Care South Home Care Services Dorset

On this page

• 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 service met people’s needs.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained 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 service made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

People’s care plans were person centred and daily tasks for each visit gave detailed instructions on how people wanted their care to be provided to them.

Staff told us they worked hard to ensure people had choices and their care was person-centred. A staff member said, “I try very much to treat people in a person-centred way as much as I can.When I am with them, I ask them for permission before starting tasks. I offer them choices with regards to food, drinks, clothes and more.”

The service understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

Records we reviewed showed the provider checked continuity of care regularly. This supported people receiving support from a consistent staff team, who knew people well.

Feedback from health and social care professionals was positive. A professional said, “We have a trusted working relationship with the service. They make a clear effort to minimise the number of staff involved with each individual, promoting continuity. Senior staff play a key role in monitoring progress and recovery, ensuring regular updates are shared.”

The service regularly worked with external professionals, including GPs, nurses, opticians and social workers.

The service supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

Staff told us they knew how to communicate effectively with people.A staff member told us how they made sure to always consult the person regarding the care they were providing and sometimes used visual aids to ensure the person understood them.

The provider told us if required, information could be obtained in a variety of formats in a way people could understand.For example, in large print.

The service made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. They involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

People and relatives confirmed they felt comfortable calling the service and providing feedback.

The service had an effective complaints process and an up-to-date complaint's policy. Records confirmed complaints were responded to in a timely manner and any learning and reflective practice were shared with staff.

The service made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

People were asked for feedback regularly, either through reviews of their care, or through surveys. The provider was responsive, and records showed survey results were discussed at provider level and actions taken to improve care and treatment for people.

Records confirmed people were provided with the support and intervention of external health care professionals when required.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this.

People's care and support records were person centred and set out aspects of people's characteristics, beliefs and preferences to ensure people's equality and diversity was respected.

Staff told us how they supported people to meet their religious and cultural needs. A staff member said, “I respect people's religious and cultural needs. For example, if they tell me about their religion, I listen and get to know more about this as it's quite important to them and guides me to know how they prefer their care to be given. I support people to make day to day choices by allowing them to have options if they're not sure of certain things, encouraging them to be independent where they can do things/ tasks and respecting their final decisions.”

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

Staff were aware of people’s needs and wishes and had access to relevant documentation.One staff member said, “The information is always kept on the care plan.” Another staff member told us, “We support people who receive end of life care, and we have been trained for that. The training is ongoing at the service.”

The provider had a template for end-of-life care planning, and all relevant documentation was scanned and kept on the electronic system.

Records showed staff completed relevant training and the provider was looking at more advanced training to ensure staff had the skills to deliver the best possible care to people.