Virtuous Business Solutions Limited

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. 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 treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and promoted their privacy and dignity.

Relatives told us, staff were kind and caring towards their loved ones. People spoke positively about the care they received. One person told us, “Yes, absolutely. I have a regular team, a primary carer and a point of contact. All of them are fine. I really can't sing their praises highly enough.”

People's preferences, including the gender of staff providing their care, were respected. Care records clearly documented these preferences and systems were in place to ensure they were accommodated, helping people receive support in a way which promoted people’s dignity, privacy and comfort.

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 told us, “Staff do well in talking to me and they treat me as if they’ve known me for years.”

People were actively involved in planning and reviewing their care, which helped ensure the support they received was tailored to their individual needs and preferences. People told us, they were aware of their right to raise concerns or make a complaint if necessary.

Care records, including reviews and daily notes, demonstrated staff supported people through prompting, encouragement and guidance, rather than completing tasks on their behalf where they were able to do so themselves. This helped people retain skills, make decisions about their care and remain as independent as possible.

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

Care plans contained good examples of how to ensure staff promoted people’s independence, choice and control, providing staff with clear guidance on how to encourage and maintain people's independence.

Care plans focused on people’s strengths, what people could do for themselves and how staff should encourage independence to support people to maintain their independence. For example, care plans documented if the person could wash themselves independently, their level of ability, and how to facilitate support so the person could achieve their goals.

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 told us, there was always support available outside of office hours. One person said, “There is always someone on call after hours, so when you ring the number, you get through to the person and they act immediately.”

Professionals we spoke with told us, the provider was responsive to people’s changing needs and sought guidance timely and where appropriate.

The provider worked in partnership with healthcare professionals to ensure people's needs were met safely. For example, occupational therapy (OT) guidance regarding moving and handling had been incorporated into the person's care records. The provider had undertaken joint visits with the OT to discuss concerns and review the person's needs. As a result, appropriate equipment was identified and ordered to promote the person's safety and wellbeing.

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

Staff received regular supervision, and recognition for their work. Positive feedback from people and relatives was routinely shared with the workforce. Staff spoke positively about their work-life balance, with 1 member of staff telling us, "I am getting my 2 days off per week."

The provider took steps to support staff wellbeing and development. Staff had access to guidance on maintaining appropriate rest periods between shifts, expectations and sources of support. A range of learning resources were available to support staff in their roles and career development, including links to external training and information websites.

The provider promoted staff wellbeing through a variety of initiatives including monthly staff meetings, employee recognition schemes and regular communication. Staff were provided with information about free counselling and support services, resources to support mental health and wellbeing.