Key 2 Care Stoke

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 service since registration with us. This key question has been rated Good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

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.

People and relatives told us staff were caring and kind towards them when they delivered support. People described staff as friendly, providing support in a way that protected their privacy and dignity. One person said, “Staff are very friendly and sociable.” A relative said, “The carers are really good, and [relative] finds them so friendly towards them.” Another person said, “'The carers all treat me with dignity and respect when washing.”

People also valued the caring relationships they had developed with staff, where staff recognised when people were having a difficult day and providing reassurance and encouragement. One person told us staff supported them when their mental health had deteriorated. They said, “Staff are always ready to encourage me if I get a bit down which is easy when things are a bit hard.”

Staff consistently described promoting people's dignity, privacy and respect. They explained how they sought consent before providing care, protected people's privacy during personal care and treated people as individuals. Staff demonstrated a commitment to person-centred care and spoke positively about supporting people in ways that respected their wishes, values and preferences.

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 their relatives described how staff generally delivered care in a way that reflected people's individual needs, preferences and circumstances. People told us staff treated them as individuals and adjusted the support they provided according to how much assistance was needed on any given day. One person said, “Some days I need more help than others and they will always step in if I need help."

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the importance of treating people as individuals and delivering person-centred care. They described how people were supported in line with their preferences, choices, cultural backgrounds, religious beliefs and communication needs. Staff recognised people had different values, experiences and aspirations, and ensured care was tailored to reflect these. Feedback from staff demonstrated a culture where people's dignity, individuality and human rights were respected, and care was delivered in a way that reflected what mattered most to each person

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 staff respected their need for independence and supported them to develop and maintain their skills. One person said, “They help me be as independent as I need but don't push too much, and I never feel rushed.” Another person said, “They [staff] will support me when I need, but allow me to be independent as much as I can be. My mobility has improved and I can now move around with a frame.”

Staff encouraged people to remain as independent as possible and recognised improvements in people's abilities, adapting support accordingly. One staff member described how they promoted a person's independence by supporting them to safely prepare their own breakfast, enabling them to maintain daily living skills, confidence and control over their routine rather than completing tasks on their behalf. They said, "It takes double the time, and I reduce any risks but by making their own breakfast it maintains their hand-eye coordination, gives them a huge sense of accomplishment, and prevents them from losing their independence.”

Staff promoted people's independence by focusing on their strengths and encouraging them to participate in daily tasks wherever possible. They described a "do with, not do for" approach, supporting people to maintain skills, confidence and control over their lives. Staff encouraged people to make their own decisions and remain central to all aspects of their care and support. One staff member said, “We are all different in our own ways and we need to respect individual choices. My belief or ideology should not come into play when caring for people, it is person centred and the whole essence of care is about the person being cared for.

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.

People and relatives confirmed staff responded to their physical and emotional needs. One person told us the staff encouraged them when they were having a difficult day. A relative told us, “If there are any special needs the carers will ring me and I can speak with my [relative] and try to persuade her to accept the help."

People and relatives told us staff responded quickly to early signs of skin breakdown and escalated their concerns appropriately. One person told us staff had acted quickly when the skin on their legs had deteriorated by contacting health professionals which ensured any deterioration was minimised. This demonstrated staff responded to people’s immediate needs to reduce discomfort and deterioration.

Staff explained how they recognised when people’s physical and emotional needs had deteriorated and the actions they taken to support them. One staff member explained by having consistent visits to people it helped them to identify signs of physical discomfort and emotional distress, which enabled them to request support or medical intervention quickly to ease their discomfort. Records confirmed where staff had identified concerns about people’s health, they had taken action to minimise their discomfort.

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

Staff felt well supported when carrying out their roles in the community and spoke positively about the management team, describing a culture where support and guidance was readily available. One member of staff explained, "Because I work alone in the community, it's vital to know someone is there for me while I'm on the road." Another staff member told us, "The management team is always just a phone call away and takes immediate action if I need anything. I never feel alone."

Staff told us the registered manager actively promoted a positive and inclusive working environment. Comments included, "[Registered manager’s name] goes out of their way to make us feel like a united team," and "I feel incredibly valued as a professional." Staff also said, "I always feel safe when I am out on my visits." This reflected the confidence they had in the support provided by managers.

Staff felt the provider genuinely cared about their wellbeing and professional development. One member of staff said, "The management genuinely cares about the wellbeing of the staff just as much as the wellbeing of our clients," while another described feeling "really lucky to work with such a kind, caring and supportive team."