Affinity Trust - Domicilary Care Agency - Leeds

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. 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 70 (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. People and their relatives told us staff were helpful and had built good relationships with people. A person said, “I am happy and want to stay here forever.” A relative told us, “They (staff) all seem nice.”

However, people’s privacy and dignity were not always maintained.We observed personal care taking place in a ground floor bathroom that offered limited privacy due to an opaque glass window. The only ground floor toilet was located within a shower room used daily by 4 people, meaning people had to wait to use the toilet until the shower was available. There was also no suitable space for people to place clothes, towels or toiletries.

The provider treated people as individuals and ensured their care, support and treatment reflected their needs and preferences. Staff took account of each person’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture, unique background and protected characteristics. Many staff had worked at the service for several years, demonstrating loyalty and a deep understanding of the people they supported. For example, 1 person used their own adapted form of Makaton, which staff were able to recognise and respond to effectively. During the visit, we observed several staff members signing with the person, showing they clearly understood their communication and wishes.

The provider supported people to maintain their independence by ensuring they understood their rights and had choice and control over their care, treatment and wellbeing. For example, 1 person went out daily, sometimes independently, and was confident using public transport such as the bus. Similarly, another person was supported by staff to go out for a pub lunch, and they told us they routinely went out each day for 1:1 support. Staff also shared that they enjoyed weekly trips to the cinema, reflecting people’s preferences and routines.

People were supported and encouraged to do as much as they could for themselves, and staff respected their choices about how they wanted their care to be delivered. For example, 1 person who initially required two staff to assist them due to mobility difficulties now needed less support, as physiotherapy input had helped improve their mobility.

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.Where people could not communicate verbally, we observed interactions between staff and people that demonstrated relationships were caring and compassionate, enabling staff to anticipate and meet people’s needs quickly and in ways that reduced and mitigated people’s discomfort and distress.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff told us the management team were supportive to them. A staff member said, “Management are always there and take the time for you. I think the team feels comfortable with the manger.” Staff told us they felt able to speak openly with the registered manager about any issues they may have.