Goodwood Homecare

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.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated 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 were supported by staff who were always kind and caring and supported them in a way which promoted their wellbeing. One person told us, “The carers are all lovely, kind and helpful.”

Everyone we spoke with gave us overwhelmingly positive feedback about the staff and the service. People and relatives consistently told us staff supported them with empathy and understanding of their different life experiences and circumstances. One person spoke about how staff had gone over and above their expectations when supporting them at the end of their relative’s life. The person told us, “They will do anything for me.”

Care plans guided staff to cover people with a towel and close the curtains when they supported them with personal care. People told us staff followed their care plans and were always respectful of their privacy and dignity.

People told us staff were friendly and shared jokes with them which helped to build a positive rapport. One person told us what they valued the most about staff was “their humour and their caring nature”.

Staff were recognised by other health professionals for how they showed kindness to people they supported. One professional told us the staff they worked with were, “caring, positive and engaged.”

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 relatives told us staff knew them well and their care was delivered in the way they wanted and not in a task-centred way. People were treated as individuals and staff spent time getting to know them and supported them how they wanted. One person told us, “They are delivering the care that I want and how I want it.”

People received care which was personalised around their individual needs and preferences. People’s personal, cultural, social and religious needs were considered in their care plans and staff demonstrated a clear understanding of people’s individual differences and how to support them in a way that suited them best.

People had communication care plans in place that guided staff how to communicate with each person and people's sensory needs were considered in care plans.

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

People told us they were in control of their own care and staff encouraged them to make decisions for themselves. One relative told us, “The staff are really good at promoting [my relative’s] choice. If they don't want to do it, they say it's their choice.”

People told us staff encouraged their independence and helped them to achieve their goals. One person told us how staff had supported them to improve their mobility following an operation. They told us, “The carers are good at promoting my independence. They will encourage me and tell me I'm walking better.”

One person's mobility risk assessment included an aim to rehabilitate the person so they were strong enough to mobilise using a walking frame. Staff were proactive at working towards these aims.

The provider supported people with expressing their strengths. One person was asked to arrange and deliver a quiz at a social gathering with people supported by the provider which was enjoyed by those who attended.

The provider was proactive in arranging social events which helped to promote people’s independence. Where people had mobility needs, the provider supported them to attend by arranging transport to and from the venue.”

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.

People were consistently supported by staff who knew how to communicate with them and who proactively anticipated their needs to ensure the care they received was of high quality. One staff member told us how they communicated with a person with dementia both verbally and by interpreting their facial expressions to maximise understanding between the person and themselves. This resulted in the staff member identifying a health concern that they then escalated to ensure the person received the support they needed from health professionals.

Staff responded quickly to people's needs. Where people's needs changed, the provider was flexible to ensure people's support was delivered in the way they wanted it. One person told us, “They try and ensure they fit in with what I want.”

The provider frequently changed times of calls or put in additional calls to ensure they responded to what each person needed at that specific time. Staff were proactive and passionate in supporting people’s wellbeing and we found multiple examples of where staff had stayed for long periods of time with people to support them when they were end of life, where they were waiting for an ambulance or where they were distressed.

The provider responded immediately by implementing extra calls where people were distressed and concerned about their dignity to ensure people’s positive wellbeing was maintained.

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.

Staff consistently told us the provider was supportive and cared about their wellbeing. One staff member told us. “[The provider] is fantastic if I have any issues at home or need time off. They will be flexible and everyone rallies round.” Staff were supported by a provider who appreciated and rewarded their hard work. When care staff agreed to walk to calls during adverse weather conditions, the provider rewarded staff with increased pay to thank them for their efforts.

The provider demonstrated a strong staff culture where staff respected and supported each other. Staff morale was positive and staff excelled as a team, working together to ensure people received the care they needed. Multiple staff likened the provider and their colleagues to a family. One staff member told us, “It is a wonderful company to work for, we are like a big family.”

Staff recruitment and induction was focused on ensuring staff had the appropriate values needed to ensure care delivery met the provider’s vision. New staff felt welcomed and supported and were able to integrate quickly due to the support from their colleagues and the management team. Senior staff checked in on carers and were proactive in supporting care staff when they were needed, both on the telephone and also by attending care calls.

The registered manager was highly visible and staff found them approachable. The registered manager led with compassion and with a desire to support their staff in a way that showed care and empathy. The registered manager told us if they treated their staff well, they were confident this would enable them to deliver high quality care and people’s feedback indicated this was the case.

The provider understood the importance of ensuring staff had a manageable workload. Staff consistently told us sufficient time was provided to meet people's needs in a call without feeling rushed.