UBU - Harrogate

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 and relatives spoke highly about staff. People described staff as “nice” and “lovely.” A relative told us, “The staff are brilliant, [Name]’s really happy and so are we. They like [Name] you can tell, they get on happily and are caring of them. They are properly attentive too, not just going through the motions.” Other comments from relatives included, “Staff are very caring and attentive… They are all very patient” and, “They are very kind and caring.”

A healthcare professional described one of the support locations as, “A friendly environment to be in. You can tell staff really care about people.” This was consistent with our visits to people and our observations of the care provided. Staff interacted very positively with people and showed kindness and empathy.

Staff spoke about people respectfully. They understood how to promote people’s dignity and provided examples of this. We also observed how they respected people’s privacy, whilst ensuring they were safe and comfortable.

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 demonstrated good understanding of people’s preferences and provided care in line with this. Documentation we reviewed demonstrated a strong person-centred approach and included detailed information about people's life histories, communication preferences, sensory needs, cultural requirements, family relationships, strengths and goals. Records clearly identified the people involved in planning and reviewing support and showed that care was tailored around what was important to each person.

Support plans showed how people were supported to achieve outcomes that were meaningful to them. One person spoke positively about an upcoming holiday which had been identified as a personal aspiration and told us they were excited about going away and had chosen where they wanted to go. People's homes reflected their individual tastes and preferences. People’s flats and/or bedrooms were personalised and contained personal belongings, toiletries and items of significance, creating homely and individualised environments.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

People were encouraged to make decisions about their own lives and were supported to develop and maintain independence. People had experienced positive outcomes over time, including cooking meals independently, shopping, budgeting, maintaining healthy lifestyles and making informed decisions regarding daily routines and activities.

One person described the level of control they had over their life and told us, "I decide where to go and what I want to do and staff support me." They explained how they independently completed household tasks and said, "I send my own rubbish out and empty the dishwasher," and "I hoover my carpet." Others also spoke with pride about the things they were able to do independently. They confirmed staff would help them with any tasks they needed support with.

People were supported to be very active members of their local community, and take part in their preferred choice of activities, voluntary work and educational opportunities. People also enjoyed planning and going on holidays of their choice, and they engaged in a wide range of social activities.

People's feedback, care records and our observations all demonstrated a culture that promoted choice, autonomy and independence.

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.

We observed staff were responsive and understood when people were showing signs of anxiety, pain or distress. They used different methods to provide reassurance, according to people’s care planned needs. For instance, staff sang songs with one person which helped them to feel calmer. Staff played ball games with another person, which they responded to well.

Care records showed how staff responded to people’s immediate needs and wishes. There was also detailed information in people’s support plans, where appropriate, about how to promote people’s wellbeing and safety should they demonstrate their distress through physical behaviours.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported them to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff told us they felt well supported. Their comments included, “I love it here,” “I am well supported, there is good management” and “It feels like a big family.” Another told us, “They do listen when there is a problem and that is something I really like about this company. You feel valued, they check on you right away.”

Staff had regular opportunities to feedback any issues or wellbeing concerns. They had regular supervision, team meetings and staff surveys. The provider also organised conferences, where staff could discuss issues and learn about new topics. There was a Learning and Growing Team who organised training and development, and supported the workforce. One staff member told us, “Workforce wellbeing is really positive, and they have an employee assistance program in place. The support is unbelievable.”

The provider promoted staff recognition and wellbeing through initiatives, such as awarding staff a ‘grow the roses of success’ brooch if they had received a compliment, or ‘well done days’ where staff were potentially eligible for an extra day of leave for specific achievements.

People benefited from the motivated workforce. A healthcare professional told us they felt staff supported each other well, which helped them to worked positively with people through challenging periods.