Linnet Mews

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 described having positive relationships with staff, who were attentive to both their emotional and physical needs. People told us that staff were supportive and approachable. One person said, “The staff talk to me and listen if I’m struggling with anything.” Another shared, “I feel I can speak to staff about how I’m feeling, and they listen and help me.”

Conversations with staff showed they had a strong understanding of the people they supported, including their emotional triggers, personal histories, and the subtle ways they communicated their needs. This level of insight enabled staff to provide support in a sensitive and respectful manner, even when addressing more private or complex aspects of people’s lives. Staff’s in-depth knowledge, combined with their compassionate approach, helped create an environment where people felt safe, understood, and genuinely cared for.

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.

The provider demonstrated good practice in recognising and valuing each person as a unique individual, with their own preferences, histories, communication styles and aspirations. Staff understood what mattered to people and used this insight to deliver personalised care and support. Support plans were detailed, meaningful and reflected people’s identities, backgrounds, routines and priorities. This enabled staff to provide support that was both respectful and person-centred.

Staff had developed strong, trusting relationships with people and took the time to understand how each person communicated. This approach empowered people to express themselves, make choices and maintain control over their daily lives.

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

Staff consistently demonstrated good practice in promoting and supporting people’s independence. They recognised that independence varied for each person and worked patiently and creatively to help people build confidence, develop skills and take pride in their achievements. There was clear evidence of how people had been supported over time to make progress and achieve positive outcomes, including appropriate encouragement of positive risk-taking.

The service made effective use of the apartments incorporated within the building, which provided opportunities for people whose independence had increased to move into a more independent living environment with reduced staff support. This supported a gradual and well-managed transition towards greater autonomy.

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 consistently demonstrating strong awareness of people’s cues and proactively anticipating the support they might need. People told us staff were always available and responsive when required. One visiting professional told us, “The staff de-escalate situations well. They are proactive with ensuring their staff and the people that they support are safe, supported and have as much control over their lives as possible.”

The registered manager and staff responded effectively to people’s immediate needs, including implementing necessary restrictions to maintain safety. However, these were applied in a considered and proportionate way. Staff used thoughtful, forward‑planning approaches to ensure people received timely and appropriate support, avoiding unnecessary or overly restrictive measures.

Staff practice was underpinned by a detailed understanding of each person, enabling them to recognise early signs of distress and take swift, preventative action. People had clear and personalised communication and de‑escalation plans, which supported staff to identify subtle changes in emotional wellbeing.

Staff demonstrated confidence in recognising these early indicators and responded by adapting support, offering reassurance, or making environmental adjustments to prevent escalation. There was clear evidence that this proactive and person-centred approach had led to a meaningful reduction in both the frequency and intensity of distress-related behaviours over time.

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

The registered manager showed a clear and ongoing commitment to developing staff skills and promoting continuous learning. They encouraged a positive learning environment where staff were supported to reflect on their practice, recognise areas for improvement, and build on their existing knowledge and abilities.

Staff had access to a wide range of training opportunities relevant to their roles, including both mandatory and specialised courses. This enabled them to apply their learning in practice and continually enhance the quality of care delivered. Supervision sessions and appraisals were used effectively to review performance, set development objectives, and identify further training needs. Staff reported feeling well supported in their professional development and were encouraged to advance within their roles.

The registered manager also promoted the sharing of knowledge across the team, fostering an environment where staff could learn from each other’s experience and expertise. This emphasis on ongoing development helped create a skilled and confident workforce, better equipped to respond to the diverse and changing needs of people using the service.