Homelium West Sussex

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 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 relatives consistently described staff as kind, caring and respectful. One person told us staff were “kind and caring, really nice people” and said, “they always respect my privacy.” A relative said staff were “very good with [person] and made time to sit and have a chat if they had extra time during their visit” and would “go beyond what is expected of them.” People and relatives told us staff took time to talk with them, listened to their views and provided extra support when needed. A healthcare professional told us, “We have always had a good experience when working with Homelium.” Staff had developed positive and trusting relationships with people. People felt comfortable receiving care in their own homes, and relatives were reassured that staff treated their family members with kindness and respected their privacy and dignity.

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 plans were written in the first person and reflected people’s personal histories, relationships, routines, interests and beliefs. They also described how people wanted staff to support them. For example, one person’s care plan recorded that remaining safely in their own home was important to them. It also described where they liked to spend their time and the activities they enjoyed. Another person’s care plan recorded that conversations with staff were an important source of social contact. Staff used care records alongside conversations with people to understand what mattered to them. One staff member told us, “I also personally talk to people and ask them about their hobbies and interests, this is how you get to know them well.” This gave staff meaningful information about people’s identities, interests and preferences. This helped staff understand people’s identities, interests and preferences and tailor their day-to-day support.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People and relatives told us staff encouraged people to remain as independent as possible and supported them to make choices about their day-to-day care. One relative told us, “[Person] can be quite stubborn. However, the team are great at getting [person] to do the things they can do.” Another person told us staff asked what support they wanted and respected their choices. Staff understood the importance of promoting independence and supporting people to maintain the skills they already had. People were encouraged to complete tasks for themselves, where possible, and were supported to continue living safely in their own homes. This helped people maintain choice and control over their daily lives while receiving support tailored to their individual needs.

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 and relatives told us staff listened to them and offered additional support, when needed. Staff gave examples of recognising when people were worried or distressed and responding to their immediate needs. One staff member told us, “Someone I visited recently was a little distressed and did not want their previous carer back. I spoke with [care manager] and she immediately changed the staff, so this was reassuring to the person.” Staff recognised the person’s distress and acted on their concerns without delay. The manager changed the staff member allocated to support them, reflecting the person's wishes and providing reassurance. This demonstrated that staff listened when people raised concerns and responded quickly to reduce distress and improve their experience of care. People were supported by staff who understood their needs and preferences and acted when concerns were raised. This helped people feel listened to and supported by the service.

The provider did not always promote staff wellbeing or enable staff to consistently deliver person-centred care. Several staff raised concerns about rota planning, insufficient travel time between visits and limited opportunities for breaks. One staff member told us, “Sometimes the rota travelling times are ridiculous. It can be super stressful when you are running behind in the first place.” Another staff member told us managers were not always contactable because they may have been covering care visits themselves. These arrangements placed additional pressure on staff and left some feeling stressed and unable to take sufficient breaks. This increased the risk of staff becoming fatigued and affected their ability to consistently provide person-centred care. However, staff also described managers as approachable and supportive when contacted. One staff member told us, “The managers are friendly and approachable throughout the day and would usually help without hesitation.” Staff also gave examples of managers responding compassionately when they experienced difficulties in their personal lives. Following our feedback, the provider increased staff meetings from quarterly to monthly and began reviewing rota planning and travel times. However, these changes were not yet fully embedded, and the provider could not demonstrate that concerns raised by staff had been consistently addressed.