Harrier Grange

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 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 colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Throughout the inspection we observed staff speaking to people in a kind and friendly manner. They were smiling and engaging with people by name. People appeared relaxed around staff; they were smiling and chatting. The atmosphere at the service was welcoming, friendly and calm. On one occasion we observed a person becoming a bit tearful. A staff member knelt down beside the person and asked why they felt unhappy and what could they do to help the person feel better.

People told us, “I’m happy here”, “I’m given meticulous care here. There are so many good staff” and “Everyone is so caring.” People’s relatives told us they always felt welcome when they visited, and they felt their relative was treated kindly. One person’s relative said, “The staff are all lovely. [Name] has favourite staff, in particular a young man who makes [name] laugh.”

We observed staff knocking before entering people’s bedrooms. People’s dignity was maintained. Personal care took place behind closed doors and people looked well kempt, with clean clothes, teeth and nails. People and their relatives told us people has access to regular podiatry and a hairdresser, and we saw this included people who were in bed. Staff told us the importance of keeping curtains drawn and asking people what name they preferred to be called. One staff member said, “I always use people’s preferred name instead of just saying ‘my dear’.”

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’s life stories were recorded, and these were detailed and informative. Most people’s relatives we spoke with told us that staff asked about life stories as part of the moving in process.

People and their relatives told us there was a range of activities on offer which catered for a variety of needs. We saw the activities calendar was on display in communal areas and people were also provided with their own copy. Activities included exercises, puzzles, bingo and quizzes as well as themed events and outside entertainers. Weekly church services were held. We observed that activities were well attended, and people were offered the choice to attend or not. Some people chose not to, and a staff member told us, “[Name] likes to do painting and reading so the activities staff will go to their room and do that with them.” We observed staff sitting with people in their bedrooms, thereby reducing the risk of social isolation. There was a secure garden which people were able to access in the warmer weather. One person’s relative said, “I'm glad that [name] gets involved and joins in. They do arts and crosswords, games of all sorts, and cinema days. The hairdresser comes weekly. It’s so nice to see.”

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

We observed staff promoting independence by encouraging people to walk with support if needed and we noted one person walking around the garden by themselves. Staff told us the person previously needed support but could now walk on their own. Staff were overheard offering people choices, such as where did they want to sit, would they like the music on or off and whether they wanted to join in with activities. One person told us, “I like some activities, but I don’t do all of them. I can choose what I want to do.”

Although some of the care plans we reviewed included information for staff on what people could do for themselves and when they needed support, this information was not always up to date and was not always an accurate picture of what people could do. We fed this back to the management team who advised they would review the care plans accordingly.

We observed a steady stream of visitors to the service across both days of the inspection. People’s relatives and staff told us there were no restrictions on visiting.

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.

Records showed staff used a nationally recognised tool to assess people’s clinical condition if they had concerns about their wellbeing. The tool supported staff in knowing when to escalate concerns about people’s health and we saw how staff had used the tool with good effect and sought medical support in a timely manner.

Care plans for people who might experience periods of anxiety or distress provided guidance for staff on any known triggers, how to recognise signs of anxiety and the steps they should take to relieve this. The registered manager told us this was an area they were focussed on, ensuring staff had the right tools to support people in a positive way. Staff we spoke with knew people well and were able to describe in detail how they would support people during these periods and steps they would take to promote calm.

People told us they had access to healthcare when needed and that staff supported them to attend appointments. One person said, “I was in a poor state before, and they whisked me off to hospital.” People’s relatives told us staff had acted promptly when people became unwell and had kept them informed.

We observed staff answered call bells quickly and responded to people’s requests in a timely manner. We saw how they regularly asked people if they were alright or if they needed anything. When people were anxious or upset, we saw that staff acted quickly to help people feel safe and calm.

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

Staff told us they felt supported in their roles and received regular supervision. Staff were provided with training to give them the knowledge and skills to carry out their day-to-day roles. The registered manager showed us examples of additional training they had provided in order to upskill staff to meet people’s more complex support needs.

There was a display in the main entrance of staff recognition schemes. We noted these were dated from 2025. The registered manager advised that the provider’s recognition scheme was being revised and the display was due to be updated to reflect this. They showed us that 2 staff had recently won at the providers regional awards for outstanding achievement and emerging talent. Not all staff we spoke with were aware of this.

Staff told us the provider arranged Christmas parties and gave gifts to staff. One staff member said, “[Registered manager] will walk around and feedback that the different areas are looking nice and the lounge is so neat.” Staff also had access to a confidential welfare support line.