Livingways Care Services Ltd (Carlisle)

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 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.

Staff treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity.

Feedback from people and relatives described caring, respectful relationships with staff which supported people to feel safe, comfortable and valued in their own homes. People said staff were kind, friendly and polite, and took time to chat and build positive relationships. One person said, “Every carer is lovely and adds something to my life in a different way,” while another told us, “I’ve not had a bad carer, they are all very respectful and polite.” Relatives shared this view saying staff were “very respectful.” They also said staff did not rush visits and treated people with dignity during personal care.

Staff treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds.

People and relatives told us they were involved in discussions about care and that staff understood what mattered to them. One person told us, “They prepare my food the way I want, sometimes cooking and sometimes just preparing it for me,” while another explained how staff understood their good and bad days and adjusted their approach accordingly. Relatives said staff knew people well and, where continuity was achieved, this had a positive impact on people’s confidence and wellbeing.

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

People described being encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves and being supported to make everyday choices, such as what to wear and how support was provided. One person said, “Staff encourage me to pick what I want to wear, that’s important,” while others said staff worked at their pace and respected their wishes.

Relatives confirmed that the care provided enabled people to remain living at home and retain control over their daily lives.

Staff listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. They responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

People and relatives gave positive feedback about how staff responded to changes in their health and wellbeing. Examples included carers recognising deterioration, contacting health professionals promptly and keeping relatives informed. One relative described how a staff member found their relative unconscious and “did all the right things,” including staying with them until help arrived. Others told us staff were alert to changes, acted quickly and communicated well when urgent decisions were needed. Relatives spoke positively about the use of the electronic care app, which helped improve communication, involvement and oversight of care delivery.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff.

Staff received regular support and supervision. Team meetings were used to reflect and learn from each other.

A recent staff survey evidenced positive feedback from staff and where areas for improvement had been identified by staff these were being acted upon. This included opportunities to strengthen staff cohesion and involvement and exploring workplace incentives.