The Bridge 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.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated 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.

People and their families spoke positively about the care provided. Comments included, “My relative is nicely turned out, hair gets done, nice nails, they always look clean and in their own clothes, colour coordinated and they look nice,” and “Caring, lovely staff, considerate, genuine, staff are lovely.” Other comments included, “The majority of staff are very good, no problems there and from what I observe staff are good,” and “The staff are fantastic and I cannot fault them.”

We observed lovely interactions between people and staff. People appeared comfortable with staff and staff treated them with respect. Staff knocked on doors and alerted people before entering their rooms. People were appropriately dressed and well presented. Staff spoke to people politely and showed understanding of people’s individual needs.

We observed staff checking on a person who was not feeling well. Staff went in regularly to offer comfort and reassurance, which showed kindness and concern for the person’s wellbeing.

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

People and relatives told us staff knew them well and understood what mattered to them. A person said, “Staff know me and what I like. The blanket on my bed is very special to me… staff make sure it is returned and placed on the bed immediately.” Another person said, “Staff know I like coffee first thing in the morning and they bring it.”

Relatives spoke positively about person‑centred care. A relative told us, “They don’t treat my relative like they’ve got dementia. They treat them like a person and still joke and interact with them.” Another relative said staff used preferred personal care products supplied by the family.

We observed staff addressed people by their preferred names and showed good knowledge of people’s likes and routines. Care plans included detailed information about people’s backgrounds, preferences, and social, cultural and religious needs. People were supported to personalise their bedrooms as they wished with items meaningful to them. A relative commented, “When my relative moved to a new room with a different colour scheme, they asked if they wanted to have it repainted to the colour, they previously had downstairs.” People were supported to attend religious services regularly within and outside the service.

The provider met people’s cultural and language needs, including employing a carer who spoke a person’s language and prepared culturally appropriate meals and celebrate special occasions, and take part in meaningful activities such as visiting loved ones’ graves. This demonstrated care was personalised and focused on what mattered to each person.

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

People were encouraged to use their skills and remain involved in meaningful roles. A person told us they were supported to continue administrative tasks they had done before retirement. They managed newspaper orders, contacted the newsagent, distributed newspapers daily and collected orders from other people in the home.

Another person told us about the progress they had made with their mobility. They said they were sometimes able to use the toilet independently without waiting for staff support. This showed the service supported people to maintain and improve their independence.

People were encouraged to be involved in the day‑to‑day running of the home if they wished. Some people helped with tasks such as folding napkins, setting dining tables and welcoming visitors. Care plans reflected what people could do independently, as well as their interests and aspirations.

People were consulted about their care and involved in planning the service they received. For example, people had a say in activities and events planned in the home and contributed to menu choices. We observed people choosing how to spend their time, with some joining group activities after lunch while others chose to relax quietly in their rooms.

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.

We observed staff responding promptly and appropriately to people’s needs. Staff were attentive, alert and acted in a kind and respectful manner. For example, when 1 person became agitated in their room, a member of staff went in, stayed with them, engaged them in conversation and offered a drink to provide reassurance.

Staff used a range of strategies to support people’s emotional wellbeing. For people who experienced distress at certain times, staff implemented tailored interventions such as music, changes in lighting and personalised activities to help reduce anxiety and prevent agitation.

We saw staff regularly checking on people in their rooms and communal areas. In 1 instance, a staff member noticed a person appeared cold and assisted them to cover their legs with a blanket.

A relative also told us staff had accompanied their [relative] to hospital to ensure they were comfortable and supported during the visit. This showed staff were responsive and acted in people’s best interests.

Staff provided care with warmth and attention. Staff offered reassurance and practical support where they needed it such as supporting people to have regular video calls with distant relatives to help them feel connected and provide comfort.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff worked a rolling rota of standard shifts, which meant they knew in advance when they would be working. This helped them plan their time off and supported a healthier work–life balance. The newsletters we reviewed showed several positive examples of staff appreciation, including regular “Employee of the Month” awards, special commendations, and recognition from the management team. Staff were also actively involved in community events, which contributed to a positive and inclusive workplace culture. The service’s grievance policy set out how staff would be supported, with a structured and fair process, defined timescales and an emphasis on impartiality. Alongside this, the provider offered access to counselling and maintained a strong culture of appreciation and openness. A staff member commented, “My well-being is looked after. They are forever asking me if I'm okay.” Another staff member mentioned, “They have had a chat during supervision about progression, but I'm not interested now.”