You First Support Services CIC

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 a previous inspection 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 70 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff and managers always treated people with kindness and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. People and relatives consistently described staff as patient, respectful and supportive, and staff formed positive relationships built on trust and understanding.

One person said, “These are the best staff I have had,” and a relative said, “The carers do a fantastic job; they respect [name’s] privacy and dignity.” Staff promoted dignity in all aspects of care, including personal support, and understood the importance of maintaining boundaries while encouraging open communication. One person said, “I ask them [staff] about themselves. [I understand] they [staff] are not my friends. I know boundaries.”

Relatives told us that staff managed more complex needs sensitively and anticipated behaviours that could cause distress, helping people feel safe and well cared for. One staff member said, “[Name] has their privacy and dignity respected at all times by all of the team. The team are always kind to [name]."

Staff and the management team always supported people as individuals and ensured their care was person centred. People had detailed, personalised care plans that reflected their preferences, histories and goals, and these were reviewed regularly with people and their relatives.

Staff knew people well and adapted their approach to match individual communication styles, routines and sensory needs. Relatives described staff as understanding and attentive, with one stating, “They encourage [name’s] independence with washing, dressing, going out and accessing activities she likes.”

People told us they felt listened to, and the service responded well when preferences changed or concerns were raised. Professionals also highlighted the strong person-centred culture. One professional told us, “I think You First are a very person-centred organisation who really live their values and so do the staff team. They should be proud of the work that they have done to support [name] and the changes that she has been able to make in her life."

Staff always promoted people’s independence and helped them have choice and control in their daily lives. People were supported to make decisions about meals, clothing, activities and routines, and staff respected the level of independence each person wanted to achieve. One relative explained that staff always involved their family member in decisions about their day‑to‑day life. They said, “I think they [staff] encourage [name’s] independence.” A staff member told us, “I have been able to get to know [name] on a very person-centred level and build a trusting relationship where I can encourage her to make choices without taking away her ability to make her own choices or decisions. I do encourage her daily to do more things for herself with support to do this.”

People were encouraged and supported to access the community, develop skills and pursue their personal interests. Staff balanced safety with independence, using their knowledge of each person’s risks and needs to tailor the level of support they provided. One staff member said, “We have a lot to celebrate with [name] who is now able to do so much more to live an independent life."

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 knowledgeable about each person.

Staff always responded to people’s immediate needs and ensured their support was timely and effective. Staff understood how to escalate concerns, seek urgent help and adapt support when needs changed. Relatives said both staff and managers acted quickly when issues arose.

People were supported to attend healthcare appointments, and staff worked closely with professionals to address complex health needs. Staff responded to people’s emotional needs, helping reduce distress and maintain stability. There was a no‑blame, learning culture that ensured incidents led to reflection and improvements, helping staff remain responsive and confident when challenges occurred.

There had been significant organisational and management changes, and staff said this had affected morale across the service. Some staff said morale was good. Other staff said changes within the management team, and the organisation more widely, had adversely affected staff morale.

One staff member said there had been “A big change in management with managers leaving recently and team leaders leaving or stepping down and new managers coming in and new team leaders. This has caused some concerns.” Another staff member told us, “Over the year there have been a few changes of managers in our team, which naturally creates change and can, at the time, give an unsettled feeling. Obviously with managers leaving and new ones arriving, good communication has been affected.”

Staff were committed to providing high-quality, person-centred care, but the number of changes in a short period of time had caused instability and at times had affected some staff member’s wellbeing and confidence in their roles.

Staff wellbeing and engagement was receiving continued attention. The management team understood and acknowledged how staff were feeling and had taken steps to try to ensure they were supported through this period of change, by improving communication and staff engagement.