and "Staff are always kind and courteous, can't do enough for you. It’s been a pleasure staying here, couldn't have gone anywhere better."

One relative said, “Staff always made [family member’s] care their top priority, not only through the day-to-day care plan and reablement activities, but also by taking the time to build a genuine rapport with [family member]. They made sure [family member] felt listened to, supported, and reassured throughout their stay. [Family member’s] needs were varied, but nothing was ever too much trouble.” Another relative commented, “The last 6 months have been a lot for my [family member]. The support provided by [registered manager] and the team have got [family member] through this and I know [family member} couldn’t have done it without them.”

Staff consistently treated people with respect and ensured their privacy, dignity and comfort were fully upheld. One staff member said, “It is a privilege to be able to support the people who come here and to see the difference we make to their lives.”

Staff were attentive and responsive to people’s emotional needs providing meaningful support and reassurance to alleviate concerns. Comments from people included, “All the staff are very helpful and pleasant. They talked to me to stop me from worrying about everything that was going on” and “Everyone is so caring and supportive especially when I've been down."

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 were exceptional in understanding what mattered most to people and went over and above to help individuals meet their goals providing flexible and responsive support. For example, 1 person suffered a bereavement while going through reablement, and with no family nearby to support them in moving back home, staff took on this role. They arranged for furniture to be moved into storage while renovations were completed and organised the cleaning of the property. They supported the person to move in by unpacking their belongings, getting furniture insituandpurchasingessential items forthe personto live safely,independentlyand comfortably at home.The person provided the following feedback, “The staff are lovely. They have not given up on me, quite the reverse. They have worked overtime for me when I’ve needed it without complaining and I have learnt new skills like learning to use the new cooking appliances.”

Staff provided other examples of people they had supported. One staff member said, “One [person] came in and they were in a very bad way due to what they had been through. They were anxious and asked permission for everything, even asked if they could sit down. We gave [person] an open, safe space, with support and time to heal and by the time they left they were a different person, more confident and not asking for permission. That’s why I do this job.” Another staff member told us about a person who was living with dementia and didn't believe they could do anything for themselves. They told us how they helped the person with confidence building and the person thrived.

Person-centred approaches were embedded in everyday interactions. Staff recognised and celebrated people’s identities, interests and routines, helping create a strong sense of safety, belonging and well-being. Staff supported 1 person who had lost touch with their family who lived abroad and did not know how to contact them. Staff helped the person tracked down their sibling and speak to them and other family members, after no contact for several years. This contact has continued and with rehabilitation from staff the person was able to move into more independent living.

Staff ensured all people were treated with dignity, consideration and honour and had the same legal rights and access to resources, regardless of their background and identity. People were fully supported to make their own choices and decisions even if this was deemed as an unwise decision. For example, 1 person, who had capacity to make decisions regarding their medication, said they didn’t want to take it anymore. They were supported to communicate with the GP and their wishes were respected. Even though the decision involved a level of risk, it was agreed with the person and GP and promoted autonomy and control.

The provider demonstrated exceptional commitment to promoting people’s independence, rights and autonomy. Staff supported people to remain in control of their daily lives, encouraging decision making in every interaction and ensuring people had meaningful choice over their care, treatment and well-being.

People were encouraged and empowered to make their own decisions and staff enabled people to do as much as they could for themselves. The consistent, everyday focus on independence, choice and control created a strong culture where people felt respected, capable and involved. This resulted in outstanding outcomes, with people experiencing greater confidence and retaining meaningful control over their lives. For example, 1 person received highly personalised reablement support following multiple health events, with staff consistently adapting support to the person’s changing needs. The staff ensured the person regained independence through tailored support with daily living skills, therapy exercises and confidence building activities. The person’s autonomy was upheld, involving them in decisions about temporary placements, reablement goals and future living arrangements, ensuring their preferences were prioritised throughout their stay. This resulted in the person achieving their goal of returning home safely and independently.

People spoke highly of the support they received. One person told us, "I found it extremely helpful in regaining my independence. Excellent 10/10." We saw feedback a social worker had shared with the service about a person who had stayed at the service and moved back home. This stated, “[The person] had positive things to say, in particular that you have gone above and beyond for [person] and done everything to ensure they had a smooth transition home. I second this feedback and must say whenever I have worked with you it has been great and can see you genuinely care for the people you work with. You are thorough with everything you do and ensure tasks are completed realistically and in a timely manner which makes the moves from the service to the community easier.”

Staff understood the importance of balancing safety with independence and adjusted their support sensitively to each person’s needs. Comments included, “We involve the person in every aspect of their care and decisions. We make things happen that really matter to people" and “Being able to see guests fulfill their goals and being part of helping them to live independent lives is a privilege.”

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 responded promptly and sensitively to people’s immediate needs, ensuring support was delivered at the right time and in a way that respected each person’s preferences. They remained attentive to changes in wellbeing, offered reassurance when people felt anxious or unsure, and adapted their approach to provide the right level of help without undermining independence. This responsive and person-centred practice helped people feel safe, listened to and confident that their needs would be met when required.

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 were consistently supported to feel valued, confident and well-equipped in their roles. The provider promoted a positive working culture where team members were encouraged to share ideas, reflect on practice and access guidance when needed. Regular supervision, open communication and opportunities for learning helped staff feel supported and enabled them to deliver high-quality, person-centred care.

Recent staff surveys were unanimous in their positivity about working at the service and the support they received. Staff told us, “It’s the best service I have worked in due to support we’re given. Support from managers is just so good, if we've got any areas we're unsure about they will just take time to do a sort of informal supervision and help us” and “I feel very supported, we're a good team. We share learning and feel able to have really open conversations. There's constant praise and recognition for staff which again is not something I've experienced before.”

Staff well-being was actively promoted to ensure a positive work life balance for all staff. Staff members with additional needs received flexible, tailored support to help them succeed in their roles. One staff survey praised the support they had been given by the registered manager when they had to take time off work and on their return to work, saying, “Not only do you have the guests’ best interests at heart, you do for your staff, too. You invest, you support, and you genuinely care…you always make time for everyone without hesitation.”

The provider also promoted a positive team culture by organising staff engagements and monthly award schemes which helped staff feel valued and connected.