Vitale Care Chichester

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 inspection for this service. At this inspection this key question has been rated 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.

Feedback from people and relatives was consistently positive, describing staff as “kind”, “caring”, “wonderful” and “like family.” One relative told us staff “can’t do enough for [Name],” and another described the service as “incredible” and “fabulous.” Staff took time to listen and provide comfort when people were anxious or unsettled. They understood how to maintain dignity, including supporting personal care discreetly and giving people privacy. Staff were proud of the difference they made; 1 carer said they felt proud when a previously anxious person became calm through patient, reassuring support.

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 supported people in a way that recognised their individuality. Care plans were detailed and clearly reflected people’s preferences, routines, communication needs and personal histories. For example, staff understood when someone preferred information in short chunks, when someone needed female carers for certain tasks, or when a person’s day depended on maintaining their structured routine. Staff were attentive to people’s interests such as crafting, gardening, swimming or football and used this knowledge to provide personalised support. Relatives consistently said staff understood the person and “really got to know them.”

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 supported to remain as independent as possible. Staff encouraged people to do what they could for themselves, whether that was using mobility aids, preparing parts of meals, choosing their clothing, communicating through assistive technology or taking part in rehabilitation programmes. Care plans captured what people could manage independently and where they needed support. Relatives said staff respected people’s choices and preferences, and people told us they felt listened to. Staff could explain how they promoted autonomy, including giving time, offering choices and following people’s established routines.
 

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 attentive and responsive. People and families said staff reacted quickly when needs changed, for example by updating care plans after a hospital admission or adjusting support when mobility fluctuated. Staff provided emotional reassurance when people were overwhelmed or distressed, particularly those with acquired brain injury or fluctuating neurological conditions. Staff spoke warmly about wanting people to feel safe, settled and comfortable.

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

Staff felt valued and supported to provide caring, compassionate support. Many described management as “approachable,” “friendly,” and “always there to help.” Staff said they received recognition, such as employee awards, and felt their wellbeing was considered through flexible rotas and supportive conversations.