Cuttlebrook Hall

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 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 90 (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 had a strong culture of kindness and compassion that extended beyond people to their relatives and visitors. Feedback consistently reflected this. Comments included; “The carers are so kind and careful,” and “Everything has gone well, it doesn’t feel like a home, it is more like a care hotel. The staff are all wonderful, I think that [person] is in the best place that they can be.”

People and their relatives were complimentary about staff. One person told us, “All the carers here have this kindness about them.” Other comments included, “[Person] is cared for in an appropriate manner, physically and mentally, they are treated with respect and the staff there are all totally professional and personable. Those are the standout features for us,” and “I see how well [people] are cared for and I see a happy team of staff and see that they are well valued too.”

Staff had received dementia training, which was evident in their interactions with people. During lunch time, we observed staff using gentle hand holding to tactfully guide people to the dining table in a way that promoted reassurance and maintained dignity. When people showed early signs of distress, staff recognised these cues quickly and intervened before situations escalated. Staff consistently treated people with kindness and respect, honouring people’s wishes while offering gentle encouragement and support.

During the inspection we observed staff consistently demonstrate exceptional kindness and compassion through personalised approaches that upheld people’s dignity. This culture of genuine care was embedded across the whole team, not just among care staff. For example, we saw a staff member showing someone around the home when a person living there appeared unsure of their surroundings. The staff member gently linked arms with the person, engaged them in friendly conversation and walked with them to where they were trying to go. This discreet support ensured the person did not become lost and protected their dignity, as it was not highlighted that they were struggling to find their way.

One staff member told us they supported a person to send birthday cards, as this was something important to them. The staff member explained they purchased birthday cards themselves and brought them into the home, helped the person to write them, and then posted the cards in their own time. This demonstrated staff going above their expected duties to support people with meaningful activities that mattered to them.

Leaders actively promoted dignity and kindness by being visible and approachable throughout the home, listening to feedback from residents, relatives and staff. This reinforced a culture of openness and care.

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.

Spiritual and religious needs were respected, the provider was visited by a range of religious professionals. People were supported to attend church services every Sunday. One stakeholder told us, “Staff accompany some residents to church on Sunday mornings, which is not something I have observed in other care homes.” One relative told us, “They [staff] manage to take [person] to church regularly too, which is impressive.”

The registered manager demonstrated a strong passion for ensuring people felt comfortable, valued and that their personalities were celebrated. They described the importance of always listening to people and creating an environment where individuals felt truly at home. Theregistered manager told us, “I listen to them [people], it’s important to make sure they feel they are listened to. I want them to feel like we’re in their own home.” This approach helped promote a positive culture where people felt respected, heard and supported as individuals.

One person expressed a wish to attend a horse racing event, but due to their mobility they were unable to go in person. In response, the provider arranged a themed horse racing day within the home to ensure the person could still enjoy the experience. People dressed up for the occasion and the environment was set up to reflect the atmosphere of a race day, helping the person feel as though they were attending the event. This demonstrated the provider’s commitment to delivering personalised, meaningful experiences and supporting people to achieve what mattered to them, even when adaptations were required.

Staff told us about one person who had a particular fondness for a specific supermarket and would often become anxious because they were unable to access it independently. In response, the provider arranged a trip so the person could visit the supermarket themselves. One staff member told us, “There’s a [person] who is a big fan of [supermarket]. They have mobility issues, so we arranged a trip to [supermarket]. [Person will always call out a few hours before meals to say they need to go to [supermarket], and they really enjoyed it.” This demonstrated staff’s understanding of what mattered to people and their commitment to continuously enabling meaningful experiences that reduced anxiety and enhanced wellbeing.

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

There was a strong focus on delivering care in a way that promoted people’s rights, freedoms and independence. People were empowered to live the lives they wanted and to take positive risks that were meaningful to them. For example, one person expressed a wish to access the community independently. They initially were unable to walk, but over time this improved. Staff worked closely with them to build their walking stamina, practised getting in and out of the car, and supported them to develop confidence in their mobility. As a result, the person is now able to access the community independently and regularly uses a taxi to meet their friends in the community. This showed a proactive, person centred approach that helped people achieve their goals and maintain control over their daily lives.

Promoting and maintaining people’s independence was embedded across the whole staff team, and this was evident in the way staff consistently supported people to do as much as they could for themselves. Staff told us, “Rather than go straight to feeding someoneif they are struggling, Itrythem with a spoonor try fingerfoodstomaintainindependence as much as possible. Some use fingersinstead of cutlery as their dementia worsenssoweconsider using different food to makeeating easier and keep independence as much as possible for as long as possible.” One staff member told us, “An example ofindependenceis with residents [people]with oral health. I usehand techniques,residents’hand on top of carerson the toothbrush when brushing teeth for light guidanceso that theresidenttakes control andusuallycantake control ontheir own and do teeththemself.”

People were encouraged to take part in meaningful activities and be active members of the home. Staff supported people to engage in tasks that reflected their interests, routines and sense of purpose. One relative told us, “[Person] always likes things to be tidy, they are encouraged to help the carers fold the napkins every day.” Another relative told us, “The vibrant community and sense of wellbeing at Cuttlebrook has lifted [person]. A couple of the staff there have almost taken them under their wing, that is so important at their age”.

At lunchtime we observed that people were consistently offered choice in a way that supported their independence and preferences. Staff used show plates as visual prompts to help people understand the meal options available that day, enabling them to make informed decisions. People were also offered a range of soft drinks, including different flavours of fruit squash, and were additionally given the option of red or white wine to accompany their meal.

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.

People had access to a range of aids and adaptations to support their independence and safety. For example, sensor alarms were fitted in some people’s rooms to alert staff if assistance was needed, helping staff monitor people safely. Call bells were also available in people’s rooms, where individuals were unable to use a call bell, staff carried out regular welfare checks to ensure their needs were met and they remained safe. One person told us, “I certainly feel safe living here because there is always someone around and if you press your button, they respond quickly to the alarm. I know that I am a lot safer living here than I was in my own home where there was no one I could call if I had a problem.”

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

Staff consistently spoke highly of the support they received from the registered manager. Comments included, “I can spend time with supervisors as much as possible to learn new things, and if I ever have a question, I am always supported to find the answer,” and “I felt that the manager really listened to me and acted in my best interests.”

The registered manager had developed their own induction book, after identifying the provider’s standard induction book did not help them focus on staff’s wellbeing. The registered manager told us, “I've created my own 12-week induction, I've done my own weekly catch up with staff. It tells me how people are getting on, for example, I know that someone can do 3 days in [dementia unit] but they then need to work on a unit with less dependency. Listening to staff is important, some people may have a mum with dementia and find [dementia unit] difficult or have a family member with Parkinson's and find it difficult supporting people with Parkinson's. Staff will tell me their preference of where they work.”

One staff member told us their work pattern had been adjusted to allow more frequent days off, helping to prevent them from feeling overwhelmed. This demonstrated the registered manager took proactive steps to support staff wellbeing and responded flexibly to individual needs. It also showed a caring and supportive culture where staff felt valued and able to discuss their concerns.