Care Quality Services Newcastle

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

Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.
This is the first assessment for this Care Quality Services Newcastle service. This key question has been rated Good

Good: This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.
 

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.

Staff treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff consistently demonstrated kindness, empathy, and compassion in their interactions with people using the service, always respecting their privacy and dignity. People and their relatives described staff as “kind,” “helpful,” “patient,” and “caring”, demonstrating the relationships built and the time staff took to engage with people. Sensitive approaches to personal care, such as staff preserved people’s dignity by covering people with a towel and giving people space and privacy. Staff also treated colleagues from other organisations and with kindness and respect. One person told us, “The staff are always very supportive if we need their assistance.”
 

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 consistently treated people as individuals, ensuring that care, support and treatment were tailored to meet each person’s unique needs, preferences and backgrounds. Care plans reflected detailed information about people’s personal and family histories, interests, routines, and what was important to them. Activities were personalised, enabling people to engage in hobbies and interests that mattered most to them.
The provider took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, cultures and protected characteristics. Staff demonstrated an understanding of people’s routines and respected their choices, adapting care packages as needs changed. Both people using the service and their relatives reported that staff listened attentively, responded to suggestions, and provided consistently personalised care. Relationships built between staff, people and their families enabled individualised support, including for those with complex care and support needs. The provider’s approach to care planning and staffing ensured that people received respectful, responsive and individualised care on each visit.
 

Staff promoted people’s independence. People knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing

Staff actively encouraged people’s independence, giving them choice and control over their care and wellbeing. People were supported to do things for themselves, with staff helping when asked or needed. Staff were described as “patient” and offered “positive encouragement”, such as people being prompted to put on clothing themselves whenever they were able to do so. Relatives noted that this approach boosted confidence and helped people feel positive about having care. One person told us, “I didn’t want people in the house helping me do everything, but they just help me do the things I struggle with.” Staff respected autonomy and supported people to achieve personal goals and maintain independence.
 

Staff 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.

Staff were described as proactive and solution-focused, with professionals noting strong partnership working and responsiveness. One professional said, “They work really well in partnership with us and always have the interests of the person at the centre of any decision.” People and relatives reported that staff were generally punctual and stayed for the full duration of calls. When issues arose, such as missed medicines or safeguarding concerns, the provider acted quickly to resolve them.
 

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

Staff reported that the provider enabled them to deliver high-quality, person-centred care by offering accessible support and guidance. One staff member commented, “I can always find someone to contact if I need advice or support, whether it’s someone in the office, team leader, or a colleague.” Some staff told us that a better work–life balance would be helpful, but they recognised that care responsibilities occur throughout the day and evening, which can make this difficult to achieve.