Turning Point - Coqbeck Support Domiciliary Care Agency

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. This key question was previously rated good. This key question remains good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 80 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff always treated people with kindness, empathy and respect. They were compassionate in their interactions and had regard to people’s rights to privacy and their own decision making.

We observed staff interacting warmly and personably with people who used the service. As far as practicable, staff always enabled people to take the lead.

One person said. “The staff are lovely. They are great. They help me do what I like to do.” Another said, “The staff are all kind to me and we have good banter.”

One relative said, “The staff are really lovely, they are like our friends. They always make us a cup of tea when we visit. There is a good mix of ages, probably from 20-year-olds to 50-year-olds, a good balance.”

People, their relatives and staff confirmed people received a continuity of care, and that this made them feel more relaxed and settled.

People felt safe, supported and confident to find new friendships through the connections the provider had in place between supported living services. Staff knew and acted on people’s preferences and individualities.

People were always listened to and treated with respect and dignity.

Staff took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. People’s individuality was respected. Personal and cultural needs were detailed in care planning and clearly met.

Care plans were person-centred and staff demonstrated sound knowledge of the things that made people’s days better. This included day to day options and longer-term aspirations. These aspirations needed to be recorded more clearly in records, but it was evident staff were supporting people to achieve their goals and plan for others.

Communication plans for people were clear and staff demonstrated an ease in terms of understanding what people needed through verbal and non-verbal cues.

Newsletters were used to keep people updated on upcoming events, but also to share and celebrate people’s individual achievements, where they were happy to do so. One person said, “The best thing is that it is my home, not a care home or hospital.”

Staff advocated well for people with external partners and professionals.

Promoting independence was central to the provider’s ethos and was demonstrated in a range of excellent outcomes. Staff supported people to have control, understand their rights, and follow their dreams. For instance, one person, who had previously not been away from home, was supported to plan and go on their first night away in a hotel. They relished the experience and are planning more trips. One person initially struggled with confidence and did not use their electric wheelchair. They were supported by staff to build confidence on shorter routes and are now relishing their independence. They said, “Prior to this I was in a care home. I’m out and about all the time now. I get to see my family whenever I want and take the dog for walks.”

Another person was keenly involved in a book club the provider introduced people to, which used books with no text to enable people who could not read to imagine stories, and to discuss them with peers.

Staff recognised everyone’s levels of independence were different and helped them plan and achieve accordingly. They took professional pride in helping people achieve more independence.

Access to the local community and the promotion of health and wellbeing was another key strength the provider demonstrated. They were in talks with the local community to set up a vegetable swap scheme, because some people who used the service were keen gardeners, as were others in the nearby community.

The provider had worked proactively with a local counsellor to ensure people understood their voting rights (and, critically, to ensure politicians understood the needs of people who used the service). The provider championed people’s independence and advocated for them when needed. People took pride in their own homes and their ability to contribute to the broader community, for instance with charity work.

People were supported to maintain strong friend and family networks, with regular visits in and out of the service. One relative said, “The best thing is that (person) loves it there, and we can pop in anytime, and it is always the same. We are made very welcome.”

The provider demonstrated a clear understanding of the link between increased independence and positive outcomes for people, and the positive knock-on effects for good mental health wellbeing for them and staff. The entire culture was focussed on people leading their own lives how they wanted.

The provider ensured there was prompt access to physio and occupational therapy services, so people could regain and build on their independence. Systems and processes ensured people had the right to have choice and control. People confirmed they were involved in decisions about their care.

Care plans contained detailed information about people’s needs and preferences, and these were easily accessible to staff.

Staff ensured there was appropriate equipment to support and maximise people’s independence and outcomes from care and treatment.

One external professional said, “They went over and above to support a client and enabled him to remain at home and they always keen to help if they can. They have been very transparent about meeting the needs of clients in a new Independent Supported Living service and work well in tandem with care management.”

People were listened to. They were consistently happy with how their care was arranged and delivered. They were confident they would continue to be well supported, should their immediate needs change. Through well planned rotas and regularly refreshed training, staff had the time to respond to people’s changing immediate needs.

Leaders used competency checks, supervisions and ongoing informal observations to understand if people were getting the right level of support. They liaised well with external professionals when people’s needs changed and more (or less) support may be needed. One external professional said, “They are good at seeking advice when they need it and are open to suggestions.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of staff, and supported and enabled them to always deliver person centred care. Leaders locally and from out of area had worked together to support staff emotionally and practically through a time of bereavement. Teams and individuals showed resilience and genuine care for each other.

There were clear and comprehensive induction processes, ongoing training and supervision, and policies and procedures to support staff wellbeing.

Staff confirmed there was always a good level of peer and leadership support. Policies and procedures supported staff wellbeing.

One staff member said, “I’ve been enrolled on a leadership development course and I’m really looking forward to it.” Another said, “They have a helpline we can call if needed. They’ve always been really accommodating with me (particularly on returning from some illness) and everyone is really friendly.”