Norwood Green 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 service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

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 people with kindness, empathy and respect, and protected their privacy and dignity. The atmosphere in the service was calm and friendly rather than task‑led. During observations, staff interacted warmly and respectfully with people. Staff spent time sitting with people, listening to them and offering reassurance when they were anxious or distressed.

People and relatives spoke positively about staff attitudes. One person said, “Oh they are very kind,” and another told us, “The staff are very kind and caring and so nice to me.” Relatives described staff as “fantastic” and said, “everybody is so kind.”

Care plans showed staff were guided to respect people’s dignity and choices, including when people declined care. Where people refused washing or personal care, plans emphasised patience, reassurance and continued encouragement rather than forcing care. This demonstrated that staff respected people’s rights and capacity while maintaining compassionate engagement.

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 confirmed staff knew them well and involved them in decisions about care. One person said, “They treat me as an individual,” and a relative told us, “Nothing is hidden from us, no decisions are made without us.”

Care was personalised and reflected people’s individual histories, preferences, cultural identity and relationships, rather than being routine‑driven. They contained detailed information about communication styles, preferences and what mattered to them emotionally. For example, records noted people’s enjoyment of conversation, news and maintaining relationships, and advised staff to allow people time to express themselves without interruption.

People’s cultural and religious needs were recognised and supported. People were supported to practise their faith, attend places of worship and receive culturally appropriate meals. Communication guides were available in multiple languages to support people whose first language was not English.

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 supported to make decisions about their daily lives and were encouraged to exercise choice and control over their routines. Care plans showed people were supported to decide when to get up, what to wear, what to eat and how they wished to spend their day.

Staff respected people’s right to refuse care and recorded how support should continue to be offered in a non‑intrusive and respectful way. Where people preferred set routines, staff respected these while still offering choices. One person said, “I am quite independent and they respect that,” and another told us, “I choose what I want to wear, I choose when I go to bed and get up.”

The service had systems in place to promote meaningful activity and involvement, including activity coordinators, activity planners and regular residents’ meetings. Records showed people were able to influence activities and raise concerns, which were followed up and reviewed.

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 understood people’s emotional needs and responded promptly in ways that reduced distress and discomfort.

Care plans documented how staff should anticipate and respond to emotional distress, low mood or anxiety. This included offering reassurance, spending time listening and providing calm, supportive responses. Observations showed staff responding appropriately when people were unsettled or distressed and providing emotional support.

People confirmed staff generally responded when they needed help. One person said staff take their time, and another told us staff “always ask me first.” Call bells were within reach, and care plans clearly set out when people required additional or one‑to‑one support to meet immediate needs.

The provider said call bell data inaccuracies were due to a known system fault already escalated to the external contractor, with engineers attending and further action ongoing. Managers said they had put interim measures in place to maintained assurance through manual monitoring and spot checks, which showed calls were answered promptly.

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

The provider supported staff wellbeing and morale, which enabled staff to deliver compassionate care aligned with people’s wishes and rights.

The provider supported staff wellbeing through effective rotas, regular supervision, appropriate training and staff recognition. Training, supervision and care‑planning guidance focused on dignity, respect, communication and compassionate care. This supported staff to remain patient and empathetic, particularly when supporting people with complex emotional needs or when people declined aspects of care.

The provider had systems in place to recognise and value staff contributions. These included an employee of the month scheme and a golden team member award, which recognised staff who demonstrated commitment, compassion and professionalism. The provider also offered a benefits package to support staff financial wellbeing and work‑life balance. These initiatives helped promote morale, stability and a positive culture of respect and teamwork within the staff team.