Highlands 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 service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated 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.

Feedback from people and their relatives confirmed staff knew and understood their needs well and staff treated them with respect and kindness. Comments included, “They [staff] are all so friendly and warm. They come in happy and cheerful”, and “They [staff] are never forceful and are genuinely caring. I can hear them chatting and laughing with [loved one] and they do that with me too”, and “They [staff] are very careful and very professional. There is a group of 4 carers, and the manager occasionally comes. They have built up a very nice relationship with [loved one]. They are courteous friendly and cheerful.”

Staff told us they made sure people’s dignity was respected when they supported them with their care needs. A staff member told us, “I always gain people’s consent before supporting them with any personal care tasks and I explain what I am doing to help them. I cover people up with towels and make sure care is dignified and everything is private.”

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 backgrounds and any protected characteristics.

Care plans included details about individuals’ backgrounds, histories, likes and dislikes, as well as their social, cultural, sexual, and religious needs. Staff provided support in ways that respected and met these needs. Staff understood what mattered to people and helped them maintain those aspects of their lives.

Staff told us they had received training on equality, diversity and human rights, and treated people with respect. The registered manager told us they held learning opportunities and group discussions during staff meetings and had recently held discissions about equality and diversity and sought training material from national guidance on how to work with LGBT+ people and communities.

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 their relatives told us their care and support was personalised to meet their individual needs and wishes. Staff told us they promoted people’s independence by encouraging them to do the things they could do for themselves. People were supported to receive care and support in line with their wishes and people were actively involved in planning their care, and staff respected their decisions and choices.

The service supported people to understand their rights by using and providing information in different formats and languages to meet their needs.

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 how people’s physical and mental health conditions affected their emotions, behaviours, and daily activities and provided support to meet these needs. A relative told us, “[Loved one] is not easy for them [staff] to manage because [loved one] really doesn't like having a wash or personal care generally. [Loved one] is not an early riser and has a set routine. They [staff] have however worked really hard and it's been amazing how they've managed [loved one]. I'm so happy with the care.”

People told us staff were on time for their care calls and stayed the required time often staying longer to ensure their needs were met. A relative told us, “They [staff] stay for all the time and use all the time very productively. The two carers come in together.”

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 their well-being was promoted. Staff we spoke with told us they felt they were well supported by the registered manager and liked working at the service. They told us they felt listened to and respected. A member of staff commented, “I am very happy working here. The registered manager is very supportive and is always available to speak with if we need her. The training we get is good.”