Dove Home Care Agency 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, treated as individuals and privacy and dignity was respected.

This service scored 65 (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.

One person shared, “They [the staff] are very kind and genuinely caring,” and another explained, “They are just like caring friends who are there to support you.” Feedback highlighted that people felt valued and treated with dignity, including comments such as, “They respect me and treat me with dignity,” and “The carers I have now have a lovely caring personality… we even have time for a good old natter.” Others said staff were attentive and knew them well, and relatives agreed that “all staff seem kind and caring.” Staff also demonstrated an understanding of how to maintain privacy and dignity, explaining, “I always ensure the curtains and doors are closed during personal care and that the person is covered with a towel.”

The provider did not always treat people as individuals or ensure people’s care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences.

Where two individuals lived together, a shared care plan had been implemented rather than separate individual plans. This did not clearly distinguish their different needs, including unclear medication guidance and a lack of defined daily routines. As a result, staff did not always have clear or reliable information to support people in a safe, person-centred way.

However, we also saw examples where people were treated as individuals. People and relatives told us staff took time to understand what mattered to them, with one person sharing, “The carers make me feel like a human being… that’s important to me.” Relatives told us, “The carers really take an interest in my relative,” and “What stands out for me is the patience and interest shown in my relative’s interests.”

Staff gave examples of respecting cultural needs and preferences, including following dietary requirements and personal routines, and adapting care to reduce distress, such as keeping noise to a minimum by turning off televisions and silencing phones when this was important to a person.

The provider responded positively to feedback and had begun separating shared care plans, so each individual has their own records.

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

People confirmed they were supported to remain involved in daily tasks, with one person saying, “I need encouragement to do things… we do it together rather than them doing it for me.” Staff consistently described how they enabled independence in meaningful ways, such as encouraging individuals to manage their own personal care, choose their clothing and direct how their support was delivered. One staff member explained that promoting independence meant supporting people to complete their own routines, even if it took longer, to respect their autonomy. Others gave examples of adapting support to individual needs, such as involving a wheelchair user in kitchen tasks or supporting someone to attend a memory group.

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 gave positive feedback about how responsive staff were, with one person saying, “They always listen to my needs and act upon them when necessary… the banter helps my mood too,” and another sharing, “The carers respond very quickly if they notice any problems in my health and react well.” A relative told us, “The carer knows [the person’s] medicines and is responsive when it has been changed.” People also felt understood, with one stating, “They know what we need in support.” Staff confirmed that when concerns arose, they acted quickly to reassure people and ensure their needs were met.

The provider did not always care about and promote the wellbeing of their staff. They did not always support or enable staff to deliver person-centred care.

Some staff told us the provider did not always promote their wellbeing. This included not always being given sufficient time for breaks or travel between visits. Staff also said they were not always able to attend team meetings due to how these were scheduled. A small number of staff felt they received “no recognition” and did not feel valued.

However, most staff spoke positively about the support they received. One staff member shared, “I feel valued because they check in regularly, listen when I raise concerns, and take action when needed,” and gave examples of managers providing additional guidance and shadow shifts to build confidence. Staff described regular supervisions, spot checks and appraisals where they could discuss challenges, development and training needs. A staff member added, “We have team meetings, and they help keep everyone updated and working consistently.”

In response to the concerns identified, the provider had begun to take steps to introduce staff recognition initiatives and allow more consistent travel time.