Home Instead Rugby

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.

At our last assessment we rated this key question outstanding. At this assessment the rating has remained outstanding.

This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

This service scored 90 (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.

People’s feedback was unequivocally positive when speaking of staff’s approach and of their understanding of their needs and preferences. A person told us, “Very kind and caring staff, always respectful, know me well, would notify someone if I was not well, all very good and well trained.” A second person said, “Kind and caring all of them, always show me dignity and respect and ask permission before any personal care. We can have a laugh.”

Relatives were equally positive and consistent in their praise for staff. A relative told us, “Without exception they are all kind and caring, genuinely interested in [persons] care and wellbeing. Good communication in a professional way, they offer balanced support and companionship. Dignity, respect and consent always offered.”

Staff had developed positive relationships with people and were able to demonstrate their compassion and commitment to providing good quality care and positive outcomes for people. A member of staff told us, “I always take time to talk with people, it’s the best part of the job. Home Instead really values the relationships between carers and clients. Our calls are an hour long, giving us time to build those relationships.” A second staff member said, “I absolutely love my job. I feel the work I do is valuable and something to be proud of. I love that I make a difference. It is so rewarding. I have built up lovely bonds and it is like I have lots of sets of grandparents. I simply treat them like family. In the way I would want my family to be cared for.”

People’s care records detailed information as to people’s life histories, including family and work life. Staff spoke in depth about people’s families and their work, and how the information helped them to support people in their day to day lives. A relative told us, “Staff have a good rapport with my parents, they discuss their love of Boxer dogs.” A second relative told us, “The company goes the extra mile, considerate and helpful, even feeds [person’s] cats! First class.”

The provider treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. The provider took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Staff provided a holistic approach to care, supporting people with companionship, social interaction alongside personal care and support. For example, a person with multiple health conditions was supported to attend services within the community to support them in coping with their health. This included attending dementia friendly events, local markets, outings to garden centres, and exercise glasses. The person’s timetable was underpinned by written communication on a board within their home so as they better understood the activities available they were engaged with.

People’s relatives reflected upon the range of pursuits and interests staff encouraged and helped their family member to participate in. A relative told us, “Staff took [person] for an old school reunion recently, got him dressed, shaved and smart, made a lovely outing for them both.” Another relative told us, “Staff have provided social interaction for a few years now, and a better quality of life as they can remain at home, which is key for them. It allows them friendships with the local community where they know everyone, and they can attend local groups like singing, and attend the Macmillan coffee morning at the Home Instead office.”

People’s cultural needs were considered and catered for. A relative told us how their families cultural needs were met and of the impact. “One of the carers is from the west indies and my [person] was born in Trinidad, so they have great conversations, which gives [person] pleasant and happy memories.” A staff member told us, “We supported a person who spoke Gujarati. We matched a carer with them who spoke Gujarati, which was the person’s specific dialect from their local area. The feedback from their family was lovely, it made all the difference.”

People’s care records detailed information as to people’s needs and preference, including their personal, cultural, social, religious and communication needs.

People’s communication needs were assessed and planned for. A member of staff told us, “A person I support is blind, so when staff visit, we set up appointments via Alexa as a reminder for them.”

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

People’s care plans detailed their abilities, goals and expectations of care. People looked to the staff to provide the care and support they required to enable them to remain in their own home, whilst continuing to enjoy a lifestyle of their choosing. A person told us, “I receive 2 visits a day for personal care and anything I need, all the carers are very accommodating. No need for shopping or trips yet but may need help in the future.” A relative told us, “My [person] has 3 visits a day for personal care, helping to dress, some cooking/meals. They have a much better of quality of life now. The care gives me peace of mind that [person] is being cared for, which means they can stay at home. Carers can prompt [person] to stay as active as they are able and encourage them.”

People’s relatives spoke of the collaborative approach towards care and support, which recognised and encouraged independence. A relative told us, “[Person’s] care is balanced between their home and offering appropriate independence, carers are very good and creative and making things work in [persons’] interests.”

Staff demonstrated commitment to enabling and encouraging people’s independence. A member of staff told us, “The person I support is becoming so proud of their home. After a medical procedure, they stopped caring for themselves. It’s seeing that improvement. We encourage them to help themselves, it’s the way we make it fun, rather than a task they have to do.”

The provider was exceptional in how they 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.

There were multiple and varied examples of the provider’s commitment to responding to people and their relatives when circumstances changed, which required an immediate response. For example, a relative broke their arm when attempting to break the fall of a person who used the service. The person could not be left by themselves as they were living with dementia and so the relative contacted the registered manager. The registered manager stayed with the person overnight in their home, so as the relative could attend hospital for treatment.

People’s packages of care were flexible in response to health care needs. For example, a person had twice weekly appointments at hospital to receive treatment, the period of time they required at hospital for the treatment was dependent on the results of other tests. This meant, staff’s schedules to enable them to take the person and collect them from hospital had to be tailored flexibly to meet their need.

Relatives appreciated the flexibility of the service. “A relative told us, “Office staff are very approachable and friendly, action any requests for me, such as an extra care visit.” A second relative said, “The versatility of the service is wonderful, flexible and perfect, 100%.”

Systems and processes were in place to enable staff to respond to an incident or accident, for example when a person fell or was round on the floor, or their health deteriorated. A member of staff told us, “One time I found a lady I support on the floor. The bed was lowered to the lowest level anyway; they had a crash mat to protect them from falls too. I assessed them for any injuries. Put a pillow under their head and a duvet over their legs and called the ambulance. We made sure we did that quickly as we’re not able to lift people, and we informed staff at the office.”

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

The provider had processes in place to monitor, improve and promote staff safety and wellbeing; staff management policies; including staff sickness, vacancy and turnover rates were all monitored and evaluated.

Staff had access to an Employee Assistance Program, which provided professional support for mental health, financial advice and personal issues. All employees were provided with a ‘blue light card,’ (provides discounts for some services and is offered to staff working in the emergency services, the social care sector, teaching and armed forces) paid for by the company.

People were supported by staff who felt valued and respected, who had a sense of belonging and felt supported. A member of staff told us, “They respect us all and there is never any feeling of inequity if you know what I mean, no cliques.”

Staff were overwhelming positive in their praise of the registered manager and office-based staff who had key areas of responsibility, including the trainer and their immediate line manager. Staff comments included, “If ever we have a problem, they are at the end of the phone without a doubt. You are never left wondering or waiting for a response. They are extremely supportive.” And “[Name] the trainer is absolutely fantastic. I am very practical and panic about computers. They were fantastic, guided me through it. They put it in a way I understood. Very thorough.”

Information around human resource policies, including annual leave, staff safety and lone working were contained within the Staff Handbook.

The provider had a care staff of the month award, which was awarded based on colleague and client feedback, and shared within the provider’s monthly newsletter. The staff receiving the award received a certificate, monetary award and flowers.