Blossom Home Care Grimsby

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. 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 85 (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 was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff consistently demonstrated exceptional kindness and respect. They spoke about people with genuine warmth, sensitivity and insight. Staff described how they went above and beyond to ensure people felt valued, listened to and emotionally supported. This included examples such as staying with people in hospital at the end of their lives, also picking people up to take them to special events, where they otherwise would not have been able to attend. People’s birthdays were recognised with cards and chocolates, and they were given flowers for Valentine’s Day. One staff member told us, “We look after them as if they are our own family members. All the carers are really good and conscientious.”

People and their relatives gave positive feedback about the care they received. They confirmed staff were kind, respectful and protected their dignity. One person told us, “They are so lovely, like one of the family and I never thought it would be like this.” Another said, “They treat me with due respect, are quite helpful and nothing is too much trouble for them.”

Staff showed a strong awareness of the importance of dignity, ensuring that personal care was delivered discreetly and sensitively, and that people’s privacy was consistently upheld in a way that made them feel safe and comfortable.

External professionals spoke very highly of how people were treated, highlighting the compassionate, respectful and thoughtful approach of staff. They noted the positive impact this had on people’s experiences of care and support. An external professional told us, “[People] have consistently described the carers as polite, kind, and respectful. The team’s approach is compassionate, ensuring that [people]’s dignity is maintained, even in situations where personal care can be challenging.” They told us one person had given them feedback about how well care staff understood their communication needs, and added, “This attention to detail and willingness to listen has made a noticeable difference to patient experience.” Another external professional told us, “The carers are very, very good in their approach with people.”

These consistently high levels of feedback, alongside the way staff spoke about and supported people, demonstrated outstanding practice in ensuring people were treated with kindness, compassion and respect, and ensuring their privacy and dignity were upheld at all times.

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 demonstrated understanding of people’s preferences and provided care in line with this. Staff explained how they adapted the support they offered according to individual needs. Each person’s care package and visiting times were tailored to their needs.

Care plans contained relevant information about people’s likes and dislikes, and any protected characteristics under the Equality Act. This helped ensure staff knew of any related needs and respected these accordingly. There was also information about people’s life history and background which helped staff to engage in conversations of interest with the person.

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

Staff supported people to continue living independently in their own homes, and care was planned and delivered in a way that maximised people’s independence. For instance, where people were able to manage their own medicines and health conditions without support this was respected. People had choice and control about what care and assistance they wanted from the service. This was outlined in their care plan.

People consistently told us staff listened to them and respected their choices. Staff were able to give specific examples of how they supported people to make informed decisions.

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff usually responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff were responsive and understood when people were showing signs of anxiety, pain or distress. There was a system in place to report any concerns or changes in people’s presentation, and care staff were able to call for advice from management staff in the event of emergencies. External professionals commended how skilled staff were in identifying and escalating any concerns or changes in people.

Care records showed how staff responded to people’s immediate needs and wishes, including unplanned requests. There was also information in people’s care plans about how to promote people’s wellbeing, should they need emotional support.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff we spoke with were consistently positive about the support they received. Their feedback included, “I’ve never worked for such a good company. You’re supported personally and professionally” and, “I get plenty of support. You can talk to any of the office staff, they are all approachable.” One staff member spoke very highly about how much they valued the support they had received through a difficult period.

Staff had regular opportunities to feedback any issues or wellbeing concerns in team meetings and supervision. Staff told us there was also opportunity to speak to the registered manager individually following team meetings, should there be anything they would be more comfortable discussing individually. Staff had access to a free independent counselling service, should they need this.

The provider promoted staff recognition and wellbeing through a range of initiatives, such as a monthly ‘star of the month’ and 6 monthly ‘super star’ recognition scheme. Staff birthdays were recognised with a small gift. There were also staff parties at Christmas and in the summer.

People benefited from the motivated workforce and positive culture at the service. A staff member told us, “I've never been in a job where staff are taken on and looked after so personally... You personally want to work above and beyond because that is the feel you get, and that comes from [registered manager] and [care manager].