Daily Comfort Healthcare Ltd

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 provider met people’s needs.

This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated good.
This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.
 

This service scored 71 (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 did not always make sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they did not always work in partnership with people, to decide how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.
People’s care plans included the planned care tasks at each care visit. However, they contained limited guidance for staff around personalised approaches when supporting people around risk management, cultural, religious and spiritual needs. For example, 2 people’s care plans stated they were at risk from pressure ulcers. There were no risk management plans in place to guide staff on how to manage the risk. The provider needed to ensure guidance promoted a consistent staff approach. Although there was a section in the care plan for religious/cultural needs, none of the 4 care plans reviewed had details of this.
People and relatives we spoke with were positive about staff. One person told us their care requirements had changed since their support started and the service had adjusted their calls to suit this.
 

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.
People told us they experienced good continuity of care in relation to staffing and the registered manager was working on improving the timing of morning calls. Staff had regular people they supported and knew them well. People and relatives confirmed this. The provider worked with professionals in the community and personal carers to co-ordinate services to meet people’s needs. This helped to promote a consistent approach to the delivery of care.
 

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.
People’s communication needs were assessed and documented in their care plans although the information could have been more consistent throughout the care plan. The registered manager demonstrated how they provided information to people in a variety of formats in line with their needs and preferences. This included having accessibility options on their website to change font and colour which was used by people supported. The provider also matched staff with people’s preferred language where possible to aid communication. The registered manager was aware of the requirements of the accessible information standard (AIS). This helped to ensure people’s communication needs were met.
 

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.
The provider had a complaints policy in place which documented how people’s complaints and concerns would be investigated and responded too. Records of complaints received demonstrated the provider investigated and reported back to people with the outcome. People were able to make complaints through the provider’s website, email or telephone. Some people told us they preferred to raise any complaints or concerns through the staff supporting them. People told us they were satisfied with how their concerns were listened too and acted upon by the provider. The provider also responded to feedback from online reviews to identify areas for improvement, such as communication with family members. The registered manager shared the outcome from complaints with staff through online messaging and team meetings. This helped to promote learning and positive changes in line with people’s feedback.
 

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.
The provider had equality and diversity policies in place. Staff completed equality and diversity training, which helped to ensure they understood the potential barriers to accessing care people may face and how they could be supported to overcome them. This helped to ensure people could access care and support when they needed, promoting equality and protecting their rights. The provider had an out of hours on-call system to support staff and people when needed.
 

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.
There were policies and procedures in place to help identify people at risk of suffering discrimination or inequality. Care plans and assessment processes reflected these factors had been taken into consideration in the planning and delivery of care. This helped to ensure people’s care and support promoted equality and protects their rights.
 

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.
Where relevant, people had end of life care plans in place. Care plans documented any advanced arrangements and specific preferences around their care. The provider worked empathetically with families to help ensure care was flexible and responsive to changes in people’s condition. The provider had received positive feedback from families of people supported during the end of their life. The provider had supported a person to return to their own country as part of their wishes. The registered manager told us, “We discuss with them (people) their wishes of care at this stage of life.” Care plans detailed staff’s duties and the role of other professionals in supporting people to remain at home during the last days.