Yourlife (Dover)

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 newly registered service. This key question has been ratedGood. 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 registered manager and staff always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. People told us they had privacy; they told us staff knocked and did not enter until they were invited. Staff explained how they supported people to have privacy and dignity. This included drawing curtains and shutting doors when they supported people. They explained how they encouraged people to wash independently to reduce embarrassment. A person told us they were shy when they began to receive support. They told us they were now “really comfortable” when staff supported them and “I look forward to it now.”

The registered manager and staff treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care and support met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. People told us staff provided their care in the way they preferred and explained what they would do, before providing any care. A person told us, “They explain everything, they never do anything without explaining.” Another person told us when staff supported them to wash, “They help with the places I can’t get to.” A third person told us before leaving them staff asked, “Is there anything else you want me to do?”

People told us staff were always on time, and this was important to them. Everyone told us they got on well with staff. A person told us staff were, “Very caring”, “Have a good sense of humour”, “Are knowledgeable” and “Explained things.”

The registered manager and staff promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care and wellbeing. People told us staff supported them to be as independent as possible. A person told us, “They let me do what I want to do”. Another person told us, “They give me the sponge and say do you want to ….” and “They give me a hand if I need it”. A third person told us, “I couldn’t do it (have a shower) without them”. Several people told us they got their clothes out ready before they showered and staff supported them to get dressed. They told us staff considered any individual needs they had, such as limbs which were not very flexible and supported them to dress in an easy and comfortable way. A person told us, “We put my bad arm in first because this is easiest”.

People had been asked if they had any preference around the gender of the staff member who supported them. Where people had a preference, this had been respected. People told us staff knew them well and provided consistent care. A person told us, “It’s reassuring to see the same people every time I have support”.

The registered manager 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. People told us staff responded quickly when they used their call bells to alert staff they needed unplanned support. Most people told us they had not needed to use their call bell, but when it had been activated by accident, staff had responded “rapidly”. A person told us, “They are quick to answer”.

Some people told us they did not receive care every day, but staff checked on them daily to make sure they were safe and well and did not require any support. This gave people reassurance that if their needs changed staff would identify this quickly and provide them with support.

The registered manager cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. This had a positive impact on the staff team which had been stable since the service opened 3 years ago. The registered manager kept staff’s wellbeing under review and supported staff to remain physically and mentally well. For example, staff had been offered counselling after a person had passed away unexpectedly. Staff told us the registered manager was supportive when they had personal issues which may impact on their work. The registered manager described the actions they had taken to protect staff during difficult times and enable them to continue to do the job they enjoy, as well as supporting their families.

Strategies had been put in place to support staff with protected characteristics to fulfil their role. Support included additional supervision and assistance with particular tasks to ensure they were completed accurately and the staff member had confidence in their skills.