William Wood 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 good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 70 (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.

Feedback from individuals and families indicated that permanent staff successfully promoted choice, control, and independence. Regarding care planning, one person shared, “I see the team leader for reviews of my care plan, they are easy to talk to and listen to me.” A relative added, “They are lovely people, the carers are very friendly and chatty. [Family member] is treated with dignity and respect.”

Staff expressed a shared commitment to these principles, with one member of staff noting, “I respect the values and uniqueness of each individual and ensure that my care is person centred. I respect their autonomy and support them to do what they can without interfering, whilst ensuring they feel like they can ask for help if needed.”

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 their relatives confirmed that staff knew them well, delivering person-centred rather than task-centred care. Staff treated people as individuals, taking time to understand and support their specific preferences. One person noted, “The carers are very good, kind and caring, do what I need them to do.” Another person commented, “I am treated with dignity and respect at all times. I do feel happy, safe and secure as this is a lovely place to live

Care plans accounted for personal, cultural, social, and religious needs, with leadership and staff demonstrating a clear understanding of individual differences. This included adjusting care visit times to support people with daily living tasks such as food shopping at a time of their choosing. Communication care plans guided staff on sensory needs and were being enhanced to include tailored interaction styles, ensuring staff adjusted their approach to aid understanding. Plans were also underway to review the language used across the service to ensure it consistently valued people in a person-centred way.

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

Staff supported individuals to maintain as much independence as possible with their daily living activities. One person stated, “I am very independent, just need help with showering. I am looked after very well.” A member of staff shared, “We try to encourage people to do as much as they are able to do but are there to support. I encourage independence by supporting individuals to do what they can for themselves and not taking over tasks unnecessarily.”

People’s care records provided staff with a clear overview of differing dependency levels, detailing exactly what individuals could safely achieve independently and where additional support was required. These plans outlined clear expectations for staff to encourage self-care while remaining ready to step in when necessary. People and their relatives confirmed that staff sought consent before providing care and involved them in delivery choices, ensuring individual preferences were accurately reflected within care records.

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 responded promptly and appropriately to immediate and changing needs. They recognised early signs of health deterioration, acted swiftly to alert leadership, and ensured individuals felt safe and supported. People were supported to access external healthcare and medical services when required. One person told us, “If I am unwell the staff get the doctor to see me and it is actioned quickly. I [have] had a chest and ear infection but with the input from the staff I received antibiotics on both occasions quickly.”

Relatives described the service as flexible, responsive and accommodating, confirming that staff and management acted quickly if an individual became unwell or experienced an accident. Highlighting this, one relative said, “Catheter care is managed well, and the carers will contact the district nurses if required. Any health emergencies are dealt with in an efficient manner.” Care records demonstrated that timely referrals were made to relevant external agencies when extra support was needed, with professional advice incorporated into care plans for staff to follow.

The provider did not always care about and promote the wellbeing of their staff. They did not always support or enable staff to deliver person-centred care.

Feedback regarding workplace support was inconsistent. While some staff felt valued and encouraged, others shared contrasting experiences. One employee described a positive team dynamic, stating, “I do feel valued and able to speak freely, without being judged, I think we work well as a team especially when staff need help with someone, we are there to help them and work together.” However, other feedback highlighted specific organisational shortcomings. Staff noted, “We do report our concerns to [leadership team] but sometimes we have to do this several times before we are listened to,” and “staff morale is low.”

The registered manager acknowledged that managing two of the provider's extra care services simultaneously was complex and that recent leadership transitions had caused disruption. Receptive to our findings, the registered manager, supported by the provider, shared plans to address these issues. Measures included scheduling staff meetings to understand concerns, undertaking recruitment campaigns (including for senior staff), increasing management visibility, and reviewing systems previously delegated to senior staff. They advised, “My contact details, including my phone number and email address, are displayed in the staff room so staff can contact me directly with any concerns or issues. I will also meet with staff to discuss any concern they may have and support them to feel listened to. At the beginning of each week, I will provide an updated workplace schedule.” This structured approach aimed to address concerns, support staff, and drive service improvements.