Platinum Care Services

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• 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 our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has changed to requires improvement.This meant people did not always feel well-supported, cared for or treated with dignity and respect.

This service scored 60 (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 did not consistently treat people with kindness, empathy and compassion.

There were inconsistencies in how privacy and dignity were maintained. Our observations of staff engaging with people was mixed which indicated people were not consistently supported with kindness and compassion. We saw that staff did not always engage with people, and we observed at times a task-focused approach to people.

The significant shortfalls in the care environment did not ensure people were afforded the kindness and respect they deserved. For example, we saw in 1 bedroom the pillow the person was using was worn and lumpy. The blackout curtains in another bedroom were worn and damaged causing daylight to flood in. There was a significant odour in several parts of the home that had not been addressed. The dining room chairs people sat on for meals were dirty, with food substances that had not been cleaned up. People could not safely access the garden if they wanted to. There was no system in place for ensuring people’s clothing was handled with care and the arrangements for food preparation and storage had the potential to put people at risk of eating contaminated food. These concerns did not reflect a caring culture within the service or indicate that staff’s training in dignity and respect had been effective.

The provider took immediate action on all the issues we raised. On day 2 and 3 we saw evidence of the significant improvements made.Feedback from relatives and professionals was positive, highlighting the caring nature of the staff team and the trusting relationships that had been developed over time. A relative told us, “I feel [person’s name] is safe, well cared for and treated with dignity and respect in all aspects of their care.”

The provider generally treated people as individuals.

Opportunities for people to try new experiences or engage in meaningful hobbies aligned with their interests and aspirations were limited. Care records and activities planning did not consistently demonstrate how people’s personal interests, ambitions or life histories were used to shape meaningful and person-centred opportunities. This meant it was not always clear how people were supported to pursue their own aspirations or develop independence in a way that reflected their preferences and choices.

Staff knew people well and understood their needs and wishes, and feedback from professionals was positive about people’s care.

The provider shared considerable information regarding people’s life histories, they told us people were supported to pursue their own aspirations or develop independence in a way that reflected their preferences and choices.

The provider generally promoted people’s independence, choice and control, although care plans and records did not always clearly demonstrate how this was planned, supported and reviewed.

Staff told us people were generally supported to maintain their independence and exercise choice and control over their daily lives. Some choices were offered to people, but opportunities to pursue personal goals and preferred activities were not always clearly planned or demonstrated in people’s care records. Care plans did not consistently provide staff with sufficiently detailed guidance about how particular skills should be maintained or developed. Records also did not always reflect people’s choices and personal goals with planned opportunities and reviewed outcomes.

Staff explained how they used different methods to help communicate with people and enhance their understanding and we saw detailed communication plans were in place.

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 acted when they identified changes in people’s needs and told us what they would do to minimise anxiety or distress. Staff were present to provide people with support when needed, and they told us what they would do in an emergency. Staff knew people and adapted their communication and interactions accordingly. The home worked with professionals to ensure people’s health needs were monitored.

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

Staff spoke positively about the support they received from the management team. Systems such as supervision, team meetings and opportunities to raise concerns were in place. Recent improvements to induction and supervision arrangements had been implemented. There was evidence of wellbeing initiatives, this included a cycle to work scheme, that some staff had participated in, to promote their health and wellbeing.