Tigh Fruin

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 good. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 95 (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 service focused on relational support which focused on building trusting secure relationships, to improve people’s outcomes and quality of life. We observed staff demonstrating exceptional kindness and genuine warmth in their interactions with people. When a person appeared wary of the CQC inspector as an unfamiliar face in their home, staff immediately offered reassurance, calmly explaining who we were and introducing us sensitively. As a result, the person quickly relaxed, began engaging with the inspector, held their hand and proudly showed them photos on the wall. We received many positive comments from relatives and professionals about the caring approach of staff and the management team, one person smiled and hugged staff when asked if they were happy, and a relative told us, “Staff are caring and very approachable.” Staff and leaders spoke with pride about the care they delivered, with one staff member saying, “I treat people like I’d want my relatives to be treated,” and a leader adding, “We want people to reach their full potential, it’s all about them.” This reflected a deeply embedded culture of compassion, dignity and person‑centred 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.

The service demonstrated exceptional commitment to treating each person as an individual, with highly personalised approaches embedded throughout daily practice. Each person had their own individual goal board, designed around their likes and preferences; for example, a person who enjoyed computer games helped create a board styled around their favourite game. The registered manager introduced this approach after recognising people had previously lost interest in traditional goal boards, we found people had already begun achieving key goals that increased their independence. A relative told us, “The opportunities provided are phenomenal.” People were supported to celebrate and embrace their culture through food, décor and music, ensuring their protected characteristics were valued and upheld. A carefully planned 10‑week transition from children’s services meant staff knew people exceptionally well before they moved in, reflecting a truly individualised approach. As a result, each person was empowered to maximise their potential and live a fulfilled, happy life.

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.

The service demonstrated an exceptional commitment to promoting people’s independence, choice and control. Key information, including safeguarding, was clearly displayed in accessible easy‑read formats so people understood their rights under safeguarding legislation. Independence was genuinely embedded in daily practice; people were supported to learn life skills such as housekeeping, while also being given meaningful access to education. When the provider recognised that long travel times to college were limiting people’s learning, they sourced an education provision with full‑time teaching staff next door, significantly increasing opportunities for personal development. People were also supported to build independence through volunteering roles, gaining valuable work experience alongside their education to help them reach their potential. We viewed evidence through feedback and photos; of the positive impact this support had for people using the service. The registered manager spoke with genuine passion and kindness about each person living at the service, describing the possibilities that could be achieved with the right support. This reflected a deeply embedded culture where people were empowered to lead self‑directed, fulfilling lives.

The provider was exceptional in how they 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 responded well to people’s immediate needs and supported them in a timely and attentive way. People appeared relaxed and comfortable in staff’s company and asked for help when they needed it. We observed a person call for staff, and staff responded without delay, offering support with kindness and reassurance. A relative told us, “Staff are around but on the very odd occasion they’ve not been there straight away, although this is rare.” Staff told us there were enough team members on duty to meet each person’s needs, explaining this included not only physical support but also emotional and social needs. They described how, if someone wanted to go out, there were always enough staff available to make this happen. This helped ensure people received responsive care that aligned with their wishes and daily routines.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

The provider demonstrated an outstanding commitment to workforce wellbeing and staff development. Staff told us they felt highly valued, with monthly recognition initiatives and staff awards celebrating individual and team achievements. The organisation offered a paid employee assistance programme that staff and their families could access 24/7, ensuring support was always available. The team had recently won the providers ‘Team of The Year’ award. This reflected strong, embedded leadership and a culture centred on empowering people to live fulfilled, independent lives. Staff described feeling motivated and proud to work in a service where their wellbeing was prioritised and where they were enabled to deliver exceptional, person‑centred care.