Elgar Care Ltd

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 80 (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.

All people we spoke with confirmed staff were kind, respectful and listened. One person told us, “Oh definitely, yes, staff are very nice.” A relative said, “Yes, they (staff) do seem kind and respectful and they address [person], and me. They ask, ‘What do you want to do?’ so they’re included, and they wait for them to decide. They give them time.” Another relative said about staff, “What I like best is that they joke with [person], and make them laugh with one thing or another.” A further relative discussed staff and told us, “The things that I like is that they’re all very friendly and nice, and always ask me how I am. They are just as nice to me and are interested in what I’m doing for the rest of the day. It’s like having friends.”

Staff were committed to supporting people’s wellbeing beyond their immediate care needs. This included through initiatives such as afternoon tea events and community activities. This helped people to maintain social connections and reduce loneliness. These opportunities had resulted in friendships being formed and individuals feeling more connected and valued within their community.

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 we spoke with did not raise any concerns about not being respected as individuals. One person said, “I’m 100% happy with the support and the care that I have, and also with the office staff as well.” Relatives did not raise any concerns about their loved ones. One relative said, “I’m not always there with [person’s name] to see how they (staff) work with them, but they speak nicely to [person] and say, ‘Would you like us to do (this) now?’ They don’t just do tasks without talking to [person].” Another relative described how staff treat their loved one and said, “They (staff) talk to [person] nicely.” A further relative told us, “Staff explain what they’re doing because they will say, ‘We’re just going to move you over,’ and that sort of thing. It’s whatever’s in the care plan.”

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

People and relatives confirmed they were involved in their care planning to ensure current support needs were reflected, People’s care plans identified which aspects of their care they could do independently and where they needed support from staff. For example, 1 person’s care plan detailed the support they required from staff in relation to having a bath or shower and stated, “I am able to make choice about my personal care and clothing, and I need carers to respect my preferences.” Staff worked closely with and followed guidance from professionals such as physiotherapist. A staff member described how the independence of a person they supported had been promoted and said, “One client is working closely with the physiotherapist, and they have trained me to do the routine at the lunch calls to encourage them to reach their goals of being more independent and maintain daily living skills within their own environment. They have increased confidence and mobility and able to walk short distances with support and encouragement. All of the people we support are encouraged to do the bits they can do, even if minimal and takes longer, makes them feel better about themselves.”

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 when to seek additional support or escalate concerns appropriately. They were confident to contact the office or other professionals if a situation changed or if they had any concerns about a person’s safety or wellbeing. One person described feeling safe and said, “When I ask them (staff) to do something, they’re always very willing.” A member of staff described an occasion where they had arrived at a call and found the person on the floor unable to get themselves up and the steps they took, which included, calling emergency services, informing the office who informed the person’s next of kin, and said, “They took me out of my calls afterwards to be able to wait with the client. In that time, I sat with the client, made them comfortable and reassured them until the paramedics arrived. This was all then documented in the person’s file and reported to the office.”

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 management team fostered a culture where staff feel fully supported, valued and safe. Staff confirmed this and told us they felt fully supported by the management team. A staff member described how they had spoken to the registered manager about some health issues they were going through and how the registered manager had adjusted their hours straight away to help them and how they continued to check in on them.

One staff member said, “Elgar Care Ltd is like working for and with family.” An ex-member of staff shared their online review, “I worked for this care company and can confidently say they deliver an outstanding service, combining professionalism with genuine compassion.” A further member of staff complimented the management team for a surprise they organised for them and said, “I am ever so grateful and honestly, it made me want to cry because I just felt so valued which meant everything in the world to me.” The staff member’s relatives also thanked the service saying, “Thank you for everything you do for your staff and thank you for being amazing people.”

The registered manager had arranged for community specialists to visit to speak with staff about keeping safe. They provided staff with lots of tips, information and leaflets about keeping safe when out and about caring in the community. Staff were celebrated, for example, for achievements such as passing levels in Health and Social Care training and for being nominated in events. One staff member was nominated for ‘mentor of the year’ with Herefordshire apprenticeship awards 2026. Staff were also celebrated for years of service. Staff retention was excellent and one of the things Elgar Care Ltd was proud of. They were celebrating their 10th year as a company at the time of our assessment, and 18 members of the staff team had been with them for over 5 years. 8 carers had been in post over 9 years and 3 carers for 8 years. This showed a positive culture where managers ensured staff felt valued, supported, listened to and appreciated.