Tania Brown 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.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 85 (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.

Relatives spoke positively about the care provided and the staff who supported their family members. One relative stated, “The carers are kind and friendly and caring, [relative] adores them and it makes life much easier for all of us. It must be hard working in somebody else’s house as it’s not like a care home, but they fit in really well with the family.”

Support workers also ensured people were treated with dignity and respect. We asked them how they maintained people’s privacy and dignity when providing care. Comments included, “It’s about promoting choices, respecting individuality, trying to work in a person-centred way and being aware of one’s own practice” and “I treat people with dignity and respect by listening to them, valuing their opinions, and involving them in decisions about their care. I maintain their privacy during personal care, address them politely, and support them in a way that preserves their independence and choice.”

The provider had an equality and diversity champion whose role was to ensure the service fostered an inclusive environment where everyone was treated equally and fairly. They were responsible for challenging discrimination, developing policy, training and education and providing support to colleagues.

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.

All who worked at or for Tania Brown Limited strove to ensure people were treated as individuals and their specific needs were met and respected. Before new support workers or personal assistants were employed, they were introduced to people via meetings, so people could discuss their needs and assess compatibility.

Support workers and case managers explained how they ensured people were respected. A support worker told us, “I support individuals with protected characteristics such as gender, race, religion, and cultural background. I ensure their wishes are respected by following their care plan, asking them about their preferences, and supporting them to practice their beliefs or routines, such as dietary requirements, clothing choices, or attending cultural events.” Another stated, “I support a child with cerebral palsy; I ensure their wishes are respected by always involving them in decisions about their daily care and routines in a way that is appropriate for their age and communication methods. I also work closely with family and other team members and follow the care plan, making sure their individual needs are met while still encouraging as much choice independence as possible.”

A case manager had had to intervene when the local authority were not respecting a person’s cultural or religious beliefs. The case manager told us, “The social worker was projecting westernised ideas onto the client and the family and telling them what they felt was best for them, without taking into consideration the family’s religion and social constructs such as multi-generational living. This caused unnecessary harm and upset to the family. I pushed back on this with the families support and consent, and an apology was given and the social worker changed.”

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

People’s independence was promoted with staff actively encouraging people to do as much for themselves as possible. A relative told us, “They [support workers] try and maintain [relative] being able to do as much for themselves as they can, and help as little as they need to, and that maintains dignity and promotes independence.”

A support worker told us, “My client lives independently in his own property, albeit with 24/7 support workers. Everything from shopping, meal planning to daily living tasks and personal care are encouraged for the client to be as independent as possible with support there, if and when needed.”

Case managers explained how they offered choice and ensured people had control over their care and support. One told us, “When caring for someone in their own home this is really important. I set goals with the client and ensure they are the focus of the goal. We discuss how they will achieve their goals and what support they need. Being in their own home means that clients have more independence.”

One person using the service, who had limited mobility, cerebral palsy and used a wheelchair, wanted to be more independent in the kitchen. The case manager had approached an occupational therapist and requested a kitchen assessment be completed. The person’s deputy contacted an architect, and the case manager was scheduled to meet with all of these professionals to discuss how the kitchen could be adapted to allow this person to spend more time in there making meals of their choosing.

People were supported to engage in social and leisure activities of their choice, often with the support of their family. A relative told us, “It’s not so much about educational needs as he’s still at school from Monday to Friday, but in the holidays, we and the care team do a lot of day trips together, because he likes going to the theatre, or watching rugby and football, so we’re there as a family with the carers.”

We were told one person chose what they wanted to do for all their activities. In the past they had gone skiing and sailing. They attended Scouts and asked their care team, via their communication device to take them out, such as to a café for cake. They also had a holiday planned for the near future.

Some people had activity booklets within their care records, which listed the different types of activities they could complete within the local community. Activities were categorised, for example wet weather activities, or things to do an a ‘chill day’. These booklets had been created in an easy read format, with photos of each activity used supported by large simple font. This ensured they were accessible.

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.

Feedback from relatives and professionals demonstrated how the service and its management responded promptly and effectively to ensure positive outcomes for people. One professional told us, “Our organisation works closely with Tania Brown Limited (TBL). There was an occasion when one of our clients became distressed when traveling in their mobility car with their carer.They started shouting, banging their hands on the chair and became increasingly more agitated, trying to distract the driver.This placed everyone at risk. When informed of this, [registered manager] from TBL spoke to the deputy to request an increase in care, she requested a report from a psychologist and following on from this ensured positive behavioural support (PBS) training was delivered to the support workers and wider support team. She ensured the training was person specific, focusing on the clients triggers and management strategies. TBL was understanding, responsive and caring in their approach, keeping the client and carers safe.

For another person, a PBS grab sheet had been created to support staff in meeting this person’s needs and managing any distressed behaviours. The sheet was colour coded, with each colour corresponding to an escalation in distress, and detailed warning signs to look for and how staff should respond.

Needs assessments completed by case managers included a focus on ensuring people’s immediate needs were met. These contained clear rehabilitation or care goals. For example, for one person it contained the following tasks; identify therapy professionals required and refer where necessary, discuss goals, ensure support in place, train the care team, draw up care plan and guidelines, ensure client is not over supported and is working towards goals, closely monitor the care. Relatives spoke positively of the service overall and the case managers, one told us, “They (TBL) are extremely efficient and friendly, they are always there when we need them...They are really hands on and I know I can count on their support.”

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

The provider, along with Active Care Group, who owned Tania Brown Limited, had a range of initiatives in place to promote and support staff wellbeing. Staff had access to a digital platform which contained a range of content around wellness. Staff could also access online seminars which focused on wellbeing. Literature was available which covered areas such as the importance of breathing and emergency self-care, as well as signposting to other resources such as the NHS wellbeing apps, Headspace and Worry Tree.

Support workers and case managers told us they felt supported and their wellbeing promoted. As an example, one stated, “I had a very difficult situation where I support an addict and after a year of good visits, I visited one day and the client was angry, and him and his family started shouting at me. It was scary and intimidating. I was really taken aback at the level of abuse from the family. I called my manager after I left and have been very well supported. I was told I could not visit again on my own, to visit away from the family home and in a public place and to ensure that I am never on my own.”

Another case manager told us, “I am always reminded by our managers about the quality of my work, and they remind me how I need to be proud of what I have achieved for my clients as I always seek to do more. We have regular supervision. I feel able to contact my line manager outside of these times also. There is also formal counselling/health support should we require it.”