Hales Group Limited - Waveney

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 is the first assessment for this service. 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 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 treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. The majority of people we spoke with told us that in the main staff were kind and caring. One person said, “They make me feel safe having the skills and they are delightfully bright, courteous and very helpful.” Another told us, ‘One of the best things about Hales is the friendly and nice carers.” Several people did however mention that the age and experience of new carers impacted on their confidence in them. One relative told us, “Some carers are lovely, offer a professional service and are well worth the social contact for [person].” Another said, “We are really only still with them because of the really good 50% of carers who are lovely, helpful and really engaging.” The registered manager was planning to make more frequent contact with people and obtain their views following visits from some of the newer staff to ensure people were satisfied with the care delivered and to identify any emerging concerns.

Staff received training in privacy, dignity and respect. Records showed that people’s privacy was respected and upheld. One person told us, “They [care staff] do treat me with dignity and respect, and they haven’t sent any males which I insisted on.” Staff also told us they upheld people’s privacy. One staff member said, “Before carrying out any tasks I always gain consent. If they want privacy, I respect their wishes but also make them aware that I am there if they need my assistance.” Staff spoke about the people they supported respectfully.

The provider did not always make sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They did not always take account of people’s culture. People told us that they felt their regular staff were able to treat them as individuals as they knew them and had formed relationships over a period of time. One person told us, “They [care staff] have been so supportive emotionally, they are always ready to sit and chat about things.”

However, other people did not always feel staff knew them as individuals when new or different staff visited them and sometimes had to explain their routines. People’s individual needs and preferences were documented in their care plans, however, these varied in quality and in the level of detail written. Care plans did not include people’s cultural and religious beliefs. The registered manager told us the updated care plans did reflect this, and this would be implemented on all care plans going forward.

People’s communication needs were documented, however, the level of detail varied with some being very descriptive, and others more basic. Further work was needed to ensure personalised records were consistently maintained to ensure they fully reflected people’s individual needs and preferences. This work was in progress by the management team.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Records showed staff gave people choice in how their care was delivered, including promoting their independence with daily living tasks. Care plans included information about what people were able to do for themselves and what they required support with, this helped to develop their independence. There was a range of appropriate equipment to support and maximise people’s independence and outcomes from care and treatment.

The provider did not always understand people’s needs, views and wishes. People and relatives told us their experience varied depending on which staff attended. Some people told us they were sometimes supported by carers who did not know them well, which affected how quickly and appropriately staff could recognise and respond to what people needed in the moment. We did however see that concerns such as a person being unwell, were flagged promptly to the office so support could be arranged. Some people told us they were sometimes not informed when visit times changed, so they could not always plan their day, and some said staff arrived very early or late for morning and evening calls. One person told us, “They are always wanting to ‘get on’ to the next but do stay as long as needed.” A relative said, “We never know when they will come so if it gets too late when [person] is soiled, we just get on and change them and the bed as who would leave their [relative] wet and soiled in bed waiting till the carers decide to come.”

The registered manager was using electronic monitoring and audits to track visit lengths and timings to improve people’s experience.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to deliver person-centred care. Staff we spoke with told us that the service was improving since the new registered manager came into post. They said communication and support had improved, but these changes were still embedding. The majority of staff gave positive feedback about the management team overall and felt that the service was improving. One staff member told us, “[Management] are very approachable. [Quality officer] is always on hand if I need any advice or help with any clients. If ever out on care with [quality officer] they have given me on the job training.” Another said, “[Registered manager] is absolutely brilliant, they answer every time I call, is supportive, keen to help and further our skills and make our branch grow. [Quality officer] is so passionate about their role, staff well-being and client health and wellbeing.” Staff had access to information of support available including the provider’s employee assist programme, and a staff recognition scheme. One staff member told us, “I do feel supported and valued. If I require support, I can contact my line manager but Hales also have a support helpline I can call if I need to.”