Right at Home Bexley & Dartford

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 70 (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 their relatives told us that they were treated with respect and kindness. People said, “They are kind and caring. Nothing is too much trouble” and “They are kind and very caring, respectful and polite.” Relatives told us, “The carers are kind and caring, respectful and aware of mum’s privacy and dignity” and “They are kind, considerate, respectful and observe her privacy and dignity. There have been behaviour incidents in the past which have been handled with great skill.”

Staff detailed how they treated people with kindness and compassion. Comments included, “I make sure people are comfortable, safe, I close door and cover with a blanket or towel” and “I always involve people in their care, ask their preferences, use their chosen name, and ensure they are covered during personal care.”

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’s care plans showed what people could do for themselves, for example washing their own face, chest or groin or cleaning their own teeth once toothpaste had been applied to the brush. Staff knew people well. A relative told us, “They coax him to be more mobile.” A person told us, “They are kind and very caring, respectful and polite.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People lived independently in their own homes. Staff told us how they supported people to be as independent as possible. A staff member said, “I support clients to do tasks themselves before stepping in. For example, assist when a client stands from a recliner but only if they request help.” Some people lived with relatives. They were supported to do things that were important to them such as going shopping or to medical appointment by their relatives. People told us staff make time to chat with them as part of their care and support which they valued. A staff member told us, “Through companionship and regular visits, I get to know their personalities and preferences. For example, 1 of my clients prefers to have his coffee made with lots of milk and a hint of vanilla essence and I always ensure it is done in this specific way.”

The provider did not always listen to and understand people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff did not always respond to people’s needs in the moment or act to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. Most relatives felt staff knew their loved one well and felt their loved one was happy and safe. A relative said, “They go over and above to care.” However, some relatives told us their loved one’s needs were not met. A relative said, “Overall, Right at Home did not provide safe, effective, caring, responsive, or well-led care. Their staff lacked training, empathy, and understanding of dementia, putting my parents at risk and leaving their needs unmet. The experience was distressing for both my parents and our family, and ultimately, we were forced to end the contract.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. There was a diverse workforce where staff were treated as individuals. Staff told us the service was flexible around childcare. Staff were supported through supervision meetings, appraisals and training. The management team told us they enabled staff to observe important religious and cultural events. A staff member told us the management team enabled them to have some last minute time off to help them celebrate Eid with their family. They said, “They are good about celebrating religions” and “They were flexible.”