The Willows

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 as 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 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.

People and relatives consistently described staff as exceptionally kind, compassionate and respectful, providing many examples of how this positively influenced their wellbeing. Commentsincluded, “Staff are brilliant; kind and caring. Everything is superb. I don’t know how they choose the staff. They are all fantastic. The management have a talent for picking the right staff,” “Staff are very kind to me. One day I was upset, I got cuddles from them” and “‘Everyone is really cared about at all stages. I hear staff talking, saying, come along darling, you can do it. I never hear anything negative.”

Throughout the assessment, we found consistent and compelling evidence that people experienced exceptionally kind, compassionate, and respectful care from all members of the staff team. This was not only evident in interactions but in the tangible impact on people’s wellbeing, confidence, and sense of security. The culture within the service was overwhelmingly positive, with genuinely caring relationships embedded in everyday practice, enabling people to feel valued, safe, and emotionally supported.

Privacy and dignity were embedded throughout the service's culture. The provider had developed expectations for respectful and dignified care. This was consistently reflected in staff practice. For example, we observed staff knocking on people’s doors and waiting for an answer before entering, they addressed people by their chosen name and spoke respectfully with people. The feedback we received from staff demonstrated they were proud of this approach.

We observed consistently warm and meaningful interactions, with staff adapting their approach to reflect people’s individual needs and preferences. A relative described how staff had supported a large image to be put on the wall of a person’s room which was of a place that held strong, positive memories for them. They had appreciated how important this was for the person. They told us, “There’s a homely feel. A good vibe. It feels like a lot of love here. All the staff are amazing. They treat [Name] as if they are one of their parents. If there’s anything I ask for – they arrange it. The staff are all lovely.”

Special occasions, including birthdays and anniversaries, were celebrated in ways that reflected each person's preferences and helped people feel valued. This included gatherings and personalised cakes. The registered manager told us when someone had no family available to celebrate with them, staff and other people living at the home came together to mark the occasion, ensuring the person felt included and able to enjoy their special day.This caring approach extended beyond people using the service to include relatives. Relatives were warmly welcomed and supported to spend meaningful time with their relatives. A relative told us, “We are greeted by staff with smiles every day. [Name] is content and I always leave happy and content.”

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. Care and support were consistently delivered in a way that promoted and maximised people’s individualism. Feedback from people showed staff took a proactive and compassionate approach to supporting emotional wellbeing. A relative described how their family member was very unsettled and distressed prior to moving to the service. They told us, “Staff have got to know [Name] really well. They understand what [Name] needs and wants. When [Name] first arrived, they were very thin and unsettled. Now staff have built them up and [Name] smiles at them and sometimes tries to talk. The transformation is incredible.”

Staff demonstrated an exceptional commitment to getting to know people as individuals, taking time to understand their backgrounds, life histories, interests, and personal strengths. This approach enabled highly personalised and meaningful care that reflected what was important to each person. A person told us, “Staff spent time working out how best to arrange my pillows so I can get a good night sleep. It’s such a small thing but makes such a difference.” Arelative told us, “Staff sing to [Name] and help them pray when they are upset. They know this is important to [Name].” A second relative told us “Staff know [Name] is very anxious and do their best to help with this. When [Name] is anxious at night, the care staff sit and spend time with them. One night, [Name] was really hot, so they helped them have a shower at 1.00am.”

Leaders and staff actively listened to people’s ideas and aspirations and took meaningful action to bring them to life. By valuing people’s histories, interests, and aspirations, the service created meaningful opportunities that promoted independence, social connection, and joy. People were empowered to shape their environment and daily lives, resulting in increased confidence, improved mental wellbeing, and a vibrant, inclusive community where individuals truly thrived. The provider recognised that people wanted to spend their time in different ways and tailored support accordingly. During our inspection, people chose from a range of meaningful activities. Some people preferred to spend time alone and were given space and time to do this and provided with equipment to pursue individual hobbies and interests. Other people engaged in activities and with the interactive music session. Activities ranged from musical visitors, games, cake making and cooking, therapy animals, magician and Morris dancers. A weekly religious service was streamed, with an in-person service taking place each month. The provider was able to support any culture or faith. This demonstrated people were enabled to live in ways that reflected their individual preferences, interests and wellbeing, regardless of their needs or abilities.

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.

People and their relatives told us they were fully involved in developing and reviewing care plans, which was clearly reflected in the detailed records we saw. Care plans contained rich, personalised information about people’s needs, preferences, hobbies and talents, alongside clear guidance on how staff supported individuals to maintain their interests and lifestyles. This ensured people received highly personalised care that reflected what mattered most to them, supporting their independence, promoting wellbeing and enabling them to live fulfilling lives.

Independencewas actively promoted through a strong enabling approach. A person described how this approach had enabled them to regain their mobility. They told us, “I couldn’t get out of bed when I came here. The nurses realised what was wrong. The nurses talked to the doctors about my medication. They were superb. They listened to me. They got me walking with encouragement. They walked beside me in case I fell.’ A relative described how they had asked for help to order their family member a particular colouring book, as they wanted to improve their dexterity. They told us the registered manager insisted on the home sorting this out and had said ‘Anything people need, is our responsibility, we have to make sure they get it.’

Throughout our assessment, we consistently observed exemplary practice that empowered people to maximise their independence. Staff demonstrated an exceptional commitment to enabling individuals to live full and meaningful lives. For example, nursing staff completed additional, specialist training to enable them to support a person with complex physical needs. Staff worked with the person to develop their abilities and wellbeing, including liaising with external agencies and advocating for the person when they felt they required intensive therapeutic support. The person has thrived through this enabling approach, achieving positive health outcomes, increased mobility and abilities improved emotional wellbeing and redeveloped relationships with family and friends. This proactive and innovative approach had a significant impact on people’s lives, enabling them to achieve something that was important to them, enhancing their independence, confidence and dignity, and supporting a strong sense of inclusion within their community.

We did not look at Responding to people’s immediate needs during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.

We did not look at Workforce wellbeing and enablement during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.