GoodOaks Homecare - Horsham and Crawley

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs. This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs. People’s care records contained a high level of detail and were written with their views and opinions considered. Previous occupations, past times and hobbies were included to provide staff with a background to understand the people they were supporting. We saw examples of person-centred care, these included, staff keeping people up to date with current affairs and taking cakes and extra staff to celebrate people’s birthdays. A staff member said, “Person centred care means to me: to treat every client as an individual, to respect their preferences, values and beliefs and involving them as much as possible in decisions about their care. Care is not one size fits all but should be tailored to what matters most to the person. We can do this by making the care plans personalised which they already are and exercising choice and control.”

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. People were supported by a consistent, core team of staff who were matched to meet their personalities where possible. A staff member told us, “My schedule is generally consistent, and I usually see the same clients each week. I have enough time to support them properly and carry out their care safely.” The management team kept in contact with people to receive feedback on whether they feel happy with the staff provided. The registered manager told us of their community engagement to offer signposting to services and explanations of the services GoodOaks Homecare Horsham and Crawley provided.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. Documents were available in formats for people to read and understand in accordance with their needs. The registered manager told us communication and Accessible Information Standards was considered at the initial assessment stage. People’s care plans considered how sight and hearing loss affected them and how staff could support them with effective communication.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result. People told us they knew how to complain and felt any complaints would be taken seriously and dealt with appropriately. A person commented, “I can’t complain, they are lovely, if I needed to complain I would call the office. They have called me and come round to check I am happy with the service.” There had been minimal complaints received at the service; however, we reviewed one which had been addressed in a timely way, and the complainant was satisfied with the outcome. There was a facility in place for the registered manager to track themes of complaints should the service receive an increase. The tracker would allow the registered manager to identify trends of complaints and action them. Compliments were collated and shared with the team for ongoing learning.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. People, their relatives and staff were able to access the management team during the day and outside of office hours via the on-call system. People were welcomed to visit the office should they wish, however, it was not fully accessible for people with mobility needs therefore, the management team visited people in their own homes when required.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this. Staff and managers advocated for and supported people to get care and treatment they needed and wanted. The registered manager provided an example of increased wellbeing outcomes for a person who was not able to practice their faith. They arranged for a visit from their church and told us how this reduced the person’s anxieties, increased their wellbeing. They further commented, "The spiritual side is important to people."

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life. People’s end of life wishes were discussed and care plans were developed to reflect changes in medicines, professional involvement, needs and wishes. The registered manager told us they attended people’s funerals as a mark of respect. They said, “[Person] passed away, we went to the funeral, it (care and support) doesn’t end.”