Austen Allen Homecare - East Kent

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.

Care was delivered in a respectful and compassionate way. Observations and feedback by the management team recorded staff communicated appropriately, maintained people’s privacy and treated them with dignity. Staff took time to explain care, reassure people and support them at a pace they were comfortable with. People told us staff were kind and respectful and described how their dignity was maintained during care. This ensured people were treated with dignity and respect.

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.

Care was tailored to individual preferences and routines. Care plans reflected how people wished to be supported rather than applying a uniform approach. People told us they felt treated as individuals, with one person stating, “I feel that I am treated as an individual and not just as another person the carers look after.” This ensured care was personalised to people’s needs.

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

People were supported to remain involved in their daily lives. Staff encouraged participation and respected choices rather than limiting independence unnecessarily one person telling us, “I try to do as much as I can for myself and they encourage me to it.

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 responded appropriately when people raised concerns or when day‑to‑day needs changed. Issues, such as visit timing, were reviewed and addressed or discussed with people, where required. This ensured people received care that responded to their needs.

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

Staff were supported through supervision, feedback and recognition. Practice concerns were addressed constructively, and staff were encouraged to seek advice when unsure. Staff received flexible support during changes to their personal circumstances, including adjustments to working arrangements, and were recognised for their work. This ensured staff felt supported and were able to provide consistent, caring support to people.