Nottingham DCA

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 good. At this assessment the rating has remained 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. People across all the locations we visited consistently told us that staff treated them with kindness, compassion and dignity. People used words like family and friend to describe their relationships with staff. One person said, “All the staff are amazing, I love them.” Another person said, “It’s better here [than last placement] with staff that treat you right and support you.”

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure they met people’s needs and preferences which took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. People, staff and professionals were all eager to talk to us about the activities and events people had been supported to participate in. People spoke at length about a choir that had been set up in which people from all services could attend. One person said, “It’s so good we have so much fun and sing my favourite songs.” A staff member described how one person who was living with anxiety and fear of social engagement had been supported to attend these sessions, which had resulted in an increase in their confidence and a reduction in their anxiety. Other people described holidays and day trips they attended with the support of staff.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Care plans did not always reflect the activities people undertook or their goals and aspirations however, people told us about these activities and the benefits they received from participating in them. One person said, “I have my own flat now and don’t need to share spaces. I am more independent now and it’s nice knowing staff are there if I need them.” Another person described how they had been supported to go on holiday in the UK which had given them confidence and now staff were supporting them to plan their first trip abroad.

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. For example, on the day of our assessment one person had raised a medical concern with a staff member and staff had immediately made a GP appointment for that person and supported them to attend. This showed staff actively listened to people and responded when people were at risk or needed additional professional help which ensured they remained safe and cared for.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff consistently told us they felt supported by the provider and management at all levels of the organisation. Staff said they received regular supervision and attended team meetings. Some staff raised concerns about recent changes to shift patterns that were affecting them and the people they cared for. We spoke to the registered manager about this concern who acknowledged this had been raised and they were already taking proactive steps to review the changes and to fully assess the impact on people and staff before making any further changes. This showed the provider had people’s and staff wellbeing and enablement at the centre of their culture and were responsive to feedback.