GoodOaks Homecare - Sussex South

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 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.

People and relatives consistently told us staff and leaders were kind and caring.Comments included, “They are very kind to her and giggle with her. They chat and share stories with her too” and “They are kind and attentive. They speak to her and get down to her eye level to make eye contact. They all have very caring natures.” Feedback from partners about staff and leaders was consistently positive. Comments included, “[Leader] is very caring and diligent. The staff I saw were patient and caring with the person” and “From the interactions I have observed from all staff with people, they have always been kind; caring and respectful of their needs and current situations.”

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.

People and relatives spoke positively about how staff treated them as individuals and knew them well. A person said, “They understand all my likes and dislikes. It amazes me how much they remember about me when they visit.” Care plans were based around the needs of individuals and included people’s communication needs, cultural and religious beliefs. Staff were knowledgeable about people’s individual needs and how to meet them. Partners spoke positively about staff, with one saying, “I feel that they see every client and family unit as unique and individual.”

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

People told us they had choice and control over their lives. A person said, “I feel in control of my care. [Staff] ask me all the time what I want to do.” Staff and leaders were aware of people’s hobbies and lifestyle choices. A relative said, “We told [leader] about [person’s] interests. [Leader] has found someone with similar interests. The staff member plays the guitar for him and [person] really gets on well with them.” Staff understood how to promote people’s independence. Comments included, “I believe the way to promote independence is by building confidence” and “I promote as much independence as possible. I ask them to do it first if they are able and it’s safe to do so and offer support secondary.”

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.

People told us staff knew them well and responded to their immediate needs appropriately. Comments included, “I did have one small problem. [Staff] couldn’t deal with it, so they called [clinical helpline] to get advice. It was all sorted out well” and “Once I had a fall. The carer raised the alarm. She stayed with me till the ambulance arrived. She kept me calm.” Care records demonstrated when staff identified changes in individuals’ needs, appropriate health interventions were promptly sought and followed up.

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 leaders which enabled them to deliver good care to people. A staff member said, “It is brilliant working here. I don't have a negative thing to say. They are helpful. They appreciate people. When you work on your own, it can be lonely, but I get feedback that is really nice and makes you feel supported.” The provider had a personal safety and lone working policy in place which was relevant to the service. Any dangers in relation to this were reflected in people's environmental risk assessments.