Unique Domiciliary Care Ltd Head Office

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• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and worked in partnership with them to respond to changes in their needs. Staff recognised and reported changes in people’s health, wellbeing and behaviour promptly and these were communicated to management without delay. Care plans were reviewed and updated when changes were identified to ensure care remained appropriate and responsive.

People and, where appropriate, their families were involved in discussions about changes in care to ensure their wishes and preferences continued to be respected. Relatives gave positive feedback about staff and told us the service responded well to changes in people’s needs. One relative told us, “It is a very personal service”.

However, care records and care plans did not always contain sufficient detail, which limited how clearly people’s needs and preferences were documented. The registered manager recognised this and confirmed improvements were being made to ensure records were more comprehensive.

The provider understood the diverse needs of people and ensured care was flexible, joined-up and supported continuity. Staff worked closely with people and their families to ensure care reflected individual needs, including cultural and communication requirements. For example, one relative gave very positive feedback about how the provider ensured a carer who spoke their relative’s language supported them, which had made a significant difference to their experience of care. They told us the care worker had, “Been a Godsend. Finding someone who can speak my [relative’s] language and knows her culture has been amazing.”

Systems were in place to maintain continuity of care, including clear communication between staff, management and external professionals such as GPs. Care plans and risk assessments were updated following changes such as hospital admissions to ensure staff had up-to-date information when supporting people.

The provider ensured people received appropriate information in ways that met their individual needs. The manager demonstrated an understanding of the importance of tailoring information to people’s communication preferences. This included using verbal explanations, written information in plain English, translated materials, and alternative formats such as audio or visual aids where required.

Staff also considered individual needs such as language, sensory impairment or literacy levels and described how they would adapt communication in accordance with people’s needs. The registered manager demonstrated a clear commitment to ensuring people could understand and engage with the information provided.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and be involved in decisions about their care. People and their relatives were actively encouraged to give feedback through a range of methods, including feedback forms, telephone calls, care reviews and spot checks. Feedback was recorded, reviewed and used to inform improvements to care.

We saw evidence that feedback had been obtained from people using the service and this was positive about the care provided. The provider also ensured people were involved in decisions about their care through regular contact and reviews, helping to ensure care remained responsive to their needs.

The provider ensured people could access the care and support they needed in a timely way.

Care was arranged based on individual preferences, including cultural and communication needs, which helped ensure people could access appropriate support. This included adapting services to meet specific requirements, such as matching carers to people based on language and cultural needs, supporting equitable access to care.

The provider ensured people received equitable care, support and outcomes. The service promoted a culture of fairness, inclusion and respect. Staff received training in equality, diversity and human rights, and care was delivered without discrimination. Care was personalised to reflect people’s individual backgrounds, including cultural, religious and communication needs.

People and their families were encouraged to raise any concerns about inequality, and systems were in place to respond promptly to these. The registered manager demonstrated a clear commitment to delivering equitable, person-centred care.

The provider supported people to plan for important life changes and future care needs.

Although the service had not yet supported anyone with end-of-life care, the provider demonstrated a clear understanding of how this support would be delivered. This included working with people, families and healthcare professionals to understand people’s wishes and preferences, and ensuring care was provided in a compassionate, dignified and respectful way.

Planned approaches included supporting people’s comfort, emotional wellbeing, and maintaining dignity, as well as involving family members and working with external professionals to ensure appropriate care was in place. The registered manager demonstrated readiness to deliver appropriate support when needed.