Blossom Home Care Poole

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 service 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 service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. There was a visible culture of kindness and respect across all staff which was embedded into day-to-day practice. People were complimentary about the kindness of staff and how they supported them with dignity and respect. A person said, “All the staff are very kind and respectful.” Another person confirmed this and told us, “The staff are not impolite or unkind in anyway.” Staff knew the importance of being kind and caring. A staff member said, “We need to honour their dignity and rights.” Health and social care professionals were complementary about the staff. One health and social care professional said, “The staff that I have come across have always been caring and understanding.”

The service 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 were supported by staff who understood the importance of their individuality. Staff knew people well. One person told us, “We always have a laugh and giggle as I have always been quite a humorous person, the staff go along with this, and I like it as they are in my home a lot and I want to feel comfortable. They listen to my preferences even though it may be quicker and easier to do it another way, but they understand this is how I want it.” Records showed the service had learned about people’s lives, including their younger days and work life. Care and support plans were person focused and their wishes were at the centre of their support. A staff member told us, “There is always enough detailed information about people, and you will get to know them and learn their preferences on how they want to be supported and we follow this, we communicate changes to the wider team.” Feedback from health and social care professionals was that staff and the service treated people as individuals and felt the management team knew people and their needs well. A health and social care professional said, “From what I have observed, staff interactions suggest an understanding of person-centred care, dignity, and respect. Their ability to report changes in individuals’ needs indicates that they are observant and appropriately trained and know their people well.”

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Encouraging independence was at the very heart of the service. The service focused on supporting people to remain well in their own surroundings. People were supported to have control over their lives. Staff told us they provided encouragement and support without taking over. Care plans and risk assessments were written with a focus on independence. Detailing what the person could do for themselves to promote their independence and support their goals. A person told us, “They let me do what I can do and help me in areas I find difficult, I do as much as I can and they encourage me to do so, they do not rush me.” A staff member said to us, “I must offer independence, choice and control as much as I can. It is important I do so people can continue to do things for themselves and not lose their abilities, which helps their self-esteem and could help them to remain at home for longer.” Health and social care professionals felt the service promoted independence. One professional said, “We have worked alongside Blossom Home Care to provide a specific service to a person, as they want to make sure people have the best care possible and allow them to stay as independent in their own homes.”

The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff respond to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. People and their relatives told us communication with the service was easy, they were confident in being heard. A person told us, “They help me with the areas I need support in and when I have a problem, they help me solve it straight away, they do this quickly and without any fuss.” Records showed staff continually supported people’s individual needs. Staff responded without delay, to ensure people remained comfortable and received the support they needed.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff were supported by the provider, who placed a strong focus on staff well-being. This had enabled them to provide care to people in a safe way, through robust policies and procedures and on-going support. There were various schemes which recognised staff achievements, including nominations for national awards. Where needed, additional adjustments had been made to support staff and reduce barriers. Staff were passionate about their roles and felt appreciated by the provider. A staff member said, “The training and support I have received since starting this job has been great. You have full support continuously and contact with management at any time.” Another staff member said, “The management team are always supportive in everything.” Staff and leaders respected each other as peers and colleagues and ensured everyone had a voice and opinion, they felt safe and comfortable to raise concerns. The provider recognised staff skills and abilities and utilised these as well as enabling progression within the service.