Caremark (Barnsley)

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. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

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 provider always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. People told us staff were kind and treated them with dignity and respect. A person said, “Staff always knock and say hello, before they come into my room.” A relative said, “Staff shut the curtains, they are good. A lady came from the office, and they asked [name] if they were comfortable.” People told us staff always attended, and they had no missed care calls. One relative had been involved in a fundraising event for the service, following a positive experience with their relative's care. The service had a score of 9.8/10 on a homecare review website, which showed positive reviews from people about the care they had received.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. Staff knew people well, their preferences and likes and dislikes. People told us staff listened to them, asked them about their feelings and treated them with compassion. A person said, “I have a sociable chat with staff, I can’t tell you how good they are. They are fantastic, nothing is a problem for them.” Another person said, “(Following a family bereavement) Staff are watching me closely, they are brilliant. They are kind to me and have given me a hug.” One person had recently been supported to choose their staff of choice, as they had built a good rapport with them, which had improved their experience and well-being.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Staff understood the importance of treating people as individuals and meeting their personalised needs and wishes. A staff member said, “I ensure that the people I care for are treated with dignity and respect by considering their preferences, choices, and feelings. I maintain privacy by knocking before entering, closing doors when needed, and having private conversations. To encourage independence, I support service users in doing as much as they can for themselves. For example, I offer clothing options but let them choose what to wear. I also approach personal care with sensitivity, explaining each step and checking for comfort.” People told us staff offered them choices. Staff had access to people’s records via an online system and recorded people’s care tasks, as well as information about people’s emotional well-being.

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. There were systems in place, to ensure staff had attended care calls and completed all allocated tasks, to ensure people had their day-to-day needs met. People told us staff met their needs. One person said, “Staff are good at responding to what I want and making a note.” One person told us staff had supported them with their emotional wellbeing and another person told us staff always remembered things about them and what they needed.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff were supported with their professional development and told us they were encouraged and supported in their roles. Staff were also supported to complete their driving test. Staff told us leaders were approachable and helpful and the morale within the team was good. A staff member said, “The manager is very approachable and treats everyone with respect, she does not speak down to anyone and is willing to listen to everyone.” Another staff member said, “I enjoy my job. Caremark is very comfortable and professional. I feel very happy to raise concerns discreetly and ask any questions that I may have.” Staff were involved in an app which celebrated good practice. Staff were praised for their achievements, such as being a good at communication, good at record keeping and length of service. There were 'carer' of the month initiatives and staff training achievements were celebrated.