Atholl 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

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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.

Staff supported people in a respectful and person‑centred way, with care plans and daily interactions reflecting individual preferences, communication needs and cultural backgrounds. Staff were observed and described as engaging with people calmly and courteously, taking time to explain what they were doing and to respect people’s choices. This approach was reinforced through tenant‑led meetings and positive engagement with families and partner organisations, which helped promote a culture of mutual respect and dignity across the service.

As a result, people felt respected and comfortable in their own flats, were confident to express their views, and experienced care that supported wellbeing without feeling rushed or distressed. A relative told us, “They are respectful and kind… they are good.”

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.

Staff supported people to be involved in decisions about their care. Staff referred to personalised care plans and risk assessments, with easy‑read versions where appropriate. Staff supported people to influence how the service operated through regular meetings.

This helped ensure care was delivered in a way that recognised people’s individuality and reduced the risk of generic support.

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

Care plans described what people could do for themselves and how staff should support independence. This included allowing people time to complete tasks at their own pace and make everyday choices about their routines and lifestyle.

People exercised meaningful choice and control through tenant‑led meetings where people set agendas, elected a chair, and raised issues important to them. The provider also supported people to develop skills and interests through opportunities, such as digital workshops and community activities, which promoted independence beyond basic care needs. This supported people to take control of their daily lives, maintain independence, and develop confidence, with staff actively promoting independence as a core part of care delivery.

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.

Managers described expectations that staff should respond flexibly to people’s needs at the time, provide reassurance, and adjust support where distress or concern was identified rather than waiting for formal reviews.

This ensured people received timely and appropriate responses, reduced the risk of distress escalating, and supported people to feel listened to and reassured during care visits.

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

Leaders described a supportive and open culture, with regular supervision, coaching and training in place to help staff develop their skills and confidence. This included support through service changes such as the transition to a digital care planning system.

The provider supported staff through induction processes, regular training, and encouraged staff to look back on their work, what they did well and areas they could improve. This helped create a culture where staff felt supported to raise concerns, apply person‑centred approaches in practice and deliver care in a respectful and responsive way.