Care Quality Services Oldham

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 after registering with a new provider. 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.

Staff were kind, respectful and caring.People and their relatives told us, “I have [staff name] coming in usually, they are a lovely person, so kind and caring and nothing is a trouble to them”, “The carers are all really lovely” and “All of the carers and the manager are all really good to me.”

People’s privacy and dignity were respected. A relative told us, “[Relative] is treated at all times with dignity and respect.” A staff member commented, “I always close doors and curtains when providing personal care, cover people appropriately, and only expose the areas necessary for care. I speak respectfully, knock before entering rooms, and never discuss personal details where others can overhear.”

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.

People’s individual needs and preferences were assessed prior to their care commencing and these were clearly reflected in the care, treatment and support they received. People’s personal, cultural, social and religious needs were understood and respected.

Staff had received training in equality and diversity to emphasise the importance of treating people as unique individuals with different and diverse needs. The provider also facilitated a cultural awareness training module. People and their relatives told us staff took time to speak with people during care visits and communicated effectively. A person commented,“I think the carers are brilliant and the manager really cares about people as well, they are regularly in touch with me to see if everything is okay.”

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

People’s views and decisions about care were incorporated within their care plans. This helped staff to support people in a way that allowed people to have control over their lives and make day-to-day decisions. A person told us, “They [staff] give me choices every day, such as what to wear and when to wash.”

People’s independence was encouraged where possible and care plans reflected this. A person told us, “They [staff] get me to do what I can for myself.” A relative added, “The carers encourage [relative] to do what [relative] can for them-self.” A staff member told us, “We allow them [people] to do day-to-day tasks by encouraging them, so they can have as much independence as possible.”

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.

Staff were responsive and attentive to people and their needs. A relative told us, “The carers have been trained and they are very good. I have a [name of medical device], and they [staff] are confident with using it. They [staff] look after me and help me with what I need. They meet my needs.”

The service supported people to access external health and medical care services as and when required. Staff were aware of the people’s health care needs and how to respond to any health care emergencies.

Rotas were well planned and provided consistency to staff and people who used the service. People and their relatives told us, “I have the same carers” and “We have a small group of regular carers.”

People were happy with how their care was arranged and delivered. People and their relatives told us, “I am very happy with the service. The care is very well organised and there is good communication” and “They [staff] do everything that they should. I have no concerns. I would recommend them, they are a good company with good staff.”

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

Staff wellbeing was supported through staff meetings, supervisions and annual appraisals. These meetings gave staff opportunities to discuss best practice as well as their own staff development.

Staff spoke positively about the support they received from management, and they told us they felt supported and valued in their role. Their comments included, “Everyone supports each other, if there is an issue, we share information and work together”, “We work well together by supporting and respecting each other”, “We report to the care co-ordinator who is very understanding and always does her best to support us” and “[Registered manager] is great, we always go to them and they always support us.”