Arm2Arm Support Ltd

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 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. One person commented, “[Staff are] so kind, patient, they get on with the family, everybody likes everybody”. Another person described one staff member as “excellent”. The manager said, “The culture of compassion, kindness and dignity is evidenced throughout the company, in policies, recruitment onboarding and training. This is then assured by [people’s] feedback”. People’s care plans were written in a way which promoted their 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. People had information in their care plans about things they enjoyed and what was important to them. For example, one person’s care plan stated, “I value my [religion] faith and enjoy the presence of our family [pet].” People felt staff knew them well and their individual 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 had information in their care plans about what they could do for themselves. For example, one person’s care plan stated, “Independence is important to me, it is central to how I wish my care to be delivered”, and “I can participate in my care when given time and reassurance”. Staff told us, “I support people to maintain their independence by encouraging them to do as much as they can for themselves, rather than doing everything for them. For example, I let them dress themselves, make choices about their meals, or manage personal care tasks at their own pace, offering help only when needed.”

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 told us staff were responsive to their needs. Staff said they recognised changes in people’s needs by closely observing their behaviour, appearance, and mood, and by listening carefully to what they said. A staff member said, “Changes in eating, drinking, mobility, sleep, or mood can all signal a need for support.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff told us they felt supported by leaders. Comments from staff included, “I am treated well at work because colleagues and managers are approachable, supportive, and respectful, and there is good teamwork. I feel that my contributions are recognised, which motivates me to provide the best care for the people I support”, and “The service values my work and efforts and treats me with respect. I have supervision with my manager and regular team chats with my team; this supports my wellbeing. I also feel comfortable to raise any issues or concerns I may have and I am confident that they are taken seriously and dealt with.” There was an employee wellbeing policy for staff which stated flexible working requests would be considered. This also stated there was an optional fitness run for charity which staff could take part in from time to time.